Ornamo Design Christmas event will showcase the best of contemporary design & crafts in Helsinki’s Cable Factory on 7–9 December. On top of shopping, the visitors can meet the designers behind the most sustainable Finnish and Estonian design and fashion companies. Ornamo Design Christmas is supporting #loveoriginal, a new campaign set up to highlight original design against design piracy.

Started by design industry businesses in Finland, the #loveoriginal campaign was set up following the campaigners’ realisation that plagiarism is a growing problem for the design sector in Finland and abroad. The products created by designers are results of a lengthy creative design process, and small businesses are particularly exposed in the battle against plagiarism. Many designers have joined the campaign, among them Timo Niskanen, designer and managing director at Himmee lighting.

“With this campaign, we want to highlight where original design comes from and the invisible work that goes into creating it. Every product has been designed by someone, whether that is an individual designer or an entire product development team. It is a huge effort to bring a new product on to the market. The designers and businesses involved in the Ornamo Design Christmas event create sustainable, responsibly produced products and really care about where they are manufactured, the working conditions of the people making them and the materials used. They are also committed to making sure that their products are safe for consumers,” Niskanen explains.

Ornamo Design Christmas – guaranteed originals

This year, the now-legendary Ornamo Design Christmas event will be given a fresh new twist, with Estonian designers invited to take part in honour of the country’s centenary of independence. The event will see Helsinki’s Cable Factory turned into a showcase for original works created by around 200 Finnish and 30 Estonian design and crafts professionals.

View full list of Ornamo Design Christmas exhibitors:
ornamo.fi/design-joulu-18-osallistujat

Ornamo Design Christmas is a unique opportunity for visitors to meet the designers and find out more about where their products come from and the materials and techniques used to create them.

“The designers and other company representatives are the experts who know more about their products than anyone else. For us designers, the Ornamo Design Christmas is an excellent opportunity to meet our customers and directly hear their feedback,” Timo Niskanen adds.

“We know that the Design Christmas shoppers are conscious consumers who focus on quality over quantity. Instead of plastic, they are looking to buy glass or ceramics and would rather leave fast fashion and choose something more sustainable, like organic hemp products, instead. My top tip for anyone attending the fair is to give yourself plenty of time as there’s so much to see,” says Petra Ilonen, Project Manager at Ornamo.

Ornamon Design Christmas 7–9 December 2018
Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas): Merikaapelihalli, Puristamo and Valssaamo, Tallberginkatu 1, Helsinki.
Opening hours, Friday 15:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–19:00 and Sunday 10:00–18:00.

ornamo.fi/designjoulu
#ornamondesignjoulu #ornamodesignxmas #loveoriginal

Resources for media: www.ornamo.fi/kuvapankki

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Petra Ilonen, Project Manager, Ornamo, + 358 44 743 3577, petra.ilonen@ornamo.fi
Mika Åhman, Producer, Lumi Accessories, +358 44 751 2362, mika@lumiaccessories.com

Established in 1911, Ornamo Art and Design Finland is the design industry’s trade organisation with around 2,700 members. We promote the interests of designers and the role of design in society.