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

Shirtie arrivals

Boo yaa'll!

A lot has been going on lately, but I finally have the time to post in english. I spent about 20 hours in a bar last weekend - quite an achievement, isn't it? There was a design christmas market that P-pas attended amongst many, many other great labels and designers. After having spent this much time in a place with no fresh air, I was feeling hangover-ish still on monday. Brain damage and tiredeness are typical symptoms of partying too much, but clearly you can experience those feelings for other reasons aswell.

a sample from upcoming men's tie-shirt collection,

which I'm really into!

chainie-tunic

ROAR!

I released couple of new Stay Tuned -shirts about a week ago. There are loads of new stuff coming up in a few weeks, maybe even during this week. On the beginning of 2010 will there anyhow be time for big updates in the webstore. Many awesome collections are on their way to the store, both jewels and clothes. I'm also trying to figure out what to do with the Get Decorated -category - maybe a public exposition, when these two collections I'm dying to publish will arrive. Other is photographed by a young, rebellious indie living in Helsinki city, other by an adventorous young women from Stockholm. Really tallented, both of them. Ah!

And finally, this is how good the Be Cubes look on:

sadly this one is already sold, but I can do more by request!

Be cube

By the way: I'm not grabbing my arse, I'm pulling the shirt. Just for fun. Or something.

Cheers,

Essi

The horror dawg

I didn't work much yesterday. The main reason was my mental coma, but an otrher factror also affected me: my hunnybunny Toto, who had a small surprise under his bandana scarf. The dog was wearing the scarf to cover  two operation cuts from the day before yesterday (Toto had two sebaceous glands removed from the neck area), but it turned out the Bandana didn't protect them too well. When I had a look under the scarf, an unpleasant suprise hit me.

The 15-cm-long seaming had partly teared so that the freshly-stitched skin opened up nicely. I told myself not to take it too seriously, because the cut hap opened only 2-3 cm. I just shivered a bit and tried to fix the damage. Bandaid-coverage seemed like a good idea, but when Toto decided to scratch the itchy cut on the back of his neck, I had to face the the most unpleasant surprise ever.

the cut before the actual tearing

The teared cut had doubled its size. There was a wide, bright pink hole on the neck, which caused a slight panic among me and my mother. I screamed and laughed (in shock) and almost cried and ran around the house and tried to figure out what to do with the monster dog from hell. Toto really looked like a killer dog from a B-class horror movie. He shook his head, which only made the open cut look worse and more.. wide.
Thank God we got to the vet nearly immediately. It was 9 PM when all of this happened, so reaching an available veterinarian wasn't the easiest task on Earth. But luckily Toto was tacked and closed up in only 30 minutes from the big horror scenario. No great damage caused - aside the traumatising effect on me and my mom.

Pinkie-boy recovering and having a good night's sleep

Besides this drama, I have some exciting P-pas news:  I decided to let the Vintage market go, because more is less and P-pas is better off without second hand. I do use second hand and other recycled materials on Stay Tuned -clothes anyway!

- Essi

Inspirations

As every person, every object has its history. In this case every one of these pieces have an interesting story to tell, because they belonged to my artistic grand parents. Now it's time for them to find new home, because both of my grand parents have passed away. It's a shame I didn't get to know then too well, it would have been interesting to talk about ethetics, art life (the circles are very small in Finland so almost everyone knows everyone) and.. just about whatever. They would have had amazing stories to share, but it's too late now.

I don't feel like I've followed the footsteps of my family. Of course I'm related to normal people aswell, but there are many persons working with art or design. I'd like to be as talented as my cousins (other is magazine photographer, other a graphic designer who's worked for Marimekko, for example) or my grandmother, who was really dedicated to graphic drawing and painting.

Outi Heiskanen, a graphic designer

Instead of being really productive on fine arts, I feel I'm more a.. visual person. I like to see, observe, visualize, but the executing isn't my thing. Or at least not as much as organizing and doing ten thing at the same time. I enjoy hussling and planning more than concentrating on one thing. I like the big picture.

Even though it might seem that P-pas is just a label among others, it's 100% about esthetics. Everything I and my partners do to make P-pas better and better could be described as art. Art of daydreaming (because I don't sleep at nights, ''ha ha''..), art of creating, art of carrying through. I could do a posting about how a print collection is born, but there's no brief versions to describe the process. It's about loads of planning about

a) themes

b) shapes

c) colours

d) materials

e) quantity

f) quality (which is always excellent, obviously)

and much more. It's exciting, frightening and inspiring. Exciting, because it feels wonderful to give talented designers a chance to show their abilities - there will be an amazing collection designed by Maria Niemi round New Year! Frightening, because as a 18-year-old student/entrepreneur I can't afford too many bad choices on things that could cost me a fortune. And inspiring, because everything P-pas does is so goddamn cool you can't not get exhilarated about all the ideas and visions and creativity.

That's all I have to say.

xo, Essi

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

I should get some sleep

I've been busy and lazy and I still am, actually, so I'm going to post you a link to my finnish blog, where you can admire the few photos I've posted. Try to figure out what's been up!

Jingle Bell Rock

No, no, just kidding. Well, I do recommend you to go HERE to see more photos, because these few are quite random just by themselves.

 

Je m'aime / et quoi que tu dises je sais que / tu m'aimes aussi

Today was the first day of two-day-lasting education and future -exhibiton, where I'm presenting P-pas. I had the table full of clothes and jewellery, but not many had bought cash with them - end of the story. Better luck tomorrow, hopefully. I have loads of shirts that deserve to be worn and almost as much jewels that go to waste in the drawer! But the biggest waste is if the Get Printed -perfectnesses don't find their matches (meaning people to wear them).

