You’ve heard of saunas, but have you heard of sauna fashion? This concept is behind the latest clothing collection, Kuura Saunawear, made of Finnish forests, brought to life via TBWA\Helsinki.
Sauna has been one of the biggest wellness trends of the year, and the Finnish steam room has become familiar around the world. Finns usually bathe naked, but what do you wear on the way from the sauna to an icy lake? And what about when you’re cooling off afterwards? This uniquely Finnish problem was solved by a Finnish forest industry company, Metsä Group, while also helping tackle a bigger challenge.
The fashion industry generates 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, more than international flights and shipping combined. As the industry seeks sustainable materials, Metsä Group, a pioneer in regenerative Finnish forestry, developed a new, fiber: Kuura.
Kuura is a wood-based textile fiber produced from softwood pulp sourced from Finnish forests. The raw material is grown under harsh Nordic conditions by local families. Kuura offers a renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable alternative to cellulose and synthetic fibres like cotton and polyester, with a smaller environmental footprint and fossil-free production.
However, no matter how good the fiber is, if the fashion industry doesn’t like it, the world will never hear about it. It took a dose of Nordic oddity and TBWA\Helsinki to transform a fiber into sauna-hot fashion and social media phenomenon.
The campaign used earned media channels, reaching the textile industry audience through PR and young Finns via social media. A designer-focused documentary series Behind the Seams was created for social media, and renowned fashion influencers like Sami Sykkö and Miisa Grekov hyped the collection.
The collection was showcased at the Osaka World Expo in Japan and at The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation’s event in Rome, receiving endorsements up to the ministerial level.
Metsä Group created a high fashion sauna collection with Finnish Project Runway star Krista Virtanen. The collection includes five unisex and one size garments: a skirt, trousers, a jacket, a bag and a sauna hat.
The clothes reflect shapes in nature: their stitching resembles the topographical map of the very same Finnish forest where the fibre itself originates, and the fringes along the edges bear a likeness to beard lichen.
“Each piece is designed with versatility in mind. The sauna bag doubles as a seat, the skirt can be a towel, and the jacket works as a bathrobe,” Virtanen said.
The idea of Kuura sauna wear originated at TBWA\Helsinki and was developed with down-to-earth thinking that defines Finnish sauna culture.
“The project started with a tiny idea, but grew into something bigger. Once we saw Kuura come to life in the first prototypes, it became clear that the material deserved a full collection of its own,” Joni Furstenborg, creative director at TBWA\Helsinki, said.
By turning Kuura fibre into fashion, Metsä Group aimed to show that wood-based materials can offer a real alternative to conventional fibres.
“It’s clear that the textile sector is facing a major change due to its climate impact. Kuura alone can’t solve all the problems in the textile industry, but it can be part of the solution,” Kuura Business Development’s director Anna-Kaisa Huttunen said.
“This collection shows that fashion doesn’t have to be synonymous with non-ecological practice. Change for the better is possible,” Krista Virtanen added.
“You can use wood for so many purposes”, Sari Essayah, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, said.
“You can use it even for the textiles. But most importantly, you can tackle climate change with those new materials,” Essayah added.
The discussion continues on social media, and Metsä Group plans a large textile fibre factory in northern Finland.
