Design Against Throwawayism
Pitcher & Bowls by Camilla Kropp
On a recent trip to London, lifeiscarbon® were pleased to discover that the Finnish design brand Iittala has opened its first flagship store in the UK, and for the first time its possible to appreciate the full scope and diversity of their product range. There are probably few people who don’t have at least one Iittala product somewhere in their home, even if it’s only one of their ubiquitous glass tea-light holders.
Iittala continues to be a major driving force for Scandinavian design with legendary designers Kaj Franck (1911-1989) and Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) as the cornerstones of the brand. Iittala objects are design essentials stripped to their core; the pure union of function, form and quality that demonstrates their core philosophy of lasting everyday design against throwawayism.
Over 50 years ago Kaj Franck defined successful design with his question: "Is not the ultimate meaning of beauty to be essential, functional, justified, and correct?" Design, he felt, is far more than a question of beauty. It is about life. And life, said Franck, consists mostly of everyday events. Ensuring that everyday objects are universally relevant is perhaps the most important design challenge there is. Take a look below to read more about Iittala and to see some of our favorite products from their range:
Cup & Saucer by Stefan Lindfors
HotCool by Björn Dahlström
Kartio by Kaj Franck
Jars by Pentagon Design
Cast Iron Pot by Timo Sarpaneva
Kivi by Heikki Orvola
Grill Pan by Björn Dahlström
The roots of Iittala date back to 1881 when a glass factory was established in a small village by the name of Iittala in southern Finland. From the very beginning Iittala was a modern industrial plant. Iittala’s breakthrough occurred back in the 1920s and 30s during the early years of modernism and functionalism. It was among the first companies to make the transition from creating decorative settings and dinner sets to producing progressive Scandinavian designs. Iittala’s designers included the modernist trailblazers, Kaj Franck, Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino.
These days the Iittala Group, part of the international Fiskars Corporation, is the market leader in its home markets – of Finland, Sweden, and Norway – with a strong presence through brands such as Arabia, Hackman, Iittala, BodaNova, Höganäs Keramik, Rörstrand, and Høyang-Polaris. Internationally, Iittala Group's growth is focused on the Iittala brand and the Iittala stores.
Iittala store
126 Regent Street
London W1B 5SD
tel +44 (0) 207 287 5600
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