Mikko Puttonen, a Finnish fashion photographer and influencer, travelled to Japan with his partner in work and life, Lucas Ruska Martin, for a Lapuan Kankurit shoot. We talked with the creative couple about work, life, and taking turns wearing a sauna hat.
Photography is, to Mikko and Lucas, more than just a line of work. It’s about expressing themselves as individuals – and inspiring one another to do so.
“For us, the best thing about photography is capturing small, beautiful and quiet moments and details. It might be the evening light falling on a wall, a simple flower moving in the wind or an interesting reflection.”
mikko puttonen
“Working together as a duo allows us to share our passion and continuously push each other creatively, which is both inspiring and motivating. We also feel incredibly grateful that our work allows us to travel together. We are constantly driven by the desire to create and craft, and photography is a wonderful medium through which we can express ourselves. We also love working on a bigger team and meeting new inspiring people,” Mikko shares.
Japan is one of the couple’s favourite places on Earth, and one they love to return to.
“We see many similarities between Japanese and Nordic design, especially in the appreciation of nature, craftsmanship, and simplicity. We are huge fans of Japanese design, traditional crafts, and the thoughtful use of materials. The highlight of the trip was definitely our time in the countryside. We love the slower pace of life and the beautiful surroundings there.”
Self-professed admirers of Lapuan Kankurit, Mikko and Lucas had followed the brand even before starting to work together a couple of years back.
“A fun fact is that one of our very first Lapuan Kankurit pieces was a kitchen towel that Lucas’s Spanish mother gifted us for our apartment in London. We love the entire brand universe, from its roots as a family-company to its carefully designed and beautifully crafted high-quality products, as well as its strong visual identity. It has been a pleasure working together over the past few years, and we feel very fortunate to be part of the journey.”
“Our collection has grown quite a bit since that beautiful hand towel we mentioned earlier! We love our Lapuan Kankurit towels in different sizes and colours, linen bedding, tablecloths and napkins, and use them every day. We are also big fans of the stripy MERIHAKA trousers, designed by Sami-Jussi Koski. One particularly fun piece is the sauna hat, we only have one for now, so we are always joking about whose turn it is to wear it! Our next addition will definitely be a few picnic blankets for the summer.”
