Lapuan Kankurit SADE towel white-grey photocredit Jopsu Ramu

50th Anniversary

2023 was the 50th birthday of Lapuan Kankurit. 50 years filled with exultant joys, heart-breaking hardships, remarkable friendships, bold breakthroughs, beautiful designs – 50 years filled with more memories than a mind could possibly hold.

Our family’s journey in the world of textiles began all the way back in 1917 with Juho Annala, who founded a felt boot factory in Lapua and subsequently laid the groundwork for the founding of Lapuan Kankurit in 1973. The past is the cornerstone on which we ground our work and our mission.

Our woven journey will continue.

31.12.2023

DESIGNER OF DECEMBER: MARJA RAUTIAINEN

Marja Rautiainen is one of Lapuan Kankurit’s most long-standing designers. Marja's works reflect her strong professional skills as well as her passion for Finnish textile traditions.⁠

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Marja’s designs include such beloved classics as CORONA, PAANU, KOIVU and VIILU. Her ingenious craftsmanship garnered well-deserved acclaim when the CORONA blanket won the MUOTO 2015 award for Finnish design.⁠

Read more about Marja Rautiainen: Marja Rautiainen | Lapuan Kankurit

NOVEMBER GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: SAMU-JUSSI KOSKI

"Congratulations, dear Lapuan Kankurit,

Thank you for letting me make your acquaintance – I'm happy to be a part of your story.

Over the course of five decades, you have shown exceptional commitment and passion for the development of the Finnish art of weaving. You have brought alive the handicraft tradition and created wonderful fabrics that have inspired and warmed the hearts of people all around the world.

Your uncompromising pursuit of quality, dedication to sustainability and passion for design have made you a respected and admired name in your field. Your story is full of achievement and inspiration, and it continues ever onward, giving us the opportunity to look forward for much more in the future!

Congratulations and much love, Samu"

Read more about Samu-Jussi Koski: Samu-Jussi Koski | Lapuan Kankurit

NOVEMBER GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: EVELIINA, SALES ASSISTANT

"I'm sales assistant Eveliina, and I've been working with Lapuan Kankurit for a year and a half. I am part of the sales team, my main responsibility being the online store. My job entails processing online store orders, creating new product pages, designing photos and implementing campaigns. With the online store you really have to live in the moment and be aware of all the current goings-on. What I love most about my job is the variability. You never know what the day will bring, and suddenly it's so late that it’s already time to go home!

During this year and a half I have also been able to get to know a lot of new people, learn about international trade, and have been able to participate in various events, such as the Sales Days and the Habitare fair.

I am grateful that I have been able to become a part of this Lapuan Kankurit family. Here, every employee and their work is valued. The working atmosphere is open, warm and caring.

Congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit!"

OCTOBER GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: SARI MYÖHÄNEN

"Congratulations Lapuan Kankurit!

I am proud that I got to know you way back in 1999, when I was studying in School of Arts, Design and Architecture. We participated together in the Louhi project and you chose my Kehrä model for production, which is still in the Lapuan Kankurit collection!

Even though I moved to Paris after graduating as a textile designer, our connection has remained through meeting on fairs such as Heimtextil and Maison & Objets. It has been wonderful to follow the development of the Lapuan Kankurit collection and brand, especially at the international level. Openness, open-mindedness, a sense of humour, optimism, the need for innovation, the trust in both your own abilities as well as the skills of other professionals – these are the words I would use to describe you both as people and as professionals."

Read more about Sari Myöhänen: Sari Myöhänen | Lapuan Kankurit

OCTOBER GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: KRISTINA, LOGISTICS

"I'm Kristina, the logistics team leader. I'm also part of the production control team and involved in many other areas. I am the link between many people and work stages. I came to work with Lapuan Kankurit nine years ago as a rush assistant for wrapping and packaging. After that I have worked in logistics and now, for several years, in production management positions. Even though I came to work without textile industry education, I have learned a lot about materials, work stages and products along the way.

The working atmosphere in Lapuan Kankurit is warm. Here, every employee is valued and their joys and sorrows are listened to. I like to work in a hurry and I enjoy the Sales Days, the Christmas season and taking inventory. It's also great to get to know the designers and other collaborators we work with.

I am grateful that I have been able to join the world of Lapua Kankurit. It’s wonderful that I have been given the opportunity to grow in this weaving family, and progress in my work from one task to another. Jaana and Esko always have enthusiasm and courage to create something new. I hope that this woven journey keeps going ever onwards! Congratulations to the 50-year-old Lapuan Kankurit!"

