FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE IN FASHION AND MUSIC WITH THE ARTIST PEHMOAINO

PEHMOAINO, a talented Finnish singer and songwriter born in 2001, has quickly become a notable name in the Finnish music scene. Her journey began in 2014 when she captivated audiences and won The Voice Kids competition in Finland. This summer Pehmoaino is headlining several music festivals and touring the rock clubs around the country.

This spring our fashion and footwear design students had an incredible opportunity to collaborate with Pehmoaino. The results of the design collaboration can be seen across festival stages as the focus of the project was to design performance outfits to meet her needs and interpret her creative universe into sustainable fashion pieces.

"Seriously, there are textiles in this world for the rest of our days."

I interviewed Pehmoaino about fashion, her career and Pehmoaino herself. Pehmoaino has a style that exudes personality. She is particularly inspired by opposites, such as combining varied materials like silk and metal. Opposites bring friction that sparks innovative ideas to outfits and her music. Sustainability in fashion is fundamental to her. Clothes should be worn more than once. “Seriously, there are textiles in this world for the rest of our days” says Pehmoaino.

Pehmoaino does not follow fashion trends intentionally. In fact, she is nearly repelled by trends. She carves her own path drawing inspiration from her surroundings and personal experiences. Her perspective on fashion is a combination of aesthetically intriguing elements and consciousness to social and environmental aspects of fashion. Her fashion philosophy transcends mere clothing choices.

"It was great to be there from the beginning. See the process from mood boards to finished products."

We also discussed more about the project with HAMK. The design challenge from Pehmoaino was to design performance outfits that enable her to move naturally while performing on stage. She provided input on her preferences and expectations for the outfits, ensuring they aligned with her vision. She needed the outfits to be transformable, as she experiences both chills and heat in her body during performances. And on top of the functional needs, the student’s had to find a way into the creative space where their input and Pehmoainos’ style meet in a surprising way.

The students formed working groups that each designed and made an outfit. The students worked closely together with Pehmoaino from the initial design phase to the final fittings of ready garments.

After each meeting Pehmoaino felt inspired and enthusiastic about the project. “It was great to be there from the beginning. See the process from mood boards to finished products” Pehmoaino said excitedly. Witnessing the students' interpretations of her narrative and music through their designs was both inspiring and rewarding.

Sustainability was a key factor in the project. Many students utilized recycled materials and repurposed items; for example, some used old tablecloths in their designs. This approach not only added a unique touch to the costumes but also emphasized the importance of eco-friendly practices in fashion. These material choices also reflected Pehmoainos’ fashion philosophy.

She summarises her experience about the project and sends her greetings to the students: “I feel like myself in these outfits and new at the same time. Thank you to everyone who joined the project. It was wonderful and fun. I got a lot from this project, and I hope you did too. Now I want to go home and try on every outfit again. Wonderful job!”.

Pehmoaino shared her thoughts on her career and experiences as a musician. She believes her greatest strength is that she has found her own voice while working alone. She loves writing texts and currently her writing is inspired by the complexities of the human mind and the concept of change. Additionally, the creative freedom she has experienced since releasing her album has been a major source of inspiration for her music.

The most surprising thing about her music career has been that she works independently and controls her music and career herself. At the beginning, Pehmoaino was afraid of how music companies might decide everything about her career. Gladly, this did not happen and Pehmoaino has managed to create a successful career in music in her own harmonious way.

Now Pehmoaino is living her dream as an independent artist, even if earlier she didn’t realize it was her dream. As Pehmoaino says: “This is the best I could do, or I can't think of anything better.” In fact, Pehmoaino says that she hopes to keep making music, maybe even for someone else. In the future, Pehmoaino wants to be happy and own a cat. Meow-ve on and good luck!