Klaus Haapaniemi

Klaus Haapaniemi

Finland, 1970

The London-based, Finnish, artisanal design and lifestyle brand Klaus Haapaniemi was founded by Klaus Haapaniemi and Mia Wallenius 2010. Their design approach is influenced by nature, Finnish folklore and traditional decorative arts with a modern twist.

The inspiration for their prints comes from a rich selection of cultural references: the worlds of art, ballet, music and storytelling. Klaus Haapaniemi produces a luxurious home collection focusing on hand printed textiles, cushions, woven throws and hand made rugs. The expanding accessories collection carries permanent, timeless silk scarves, silk pajamas and dressing gowns. Klaus Haapaniemi follows ethical principles in all production stages. Fair and equal collaboration and responsible use of resources are part of their design process. The first Klaus Haapaniemi flagship store opened in London in 2013.

Klaus Haapaniemi himsself is an internationally recognized designer. His CV of design work is impressive: garment prints for Diesel, Levis, Marimekko, Dolce & Gabbana, Cacharel and Bela’s Dead, a new brand. He has also worked as Creative Director of the Italian fashion house Bantam, published a book entitled ‘Giants’ together with the Finnish writer Rosa Liksom, produced illustrations for the Observer newspaper, shown his work in exhibitions – and done a few other things in between.

The international WGSN trend analysis service has dubbed him as one of the most important rising stars in illustration and design. The international media often refer to Klaus Haapaniemi’s Finnish roots, and even the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, has been mentioned. It is true that his illustrations have references to folklore, a good example being the mystical Iittala Taika collection.

In 2015 Klaus Haapaniemi has made his opera set design début by creating the visual world for the performances of the opera Cunning Little Vixen performed in Finnish National Opera January 2015. Based on the same opera, he has created the Tanssi collection for Iittala.