TIMELESS FINNISH DESIGN What started as a glass factory in iittala, Finland, today celebrates generations of essential objects that are made to enrich people’s everyday lives. The iittala glass collection includes not only new designs but also items that have been around for more than 80 years. Their timeless design will last for generations - and never be thrown away!
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The roots of iittala date back to 1881 when a glass factory was established in a village of the same name in southern Finland. In its early years iittala produced blown, pressed, polished, painted and etched glass according to continental models. In the beginning of the 20th century dinnerware was decorated with a variety of ornaments. It was one of the first companies to make the transition from decorative dinner sets to functional, aesthetically pleasing objects infused with progressive Scandinavian design.
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The breakthrough came in the early years of modernism and functionalism during the 1930s and 40s. At that time it was pioneers like Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck who led the development of the iittala brand. Their belief was that objects should always be designed with thought and make them available for everyone. It was Aalto's and Franck's thinking that set the foundation for the iittala design philosophy: to push the boundaries and to give people beauty and function.
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The road from an idea to a finished product is a close collaboration between designers and glassblowers.
Craftsmanship forms the basis of all Aalto vases, which are mouth blown every day at iittala, Finland.
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This breakthrough in Finnish design, also changed glassware ranges led by iittala in the 1950s and 1960s. A new kind of aesthetics and functionality affected Finnish glassware design while most other countries still used traditional, extensive glassware ranges. A simplified, modern design took over from cut crystal.
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With their knowledge of materials and production methods they create timeless design objects. To design colours and form that are inspiring yet easy to combine is the core of iittala's craftsmanship. Highly-skilled, experienced professionals in every part of the design and production process are essential in making iittala what it is. A vast amount of human skills, effort and thought is required to create an object of quality.
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AALTO COLLECTION by Alvar Aalto
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Finish design legend Alvar Aalto has been connected to iittala since the beginning. He wanted to ‘free’ glass from geometric form and create an impression of organic, living forms and believed objects should be essential, beautiful, useful and available to all. His symmetrical, fluid wave design is an iconic symbol of modern Nordic interior design.
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DESIGNER ALVAR AALTO was born in Kuortane in 1898, Alvar Aalto made his name as a master of modern architecture through his unique style and exceptional talent. He worked closely with his wife Aino Aalto.
Aalto designed concert halls, libraries, hospitals, museums and private homes, among others, all around the world. His works were exhibited in the New York Museum of Modern Art already in the 1930s. Aalto also designed several objects which were originally intended to become parts of buildings and decorations. However, the objects took on a life of their own.
The most famous of the objects designed by Aalto is the Aalto vase, which was first seen at the 1937 Paris World Exposition. Independently and together with his wife Aino Aalto, Alvar Aalto designed a number of versatile objects.
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The iconic Aalto vase dates back to 1936 and was first presented at the Paris World Fair the following year. Its fluid, organic form is still mouth blown today at the iittala factory, hand cut and then polished several times.
It takes a team of seven skilled craftsmen, twelve work stages, 1100°C and 30 hours to take an Aalto vase through all its steps in production. Each team member goes through years of intense training in the many areas of glass craftsmanship in order to learn the skills to create the vase. And yes, every single Aalto vase is unique.
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ESSENCE COLLECTION by Alfredo Haberli
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In 2001 Alfredo Häberli, an internationally renowned Swiss-Argentinian product designer, designed Essence with the simple idea to create a series that had as few glasses as possible while still being able to serve a full range of wines.
Side by side they express a remarkable sense of balance with the stem and base being of the same size. Sensually pleasing to grasp and handle, Essence makes fine wines even more enjoyable.
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DESIGNER ALFREDO HABERLI was born in 1964 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied industrial design in Switzerland. Today, he is a well-known international designer based in Zurich. In his designs, Häberli successfully combines tradition and renewal. There is joy and energy in his designs.