SEPTEMBER GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: MASARU SUZUKI

"Congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit!

I am Japanese textile designer, but I have worked with several projects around the world. I have been designing products for Lapuan Kankurit since 2009. My designs are well known in Japan, and I am happy that Finns and Europeans have taken a liking to them as well. My designs have a lot of natural influences, which can be seen in the PÄKÄPÄÄT, KILI, KUUSI and VERSO patterns.

My best wishes to the Finnish weaving mill!"

Read more about Masaru Suzuki: Masaru Suzuki | Lapuan Kankurit

SEPTEMBER GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: AIJA, FABRIC FINISHER

”I have worked with Lapuan Kankurit for two years. My work includes fabric inspection, fringe twisting, wool and linen finishing, ironing and wrapping, load assembling, and sometimes I also help the logistics side in packing online orders. My job as a finisher is therefore very versatile, as I get to work both at the weaving mill and at the new, gorgeous finishing mill. What I like most about my work is the versatility and new products. We also have an amazing and competent team.⁠

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Congratulations to the 50-year-old Lapuan Kankurit!”⁠

AUGUST GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: NIKO, MAINTENANCE

I have worked for Lapuan Kankurit for nearly two years. While my duties are numerous, I mainly work in the weaving mill. Though I had no prior experience in the textile industry, I saw an ad for the job and really wanted to shoot my shot and go for it. I am eager to learn more about the industry, and as Finland has few options for learning more about the maintenance of this kind of equipment, I am soon traveling to Lindau, Germany to spend two weeks learning machine maintenance. I am one of those people who learn best by actually doing things, so this should prove to be a valuable experience for me.

I have enjoyed my time with Lapuan Kankurit immensely. There really are too many great things to just choose one favourite thing about this company. No day is ever the same, and it feels like employees are truly valued here. I have fantastic coworkers and the workplace atmosphere is great.

Happy 50th to Lapuan Kankurit and here’s to many more!

AUGUST GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: HEINI RIITAHUHTA

"Warm congratulations to the 50 year old Lapuan Kankurit!⁠ ⁠

Our journey together started one morning at Ekberg's cafe during a breakfast, introduced by a Japanese friend, and the collaboration was started without delay. Thus, the ROSA products were added to the collection in 2011. The ideas took flight and product development started right away! This was a wonderfully refreshing approach, as I was used to the multi-level hierarchy at the ceramics factory in Arabia.⁠

Later, I have designed the ESIKKO, RUUT and AAMOS designs. Every process has been fascinating and, as an added bonus, we’ve formed a friendship.⁠ ⁠ I admire both the courage of Lapuan Kankurit, as well as their consideration in the face of new things! Jaana and Esko are a great entrepreneurial couple. Lapuan Kankurit seem almost like a family to me, where everyone is taken care of and given room to grow. The passion and honesty with which Lapuan Kankurit weaves can only lead to products that elevate festive moments and help enjoy beautiful everyday life.⁠ ⁠

Congratulations once again and thank you to all the wonderful creators of Lapuan Kankurit – I am very lucky to be a part of this story!⁠"

Read more about Heini Riitahuhta: Heini Riitahuhta | Lapuan Kankurit

JULY GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: AOI YOSHIZAWA

"Congratulations for the 50th anniversary of Lapuan Kankurit!

I have always appreciated how you combine new innovations, traditional artisan spirit and beautiful designs fully inspired by the Finnish nature. It has been such a pleasure to collaborate with you to design long-lasting products. Lapuan Kankurit community, which has also extended to Japan, is just like a big family – always full of love!"

Read more about Aoi Yoshizawa: Aoi Yoshizawa | Lapuan Kankurit

JULY GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: HANNELE, SALES

I'm Hannele, Hanski among my colleagues. I have worked in Lapuan Kankurit sales service since 2011.

What inspires me in my work are the high-quality products, the well-developed and continuously developing Lapuan Kankurit, versatile job tasks, interactions with our foreign and Finnish customers, functioning teamwork and good working conditions.

I would like to congratulate and warmly thank Liisa & Juha Hjelt, the founders of Lapuan Kankurit, who created such a good start from which Jaana, Esko and the rest of us have been able to continue this journey of weaving. It’s been an honour to be able to get to know Liisa and Juha over the years and hearing their memories. I also have many fond memories and interactions with our designers and other partners.

