“Water is the oldest of ointments, rapid-foam of remedies” goes part of a verse in the Finnish national epic Kalevala.
For many Finns it’s merely a worn out proverb with little substance. For Iina Kuustonen, an award-winning Finnish actress and a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, it seems more akin to a philosophy to live by.
I find water to be incredibly cleansing and healing. Swimming in natural waters brings me back in touch with nature and myself in an instant. It’s a whole-body experience, and I think it has something to do with ourselves, as we are both made of water as well as born from it, she muses.
Iina herself inherited her love of water in the womb. Her mother and mother’s mother have always been active ice water swimmers, and Iina recalls her mother often telling her: “you can cast all your sorrows in the sea”. Iina herself makes it a priority to swim or otherwise be by the water almost all year
round. Besides natural waters, a shower after a day of work is her preferred ritual for transitioning, both mentally and physically, from work to home mode.
– It’s funny – when I was younger, I spent most of my money traveling the world. Nowadays I enjoy spending my time here in Finland, whether it’s at a lakeside cottage, snowboarding on the powder snow of Lapland, or sailing on the coast and in the archipelagos.
“IT’S A WHOLE-BODY EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OURSELVES, AS WE ARE BOTH MADE OF WATER AS WELL AS BORN FROM IT.”
Iina Kuustonen
Spending time in nature is all I yearn for and what I most prioritise in life. While the entire world is beautiful, there is just something very extraordinary and dear about Finnish nature to me.
Iina first heard of Lapuan Kankurit from her high school best friend, with whom she has since developed a tradition of exchanging the versatile tea towels as gifts. Collaborations are something Iina commits to with great care and consideration, and she herself was the one to suggest the idea to the co-owner Jaana Hjelt.
– Responsibility was one of the main things to bring this collaboration about. Lapuan Kankurit is built on genuine values, which they follow through with actions. Their beautiful relationship with nature is
something that can be seen and felt in their textiles. Working with them has felt very organic and enjoyable, Iina shares. Iina’s affinity for water is once again highlighted in her favourite products.
– I love the TERVA towels, and the hooded TERVA bathrobe was a treasured companion during last winter’s ice swimming trips. My current favourite product, however, is the METSÄLAMPI towel, with the design of the water and forest intermingling. After all, that’s how it is, isn’t it? Everything is connected.
Text Jenna Suomela Photo Katja Lösönen
