Annual spring fashion show of the University of Art and Design Helsinki was held at the Cable Factory in Helsinki on 27 May 2008. The show, organized in an old industrial space, presented pieces from single outfits of first-year students to BA and MA collections and collections especially designed for the show.

The sophisticated show clearly showed the prevalent aesthetics of UIAH fashion design; dreary and sophisticated darkness kept the show tightly in its grip. Where are all the colours, all the joy? Impact of professor Tuomas Laitinen, who is also an internationally praised designer of LAITINEN collection, can clearly be seen in students and in the show. Intellectual darkness could be seen thorough the show from Joonas Saari’s menswear, which was awarded with Designers’ Nest, to Hanna Riiheläinen’s dark summer brides.

Despite the darkness, the stylishly put up show and collections presented strong Scandinavian and European fashion design. It’s no wonder that students of UIAH gather up awards in both Finnish and international design competitions.