Gettin' naughty

This weekend has been really relaxing, even though I found out an investment-bank-kind-of won't give me any loan to set up my own gallery and even though I'm facing some pretty big questions about my future: how much will I load on studying at University (if I ever get in), how much on being an entrepreneur, what should I do to really make a living with P-pas and what are the other projects I'm getting involved with. I should study for matriculation examination, move completely back in Helsinki (it's hard to be a part-time-habitant), sleep and work as much as I can. Now I'm just chilling. It feels great for once.

So, I decided to sketch some stupid prints I've been obsessed with quite a while. Here are some versions of them so you can get the basic idea:

I created a new photo album in Facebook about the prints I'm working on so that anyone can comment on them. That's how I get the best perspective to whatever I'm doing: asking other people's opinion. P-pas is certainly not all about me and my style. How self-centered would that be?

Despite the few negative things (such as not getting the financial support I would need to realise my dreams (but well, I'll figure some new, more economical dreams) I'm glad and very zen.

Wish you're all doing fine aswell.

xo, Essi-diot

Get Printed vol. 2

And you know, these four shirts are only photoshopped samples. The real deal will be phenomenal - or at least wearable and really stylish! The actual clothes will be launched in two weeks. Can't wait!

Greetings from..

..everywhere!

I spent my Christmas in the Canary Islands playing golf and relaxing in the spa (how ecological..) with my family.  It was quality time from the arrival to the departure, even though I was very sceptical about the destination (tourists, tourists, tourists!). The nature and the beautiful ocean proved my prejudices wrong, even though the amount of German tourists was enormous.

I was also trying to find my feminin side. Could've done worse!

The one-week-holiday gave me enough time to let go of all the stress and pressures, but it took almost the same time to really recover after the holiday. I was feeling exhausted around the New Year, but finally I've found the grip to this thing, and P-pas is on its way to become more and more professional and cool label. My energy level rose after this dubstep party I organized with Suburban Basher -team last weekend. I had fun and the experience was taughtful, but I couldn't be happier to be able to concentrate 100% on P-pas now. Well, probably I should do some studying before the matriculation examinations also. Still, mentally I'm more into this thing than ever. I think I get what's important and what's not, what works and what doesn't. It just takes a bit time to update everything and make P-pas the best I can.

Here's some photos from the dubstep club. My potential feminity died just before the evening. Way to go!

YO YO OH

I had some samples in sale, for exemple this gorgeous bamboo T-shirt. It's designed by two graffiti-artists, and I might have never seen anything as cool as the shirt collection, Department Series, that these two are realising. The real price for this shirt is 35€ and it will be added in the webstore in the beginning of february. If you're interested, you can send me e-mail or give a comment and voìla, this piece of shirt-art is yours!

Don't forget to check the webstore, because an awesome rivet-jewel collection has arrived! HvD's Daffyd is both rock and pretty at the same time. Jewel's designer, HildaVonDilka, gave me a pair of earrings for Xmas present. This is how great 2x2 looks on:

Happy New Year to everyone!

xo, Essi

Visual shit

Some psychedelic-like snapshots of framed Get Decorated -photos. They look really cool on size A4!

Check out the latest Get Printed arrivals: the eco-bags!

Now I'm off to sauna instead of going to sleep. I must tidy the whole bathroom, it's been awhile since I've last done that. It's also been awhile since I've done my homework. And since I've really slept. Darn.

xo,

- Essi

Wnb fashion blogger

I've finally done it! I'm ready to reveal my face - which is quite a logical choice. I should be regarded as a sort of fashionist-trendsetter because P-pas is a real label, so there's no reason for me to hide. This (business, life, style, lifestyle-blog) is my thing and I'm proud of it, goddamnit! Don't you agree that these clothes are great? Not weird, not tacky. Just chill, good looking garments. That's all you need to have a fresh, everlasting style. Of course there are many opinios about clothes, but I, for example, think that P-pas' men's XL-clothes are unbeatable as dresses!

