Studio Visits: Rolf Ekroth

The rising designer might be building Finland’s answer to Acne. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( March 29, 2019 [Get Studio Visits: Rolf Ekroth]( The rising designer might be building Finland’s answer to Acne. [sacai & Beats by Dre Announce BeatsX Collaboration]( ROLF EKROTH Rolf Ekroth did not grow up dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. Nor did he even begin to study fashion design until he was in his 30’s. And yet he began 2019 by presenting two collections at the prestigious Pitti Uomo — one under his namesake label and one for the Finnish heritage brand Terinit, which he’s been tasked with reviving. With that international recognition, Ekroth’s investors are hoping his label might become the Acne Studios of Finland; however, as the Helsinki native tells us, he’s just hoping to build a brand that’s financially viable. But considering how rare it is for Finnish designers to start their own labels, simply getting a brand off the ground is no small task. Ekroth graduated from Helsinki’s Aalto University in 2015, ranked one of the top fashion schools in the world alongside the likes of Central Saint Martins. And yet, most graduates go on to work for major fashion houses abroad rather than start their own labels. Ekroth is a rare exception; when sportswear brand Terinit asked him to lead the brand revival, the company also chose to finance his namesake label. “In Finland, it's really hard to find financing for fashion. We're focused on technology,” Ekroth told HYPBEAST. I just went to a sewing school with grandmas, so I didn’t know what people at my stage were doing. [Priya Ahluwalia Adidas Originals]( How would you describe your style when you were growing up? Well I was a teenager in the '90s, so it was '90s hip-hop, street style. I wore insanely baggy pants, and oversized T-shirts and hoodies. I tried to mimic everything that I saw on MTV. The '90s was maybe the first time in Finland that we had channels like MTV. In the '80s we only had three TV channels with Finnish programming. Have you seen a big shift in Helsinki’s approach to fashion since then? In the last years it's changed a lot. Now you can see teenagers buying Raf Simons and Off-White™, and all the super expensive brands. I guess their parents buy them the clothes, but in my days when we were teenagers we didn't have that expensive clothing. But I think it's fun that people are more interested in fashion. [READ FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[ENTERTAINMENT]( [These Are the Must-See Movies and TV Shows Premiering in April]( [[FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](3D--087966392f9a392d1eef8b244778e4b520f93ef560f86282df12986c53a524ec?utm_source=hbfeatures&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mar29_19). It may take 48 hours to complete the unsubscribe process. Contact subscription@hypebeast.com for assistance on any enquiries. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 10F, KC 100, 100 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong