Special shoe collection for Karhu Added by MOA2006

Photo: Matti Suominen

The shoes have a new kind of technical sole design, and they have been created with street trends in mind. The collection is thus a mixture of trend and performance based sports equipment. I have tried to give a new twist to the traditional concept of running shoe. The basis of the design has been the idea of creating a hi-tech running shoe with a fashionable edge. The high end shoes in the series have been designed as a luxury alternative for traditional sneakers. The color and image base of the series has roots in the world of fashion and it draws on my own experiences and the visual inspiration that I have gathered in my travels.

Collaborator: Karhu
http://www.karhuoriginals.com/

I have been working as a freelance designer for five years for various communities and companies in Finland.
Jobs and projects worth mentioning are: Visual design (interior & graphic) for Nine2Five Records & Ghettoblastersound Records, KOM Teatteri. Textile and clothing designs in collaboration with Paola Suhonen & Ivana Helsinki (2002), in collaboration with Janne Hartikainen (Samas label) and footwear design for Karhu Sporting Goods.

I am also a DJ and event and club production; this has been my main source of income during my studies. My strength as a designer in trend knowledge and visual design, with a strong emphasis on shape. Also communication plays a strong role in event production and design, as in teaching. I have taught graphic design and image processing programs in UIAH for 4 years and counting.

Contact:
msuomine@uiah.fi, masa.ropeman@gmail.com

Links:
Matti Suominen at MOA, http://www.mastersofarts.fi/eng/maisteri.php?n=suominen_matti&n2=Suominen%2C+Matti

Nine2five Recording: http://www.nine2fiveoffice.com/

Ivana Helsinki: http://www.ivanahelsinki.com/