Designer Harri Koskinen will become the design director of the Iittala brand. Part of Fiskars Group’s Home business, Iittala has signed a cooperation agreement with Koskinen to strengthen the strategic role of design in enhancing the Iittala brand. In his role of design director, Koskinen will act as an external consultant and also continue as an independent designer and entrepreneur.
The appointment of Harri Koskinen, a Finn, to the role of design director felt very natural: “Harri understands Iittala’s values and design philosophy, which forms a good basis for our cooperation” explains Päivi Paltola-Pekkola, Business Director at Iittala.
Koskinen is also enthusiastic: “I started my career as a designer with Iittala when the grand old man himself, Oiva Toikka, hired me to work at the glass factory in the mid-90’s.Now, it is exciting to see what new things we will be able to create together. Iittala has a lot to show and win in the international markets.”
Harri Koskinen (born 1970) is one of the internationally best-known modern Finnish designers. His clients include Alessi, Cassina IXC, Genelec, Issey Miyake, Muji, Oluce, Panasonic, and many other international brands. In 2009, he received the biggest design award in the world, the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg award (SEK 1 million), and he was acclaimed, in particular, for the promotion of sustainable design. For Iittala, Koskinen has designed, for example, the All Steel cookware set, the Lantern candleholder, the Atlas candlestick, and the Art Works collection of works of art.
Source: Iittala.fi