RUMAT STUDIO
TIMELESS, FUNCTIONAL, AND NEW PERSPECTIVES
DESIGNER
Anne Aaltonen, 26, from Suomussalmi, is an entrepreneur in the clothing industry, specializing in the design of knitwear and wearable accessories. She holds a Master of Arts degree from the fashion and textile design program. Throughout her career, Aaltonen has gained recognition by placing in industry competitions and by receiving a grant and a start-up fund to launch her business. Aaltonen draws inspiration from nature and designs her products to withstand time and use.
RUMAT STUDIO?
Rumat Studio gradually and naturally emerged during her studies. Aaltonen had the opportunity to calmly experiment with numerous different techniques, from which she found her favorites. She became particularly interested in designing clothes for demanding everyday use.
However, the design work began to be overshadowed by the agony of creation. How could one feel pride in self-designed clothes that respected traditional lines, when the ideas didn't feel entirely unique? The saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" took on a new meaning, "too ugly to be true," when hastily finished course projects were cobbled together the night before presentation day. Despite all the uncertainty, the end result often managed to surprisingly delight its creator.
This is how Rumat Studio was born, a space for creativity, incompleteness, and bold experiments. "Rumat" means "they are ugly" in Aaltonen's native language, Finnish. Not everything has to be perfect, as often the best ideas and most original creations arise precisely from mistakes and coincidences.
RESPONSIBILITY
For Rumat Studio, sustainability means considering all dimensions of durability: ecological, social, cultural, and economic responsibility. Sustainability can be built through continuously better choices, respecting the environment and people.
Designing and manufacturing clothes is a great passion for Aaltonen. At the same time, a love for nature and a desire to protect it have led to reflections on the meaning of their own work. From this contradiction and the meeting of these two worlds springs Rumat Studio's philosophy.
Rumat Studio designs long-lasting clothes that endure both use and time. The starting point is the idea that one can own fewer clothes, but they should be of higher quality and more thoughtfully produced. Where possible, recycled materials are used in the products. The clothes are designed to fit the wearer well and maintain their appeal regardless of changing trends. The goal for the styles and colors is that they feel current even decades from now.
The clothes are also designed to be easily repairable and recyclable, so that their environmental impact remains as small as possible. However, responsibility is not limited to how a garment is made. Equally important is how it is cared for during use and what happens to it at the end of its life.
A garment's life cycle continues even after it is retired from its original use. Therefore, in sustainability, it is important to consider the product's entire life cycle from design and manufacturing to use, maintenance, repair, and finally recycling. Long-term thinking helps in making choices that reduce the environmental impact of clothing and extend its lifespan.
Appreciation for clothes only increases once one understands where clothes come from, how and how much effort goes into them, not to mention their true cost.
MEANINGFULNESS
Rumat Studio encourages people to understand where clothes come from and how they are made. Careful design, high-quality materials, and meticulously finished details can increase a garment's price, but every garment is always made by people and requires time, expertise, and work.
A low price for a garment can indicate that its makers have not been adequately compensated for their work. Child labor is also still used in some parts of the global clothing industry. This is why Rumat Studio wants to operate as transparently as possible and openly communicate about the manufacturing of its products.
Rumat Studio also encourages people to make their own clothes whenever possible. When one has invested their own time and effort into making a garment, its value and significance can feel greater. Regardless of whether a garment is handmade or purchased, it should be cherished and used for as long as possible. Behind every garment lies human effort, skill, and time, which deserve to be seen and respected.