Here's what I've worn during this weekend:

casual: why not -hoodie

night out: white flood with black leggings and basic leather boots

I'm planning to launch a bunch of XL-size clothes for the next collection. Not only will there be big shirts, P-pas will sell customized dresses! You get the idea from these pictures, but P-pas offers it more chicly: loose clothes with feminine cut. Both in hoodies and tees. I'm so excited, because there's never enough "easy dresses" to wear. These one's are all about being easy! And stylish, naturally. I'm hoping to get the next Get Printed -collection out during this year, but it depends on P-pas' economical situation. So, let's all buy our clothes and jewels and Xmas presents from P-pas and wait for the next arrivals to come! Controversial, funny and fresh prints ahead.

xo, Essi

PS. I prefer the green version of me. It compensates the skin tone. Green + red = normal, you know.

P-pas goes public!

These past few days have been so enjoyable! I feel like a parrot repeating this one statement again, again and again, only changing the word order and using some synonyms. But I truly adore everything that has even slightly something to do with P-pas, no matter if it's about tax issues or negociating about potential co-operation with interesting people. I learn new, constantly, which lifts my spirit even higher than it has been the day before.

dorky me and my second-business-partner Eeva

Of course, besides the constant learning process, new experiences and media publicity have an effect on my enthousiasm. A lot. I've been interviewed, written about, some have heard my nasal voice on the radio.. I will be interviewed and P-pas will get to a magazine or two and it feels GREAT. It feel great that I have the chance to spread Pourquoi pas -attitude Finland-wide, and hopefully Europe-wide as soon as my (and your!) european fellows get to know P-pas better.

But what has made my past days so special is yesterday's P-pas photoshooting for Get Printed. I managed to get these two gorgeous classmates to do some posing in front of my Canon, and the result was beautiful. No thanks to me, but to them. Now Get Printed has "its proper faces", if you know what I mean. It was a pleasure to shoot these two who had no problems posing and looking good. In only one day I could capture every Get Printed -garment on photo and add them to the webstore. It might not sound like much, but try to do everything from the very start: make up, scene settings, the photographing itself, choosing the coolest pics, editing them, changing their size and finally adding them on the Internet. Time-taking but rewarding!

- - - - - -

I've received some comments about P-pas' clothe sizes. Unfortunately nearly every women's shirt is really slim, so if you're size M, you should choose a L and so on. I regard myself as S and I prefer size M on bamboo-clothes (S looks fine but as I said, it is slim) and even L on other tees and tops. The L because my waist is quite.. large-ish.

There will be more big sizes on the next Get Printed -collection, but for now the you'll have to order men's shirts - which isn't a bad choise at all. Especially the bamboo-shirts look great and pretty slim on women! And in the future the most of the big sizes will mostly be men's models, because there aren't XL-sizes for women on the models P-pas uses. But ain't it so that men's shirts look great both on curvy and petite women?

Full of love and inspiration,

Essi

PS. I decided to change P-pas-news' look totally. I'm really happy with the result, I hope you dig it too!

Like a rollercoaster ride

Guys, if I told you everything that's happened in these few days, you wouldn't believe me! Not that there would be any lottery wins or stuff like that, but I've just been.. active. Not only with P-pas but socially and.. well, yeah, workaholically. Here are the most important details from the past week end and today.

I and a friend of mine (with whom I also have a small business - I'm a sort of double-entrepreneur) won this distinction of the best business consept during the exhibition. I was so touched I almost cried. When you've worked really hard for something, a simple thank you  is enough to save your day. And when you're called in front of everyone to shake hands with bank directors and other professionals saying "you have potential", it's amazing. It gives you so much energy and belief in yourself. Even though the distinction wasn't given to P-pas but to this other label we've created, e-stil, I felt it was a prize for P-pas aswell.

Get printed found its way to the webstore! Check it out HERE! The photos might not be the best quality, but I'm throwing a photoshooting tomorrow  and adding them  here and there to give you the idea of how the clothes look on real people. I can tell they look fine on me! I love every one of these shirts but if I had to choose my favorite, it would be either the white flood or the black why not. The bamboo feels luxurious on skin and looks great! But the combed cotton shirts are comfortable and really stylish aswell, such as the dark grey why not!

I'm throwing two P-pas TRYOUT -evenings this week, but I guess you who read this english blog aren't able to come. But if you're planning to visit Helsinki anytime soon, book a flight for saturday and visit me at evening! Post a comment here or join P-pas' Facebook group for more information.

