sheets, cool blankets and fabrics. For something a little risqué, browse the Tom of Finland collection, a tribute to Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen. www.finlaysonshop.com HOLMASTO To peruse a veritable treasure trove of gold, silver and diamonds, including vintage pieces fashioned by prominent Finnish designers, head to Holmasto. A short walk from Esplanadi at 50 Aleksanterinkatu, this secondgeneration family-run store started life as a stationer’s in 1949. It soon morphed into an auction house specialising in coins. Today is remains the oldest and biggest coin shop in Finland. Holmasto also does a lively trade in classic and statement jewellery, as well as quality watches. Look for Lapponia fine jewellery, handmade in Helsinki and inspired by Nordic nature. www.holmasto.fi STOCKMANN Established in 1862, Stockmann is Scandinavia’s largest department store. The flagship store in Helsinki city centre, at 52 Aleksanterinkatu, occupies a landmark Nordic art deco building completed in 1930, which it is impossible to miss due to its grandeur and imposing presence. Ten floors of retail space offer all the luxury brands one would expect, plus a wide selection of Finnish-designed products. Visit the service point on the eighth floor for a visitor discount voucher which entitles you to 10% off all regularly priced purchases on one day. Be sure to wander through Stockmann Delicatessen in the basement, which is Helsinki’s equivalent to Harrods Food Hall. www.info.stockmann.com MARIMEKKO Beloved of fashion trailblazer Jacqueline Kennedy, Marimekko’s eye-catching striped and floral prints have been brightening up clothing, accessories and soft furnishings since 1951. Two designers in particular have left their stamp on this quintessentially Finnish brand: Vuokko Nurmesniemi, who designed the classic red and white striped Jokapoika shirt in 1956, and Maija Isola, who designed the best-selling Unikko (poppy) print in 1964. Now a global business, fabrics are still printed in Marimekko’s textile factory in Herttoniemi, 10-minutes outside the city centre. The same building is home to the company’s headquarters and an outlet store brimming with fabulous, colourful bargains. If you don’t have time to go to Herttoniemi, there are multiple Marimekko boutiques in Helsinki city centre. www.marimekko.com 124 The Cultured Traveller Sep-Nov 2018
MARRIMEKO