It has been a great honour and pleasure to be part of this woven journey for 12 years. I have seen the development, internationalization, new product innovations, successes, recognition growth and the enthusiasm of moving forward together all the time. As well as responding to challenges and overcoming them in the Ostrobothnian spirit, as well as believing in a better future.

Wishing luck, joy, courage & faith on our weaving journey!

JUNE GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: HANNA, LOGISTICS

I have worked in the logistics of Lapuan Kankurit for five years. My job includes maintaining and replenishing finished stock as well as collecting, packing and shipping orders from retailers and consumers. In logistics, no day is exactly the same, which keeps the work interesting. Orders vary from small online store orders to large-scale order sets. These include, for example, large sea container shipments.

Over the years I have learned to do many other things in addition to logistics as needed, e.g. to wrap and pack products, which has brought variety to my work. The latest thing I've learned is fabric inspection. It has been very educational to witness more of the fabric's journey into a finished, high-quality Finnish design product. We are happy to deliver them to our customers around the world.

Good luck and success to everyone at Lapuan Kankurit!

JUNE GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: HELMI LIIKANEN

"Congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit for 50 years of weaving journey. Here we have a company who weaves sustainable design with natural fibres in Finland. This is worth celebrating!

It was a great joy for me to be able to design both linen towels as well as the floral themed TULPPAANI blanket for Lapuan Kankurit just as I was about to graduate. Thank you for having faith in young design and letting that faith shine through in your collections year after year.

I’m honoured to be a small part of your woven journey. I wish you good luck and success for the decades to come!"

Read more about Helmi Liikanen: Helmi Liikanen | Lapuan Kankurit

MAY GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: EIJA, OUTLET

Warm congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit!

This is my ninth year of working in Lapuan Kankurit’s outlet. We’ve been through so much together, and I deeply value the seemingly never-ending ingenuity, courage, confidence, passion and effort the Lapuan Kankurit entrepreneurs have exuded, even during difficult times.

That you have believed and keep believing in the domestic textile production, have preserved and developed traditional weaving further, keep producing beautiful, practical and genuine items for the every-day life – I think it’s amazing. I marvel at and deeply value your skill to always stay one step ahead and to find the right way to proceed.

My work here has always been versatile and interesting, a constant learning experience. I have been able to utilise my education in textile industry as well as previous work experiences in this job. I also absolutely love the delightful meetings I have with our customers! It’s so easy to do your job when you can stand proudly behind the products and shared values, to share the stories behind the products – and to top it all off, I have the absolute best coworkers!

MAY GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: MATTI PIKKUJÄMSÄ

"My heartfelt congratulations to the 50-year-old company. We, too, share a long history together. Our mutual friend from Japan introduced me to Lapuan Kankurit at the same time as they were looking for a design for their sauna products over 10 years ago. Thus were born MIESTEN SAUNA and NAISTEN SAUNA designs, as well as the friendship between me and Lapuan Kankurit.

I enjoy working with you tremendously. The trust and freedom you allow your designers mean a lot to me. I can focus on creating the design in peace, knowing that I can count on the quality of the finished product from the start. I am really proud to be able to name you as my clients."

Read more about Matti Pikkujämsä: Matti Pikkujämsä | Lapuan Kankurit

APRIL GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: ANU LEINONEN

Happy birthday to the 50-year-old Lapuan Kankurit!

It is amazing to see how believing in yourself and your craft has propelled you forward, all the while upholding the values of quality, craftsmanship and the art of weaving. The courage to try new things without shirking difficulties is an amazing attitude which you can be tremendously proud of. Through your rousing, attentive collaboration with designers you keep creating lasting, gentle beauty to the everyday life, for those who value ecological and transparent production.

I warmly reminisce our over decade-old journey together, as well as the first steps in the global pioneering of washed linen, taken during an eventful trade fair in Paris.

Read more about Anu Leinonen: Anu Leinonen | Lapuan Kankurit

APRIL GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: MANA AND TAKASHI KOBAYASHI, DESIGN OFFICE IMA

“Congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit! Design Office IMA is a Tokyo-based Japanese design company. We have created the shop design of the Lapuan Kankurit shops in Helsinki, Tokyo and Lapua. We have also designed stands and exhibitions for Lapuan Kankurit in Europe and in Japan.

We adore the gorgeous and comfortable products you create. It brings us so much joy to be able to design beautiful spaces together with you. Let’s make more together!”