To finish I want to share with you two designed match boxes that I keep in my living room. Has anyone of you heard of The Moomins? Here's some samples of their creator's, Tove Jansson's, drawings:

Nighty night!

xo, Essi

Two out of four

Get Printed is finally done, sent forwards and arriving to the webstore in two weeks!

Here's some more concrete demonstrations of the prints and how they will appear on the shirts. These two represent the more graphic side (simple colours and focus on the lines and shapes), the two others are richer on colors. The final look of the shirts is going to be much cooler than these examples made by me and Paint (again..), but at least you'll have a clue of what to expect.

 

I had a dilemma with this dreadlock-girl. First I wanted her to have something pink beside her head, some kind of aura, but at the last moment I decided to let the idea go. So, there won't be any pink horns-a-like or other stuff-o disturbing her - only the vinyls and witty self respect. The text says: "je m'aime / et quoi que tu dises je sais que / tu m'aimes aussi", which means: "I love me / and no matter what you say, I know / you love me too." You should all stick to this kind of an attitude!

That's all for now. There are about 30 Spit It Out -jewels waiting to be finished, so I should probably go and get some jewellery done! Before that, in a few minutes, actually, I get to design a small winter-collection of beanies, mittens and mufflers with a handcraft enthousiast. I'm interested to see with what kind of a consensus we'll end up.

Write you later alligatorz,

Essi

PS! P-pas can be spotted at Futuuri2009-exhibition on 5.-6.11. (thu-fri) which takes place at the culture centre Verkatehdas in Hämeenlinna. The entrance is free, and there will be lectures and information about education, being an entrepreneur and all kinds of stuff about the future we youngs have ahead us. By the way, Pete Parkkonen (an Idols winner of.. last year?) is coming too ;)

PS. What do you think about these two prints? Thumbs up or double-up?

P-pas in a cardboard box (..?)

I feel such a question mark at the moment! 

Probably because of the prolonged day at the printing hall (or how do you call it, the place where clothes get printed). I was supposed to stay there for an hour, but it took two and a half to negociate all the tiniest details and colour shades. Before that the shirt stock had to be checked, and the current situation specified Get Printed's shirt selection. Most of them are basic garments but their cut, fabric and colours coupled with fresh prints make fantastic results! Plus, the clothes are ethically and ecologially, prints locally made - quality ahead!

Here are the most common Get Printed shirts:

Bamboo T-shirts (coming white and black; S, M, L, XL) 

  Vintage-style T-shirts (vintage denim, bottle green,

graphite, vintage brown, burgundy; XS, S, M, L, XL)

 

Mèlange T-shirts (grey, charcoal and black; XS, S, M, L, XL)

Also raglan-cuts, tank tops, long-sleeved T-shirts, hoodies and bags coming up! About the prices: T-shirts and tops are between 28-35€, long-sleeved T-shirts 30-35€, hoodies 45-60€ and bags 15-18€. First collection will be available in only.. two weeks?! Yeah, that's it.

The Sounds puts it: "No one sleeps when I'm awake", but I could do my own version: "Everyone sleeps when I'm awake". Why is it so hard to stop fussying and just go - to - bed?

xo, Essi

Glory to the doers! (part 1)

The first designer I found to P-pas was this guy I accidentally bumped into on a Finnish art website. He had posted there a drawing of his: a washing machine flooding music waves. I had to get him to this team, and luckily this graphic design student agreed! So far, there are 2-3 designs from him to be expected for the Get Printed -collection coming to P-pas webstore in November. Hopefully our partnership will continue - which actually depends on you guys! There are lots of awesome prints coming up, but they can't all be launched at the same time for economical reasons. Voìla anyways some pictures to show what Mitro Leijona and his style is about at the moment.

Artist name: Mitro Leijona

E-mail: ariwa_@hotmail.com
Three most important inspiration sources: Loose, yet profound style is an inspiring all-time classic. A power failure on a dark autumn night, when candles set a special ambiance. The third one's the dusky 60's-70's jamaican ska-music that I've been listening from my record player pretty often nowadays.

"I try to utilise my continuously developing personal style and daring to trust in my own vision in my artwork and prints. These present, also the first, prints are affected by music, spiced up with organic lines and pleasing colours. From these elements I aim to construct a kind of fresh'n'playful ensemble. You can find vinyls, as they are second to none, and flooding wavelenghts in my designs."

Share your opinion about these sketches!

- Essi