Tuuli-Tytti Koivula is the winner of the ALPHA Award 2023 and is awarded a cash prize of 50.000 DKK, alongside a ceramic vessel by Karl Monies and a study trip to UEDA College of Fashion in Osaka in Japan. “Tuuli-Tytti impressed us with her ability to bridge fantasy and function, reality and beautiful storytelling. Every detail is thought through. Her range as a designer across silhouette, material and categories is exceptional. Tulli-Tytti shows maturity beyond exception. The collection is coherent and eloquently shows development of ideas into finished pieces,” says ALPHA director Ane Lynge-Jorlén.
Cued by her own professional skiing background when she was travelling for training camps in the Alps, Tuuli-Tytti Koivula witnessed up close how the traditional Austrian culture and the professional alpine ski racer communities co-existed in the small Alp villages. Over the years the Aalto graduate also noticed how glaciers were melting and shrinking year by year, and one summer Koivula started seeing flowers growing through the snow. The bittersweet image is visualised in slalom zigzag prints and materialised into a collection that tells a story of the imaginary place, Blumental. All looks in the collection have their own stories and characters, such as Evil Ski Lady, her Good Sister and the carefree After Ski Babe. Koivula mixes inspiration from ski-racing gear and the Bregenzerwalds’ traditional costume Juppe, which is a living tradition and part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. The tight race suit is mixed with elements from Juppe’s traditional dress, but in exaggerated and voluminous shapes and clashing, contrasting materials: twisted sports elements, a mix of glossy and matt surfaces, embroidered and crocheted details. The flower theme runs throughout on prints, crochet patches, accessories and padded 3D-flowers. Sustainable wadding is made from Tyrolean sheep wool.