     Luckily P-pas sells to the entire EU-area. This means that you, my european friend, can do some serious Get Prined shopping (for you and only you or to someone to whom you'd like to give stylish quality for Xmas present, for example) in only a few days!

I was also shooted on the local news. I yelled at the microphone and made funny faces, but that's allright. Someone has to be the stupid looking, ain't it so?

Now I'm off to craft some geography-themed necklaces for tomorrow. Flags and stuff. I don't even like geography, I suck at it! But the colours and shapes are so nice looking..

"Take it easy", says my cockerspaniel Toto - who, in fact, tends to stress more than me. At the moment I have no energy to really stress about anything, even though it might hit me with a heavy hammer on the forehead some day soon. When I realise everything's going deeply wrong and I'm no good to anyone. Why do I have to be so comicly melodramatic when writing in english?

Sleepy greetings,

Essi

My life as a perpeetum mobile

I promised you the whole story, but as I can't summarise anything properly, I'll concentrate on the visual side. So that you'd have a clue about what my life actually is, I'm going to tell a few basics about.. me. You're privileged, because I haven't, for example, written about my residential situation on my Finnish blog. At least not as precisely as on this one.

Kamppi (a commercial centre), Helsinki

- Studying at upper secondary school is (supposed to be) my main "job".

- I'm sort of trapped between two cities and two apartments: Hämeenlinna (100kms from Helsinki), where I study and do the most of my handcrafts, and Helsinki (the capital city of Finland), where I spend about every other weekend getting inspired and relaxed.

- Helsinki is the place I'm heading to as soon as I finish the school (which happens in February) and where I'll start my University studies and hopefully continue what I'm doing right now in a small business premises, and such and such and such - I have loads of plans I'm going to realise, but it would be too soon to manifest them yet.

MONDAY

Kalevankatu, the street on which Sis. Deli is located

After a 6-hour schoolday I got on a bus and ended up in Helsinki, where I supplied a jewel order and right after that had a rendez-vous with the nicest founder of a fresh eco-café (Sis. Deli) I've ever met! She gave me very good advice about being a coffee-shop owner and being an owner of a small business overall. The place looked lovely in the middle of the hectic city centre and I could really sense she was dedicated to what she's doing.

After the meeting I got a lift to my little studio, where I spent the rest of the night (from 7 P.M. to 11 P.M.) starring a document film about me and my career-choosing.

Marleena

 

we held a glogg-tasting in the middle of the hard work

Mirei

TUESDAY

I had a meeting with a life insurance company representative at 8:30. We discussed everythinghing but life insurance stuff, and after chatting about 1½ hours I continued my journey to the eastern city centre, where the film crew was editing monday's material.

It turned out the shootings hadn't quite pulled off, so we had to do it all over again on tuesday. No biggies, because the crew was awesome and we had a productive day. We drove to Hämeenlinna, I was more relaxed and smily and we had fun.

Tytti, Marika

Mirei, Marika

Marika, Mirei, Tytti, Oona

Hopefully the why not -attitude shows on the document aswell. I'll post it here even though the most of you won't understand a word - I guess you're from other parts of the world than Finland, am I right? If not, please continue reading my blog HERE, because it's embarassing to know Finnish people witness my bad english!

That's it. About 36 hours of my life. I can't complain, it's great, such as almost everything I get to do. It's surprising how comfortable I feel being in an uncertain professional and economical situation, but somehow I feel at home. That's inspiring, and that's the way I like it.

xoxo,

Essi

PS. As I wrote: I can't summarise anything properly...

Once upon a time in Helsinki

I went, I came and I cold-sweatted in front of the camera. Extremely interesting meetings, document shootings and adventures in only 24 hrs! Effective and educational in many ways.

  

 

this is how glad and energetic a filmed person can look.. notice the time!

The whole story about my one-night-trip to Helsinki coming tomorrow. An inclusive entry full of photos introducing a real day of an entrepreneur, or how should I call myself. Even if I were going through the most hectic time of my life, I'm happy, happy - happy. I hope you're feeling the same way about your life (without the hecticness).

xoxo, Essi

It almost worked...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I had worked with this P-pas -print of my own, drawed lines and sized fonts and made sketches after sketches, when I came to realize the result was AWFUL. HORRIBLE. TERRIBLE!

a) the text was partly crooked
b) the text was partly sprawled
c) the text was mainly ugly

The sketches were pretty cool with all the stabilo lines and the pencil blurrs, but after all the hard work i couldn't come up with anything better to do with the phunking print than this masterpiece:

GLORY TO PAINT! © me

Thank God my reliable graphic designer helped me out, and P-pas is getting a really cool "pourquoi pas" -print coming on November. Bright colours on dark clothes and hoodies and bags. And stuff.

xoxo, Essi,

who's glad no one's perfect

Brisk and bright small hours

 Some new pics and collections have appeared to Get Decorated!

 

 Streets: Bucarest

  

  By night

There's quite a lot going on with P-pas! Tomorrow (actually, today) a Style It Yourself shirt collection from Get Printed will be launched. On friday I'm having a meeting with a group of media students to discuss a document project we're having during the next four weeks. On saturday P-pas is doing a casual photo-shooting with a model to give the garments and jewels a more concrete face. On sunday the pics will be released on P-pas' blog! Besides all this there will be some everyday life stuff aswell, such as coocking, educating oneself on cultural matters and  enjoying the free time from studying. With good company and some sparkling wine, I hope.

 

 © Mitro Leijona

Why not (go to sleep now)?

 - Essi