3 questions for . . .

Tiina Helminen, Villa Tremondo director and founder

Tiina Helminen is the director and founder of Villa Tremondo in Helsinki. The showroom, created 15 years ago, imports and distributes ready-to-wear brands from Scandinavian as well as other European countries. She also manages Dots, a fashion and lifestyle boutique in central Helsinki. Ms. Helminen will be at the 4 June Agents/Brands Meetings event organised by the Fédération with support from DEFI.

What is the Finnish opinion on French fashion?
In the 1980s, French fashion was a reference point for Finnish women. It was better known and more respected than today. French brands are, of course, still available in Finland, especially in fashion forward boutiques. In the last few years, fashion has moved towards a more casual and ‘country’ or less fussy style, and towards more relaxed silhouettes. The tunic is one of the look’s key pieces. But it was the Scandinavian labels who rode this trend and found their place in the Finnish market. Those brands are really popular here. French fashion is considered as both very on-trend and synonymous with quality and good design.

What kinds of opportunities can the Finnish market give French brands?
You have to remember that French women spend more and invest more in clothing than Finnish women. In Finland, women spend more on their homes, and their travel budget has also grown. Additionally, the economic crises affected our country and opened the door for less expensive brands to become known and enjoy solid success. Still, I think that stores are open to French brands. Scandinavian brands are so omnipresent now that a new cycle should open up and allow a more varied product offer on the market. Right now, Finnish women are expressing a demand for a more ‘tailored’ and better quality fashion. In what is a truly difficult context here, the boutiques that do the best are those that have known how to stand out. So there’s room for French brands.

What are the key points for a brand that wants to enter the Finnish market?
The quality of its products! Finns really appreciate natural materials such as cotton, wool, linen, and cashmere. On the other hand, acrylic and polyester have a bad reputation. Even though the quality of certain of these fibres has improved, consumers still strongly associate them with low end, uncomfortable clothing. In fact, given the amount of poor quality products on the market, brands have to stand out from the others by the quality of their materials and designs. Price also remains an important criteria today in making buying choices. Finnish women pay a lot of attention to price tags. But I think the situation should improve in one or two years, and that will let more upmarket brands find their places. I’d like for consumers to understand that buying good quality is a smart investment, and that poor quality goods don’t last long.