The human being is the starting point of Häberli's design process. His objects and structures are designed to be used. He is unprejudiced and inventive in his observation of the actual situation in which an object is used and does not create form for the sake of it. Based on his insights, he designs changes to the archetypes of objects that have developed through the times, which makes the everyday objects around people fit this time and the situation they are used in precisely.
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KASTEHELMI COLLECTION by Oiva Toikka
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The Finnish word 'kastehelmi' means 'dewdrop,' which refers to the rings of small glass beads that give each piece in the Kastehelmi collection its distinct character. Originally designed by Oiva Toikka in 1964, the Kastehelmi series was relaunched in 2010. The idea of using droplets of glass as decoration came to Oiva Toikka when he was thinking of ways to hide the joint marks left by the production process. The result features rings of tiny glass bubbles that extend outwards from the centre of each piece. Today, as then, Kastehelmi is one of the most beloved series in the Iittala range.
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DESIGNER OIVA TOIKKA is one of the greatest names in Finnish glass. His imaginative, rich and bold glass art deviates from the streamlined aesthetic of Nordic design. He has worked in the performing arts for as long as he has in glass. The Birds collection is Toikka’s best-known work. He has enjoyed an international career and received numerous awards, among them Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal, World Glass Now 85 Award, Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Prince Eugen Medal.
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KARTIO COLLECTION by Kaj Franck
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In one of his purest realisations, Kartio glassware, designer Kaj Franck captures the perfect balance between the material and the geometric form. Simple, yet durable enough for everyday use, Franck mastered the creation of the basic drinking glass, which is a legendary design beyond any trend. Kartio comes in a versatile palette of coloured glass.
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DESIGNER KAJ FRANCK had an extreme yet rational design philosophy based on three familiar basic shapes: a circle, a square, and a rectangle. He is described as the conscience of Finnish design and believed objects should be multifunctional and combinable and removed everything excessive from his designs, leaving only the essentials. Kaj Franck has been awarded a large number of Finnish and international awards and prizes and his work has been displayed at a range of design museums around the world. Some of his most famous objects are the Teema tableware and the glass series Kartio.
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KURU COLLECTION by Phillipe Malouin
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Declutter and organise with the Kuru collection from international designer Philippe Malouin. Featuring distinct, sculptural pieces that were designed to work harmoniously together, with other objects, or to look beautiful on their own. The simple geometry of the Kuru collection creates tranquility in any interior. Equally as elegant when not in use, the Kuru collection includes handmade bowls in ceramic and pressed glass as well as mouth-blown frosted vases.
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DESIGNER PHILIPPE MALOUIN is a British-Canadian who is known for making quality products that are long-lasting and serve a practical purpose. His designs communicate a simple, geometric language that everyone can understand.
He believes that people have an inlaid understanding of simple geometric forms from a young age and therefore, they find understandable design calming. Malouin’s approach is to refine and reduce his designs so that in the end, his creations have a strong, refined design identity that people have an innate affinity for.
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SARPANEVA COLLECTION by Timo Sarpaneva
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The Sarpaneva cast iron casserole is a combination of tradition, functionalism and polished aesthetics. It is a basic object for the home that you can lift from the stove straight to the table. The excellent qualities of the enamelled cast-iron pot on the stove, in the oven and when serving, complete perhaps the most beautiful cast-iron pot in the world.
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DESIGNER TIMO SARPANEVA was one of the great personalities responsible for the world reputation of Finnish design since the 1950s. He was a master of materials as glass, porcelain, cast iron and textile as well as graphic art and had 'a rare ability to be mesmerised and to worship beauty'. He was the designer behind the 'i' logo for iittala, which still serves as the symbol of the company.
He has been honoured with innumerable awards and acknowledgements. Sarpaneva was Doctor HC of the Royal College of Art in London and the University of Art and Design in Helsinki and Academician HC of the University of Mexico. His work can be seen in art and design museums throughout the world.
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