MARCH GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: MARI MARTIKAINEN AND MINNA IMPIÖ

"Heartfelt congratulations to Lapuan Kankurit – 50 years’ worth of beautiful and eco-friendly products is an amazing achievement! It has been a joy to work together with you ever since 2017, sharing the joys and hardships of entrepreneurship. Our long-standing partnership has been indispensable to us.

The ease of our collaboration can be explained by our shared values: responsible production, sustainable and ecological materials as well as beautiful products. In designing products together, we merged the Kenyan colour scheme of Mifuko and the sleek, clear-cut style of Finnish design, bringing to life linen collections such as TSAVO, MERU, WATAMU JA LEWA."

Read more about Minna and Mari: Mifuko | Lapuan Kankurit

MARCH GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: LISSU, FINISHER AT LAPUAN KANKURIT 1973-2013 - RETIRED.

For a long time, Liisa, "Lissu", was an essential part of Lapuan Kankurit. As a matter of fact, she started as early as 1970 as nanny for a four-year-old blond little boy. That boy is the CEO of Lapuan Kankurit today. Later, she started working in the weaving mill, and she retired only recently.⁠

"When babysitting Esko, I would take him to my homestead to see the country life. He was excited already in the bus, when he got to push the signal button! Sometimes he was quite a handful, but we got along just great. When he grew and his parents established a weaving mill, I got a job there."

FEBRUARY GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: TEEMU JÄRVI

"Happy birthday to the wonderful, tradition-honouring yet ever-innovative Lapuan Kankurit! It has been an honour to have been working together with you for so long. Finnish production, responsibility, uncompromising quality and natural materials form a base of values which have been easy to agree with and share. Lapuan Kankurit was the first company to want to license my animal prints for textiles over ten years ago. Ever since then we have been working together, and continue to release new themes every year. This year’s newcomers feature a cat and a dog prints: KISSA and KOIRA towels."

Read more about Teemu Järvi, who has designed for Lapuan Kankurit already 10 years: Teemu Järvi | Lapuan Kankurit

FEBRUARY GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: JASMINA, FINISHING MILL

I’m a sewer and a finisher whose assignments include transforming the woven fabric into a finished product. I gained my education in The Finnish Institute for Enterprise Management’s recruitment training, and apply the skills I learned there in my work with Lapuan Kankurit. I’ve been working here for 2 years now. At first the plan was for me to stay home with my kids after my seasonal work ended, but after seeing the ad for the recruitment training I knew I would end up regretting not applying. Even though I had no experience in sewing, I have always been creative and skilled in crafts, and Lapuan Kankurit seemed like the perfect workplace for me.

I have enjoyed my time with Lapuan Kankurit tremendously, my co-workers are lovely and it was easy to become a part of the community. I feel like my skills are truly valued here, and that I’m an important part of the whole. Being a part of the Lapuan Kankurit family is wonderful, knowing I get to take part in making all the gorgeous and unique products.

JANUARY GREETINGS FROM DESIGNER: REETA EK

"My most heartfelt congratulations to the fifty-year-old Lapuan Kankurit!

I admire the tenacity with which you have developed not only your company, but also Finnish design and handicraft. To achieve all that has required a clear vision and lots of love, great partners and even a bit of madness. It has been a joy to work with you!"

Read more about Reeta Ek, who has designed for Lapuan Kankurit already over 10 years: Reeta Ek | Lapuan Kankurit

JANUARY GREETINGS FROM LAPUAN KANKURIT: SARA BENGTS, DESIGNER

I’m a visual designer and a creative thinker whose superpowers include problem solving and possibility finding. I utilize these superpowers in my work with Lapuan Kankurit, with whom I’ve been developing the company brand for over 10 years. Back then Lapuan Kankurit was only thirty, a creative and curious visionary.

I believe that creativity and curiosity are key factors in evolving a brand. To build a strong Lapuan Kankurit brand, we’ve required not only creativity and curiosity, but also empathy and courage. Empathy to view things from different perspectives, not only from different people’s, but also from the perspective of the environment and culture. Creativity to turn these observations into a concrete plan, and courage to keep evolving – even when everything is working well. In a family business, things are not rushed for a quick gain; they are done patiently, consistently and sustainably. The brand conveys this approach.

Today, the 50 years old Lapuan Kankurit is still young, creative and courageous. Through design it reflects both the present moment as well as the future.

Masters of Linen

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50th Anniversary