Kaksitvå

Designers

Marjo Kuusinen and Piia Keto originally met at a punk club in Lahti, Finland, in 1997. Their fashion brand Kaksitvå (kaksi being two in Finnish and två two in Swedish) was created in 2005 with the duo selling handmade lace jewelry at a student fair. They have since moved on from handmade collections but the original punk attitude and playfulness still are essential features of their style. Keto and Kuusinen find inspiration from everything that happens around them: country life as well as worldwide adventures, and the great parties the duo is known for organizing. The name of the brand was inspired by Finnish-Swedish twins whose dissimilar personalities intrigued Keto and Kuusinen.

The Kaksitvå products cover an entire lifestyle. The brand offers clothing, jewelry, bags, and accessories. In addition, the Kaksitvå product family includes household items such as pillows, chairs, and tableware. Kaksitvå even has its own skateboarding team in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The brand’s strength lies in the use of daring prints and in innovations that make their designs spectacular and give them a unique air. In each collection, Kaksitvå combines recycled and new materials. The style of the collections may vary greatly depending on the designers’ travels and sources of inspiration. The collections have been presented at international fashion trade shows, such as CPH Vision in Copenhagen, Who’s Next? in Paris, and Bread & Butter in Berlin, since 2008.

Keto and Kuusinen spent May 2012 in our artist residence on Manhattan Avenue. In New York, the duo’s objective was to get inspired by the city: to see, sense, smell and experience it. They also planned to scout prospective stores to sell their designs in. During their residency, Kaksitvå also led a jewelry workshop for children. At the workshop, Keto and Kuusinen showed kids how to make their own simple but innovative and exciting creations using recycled materials like paper, fabric, or even old cell phones.

www.kaksitva.com
www.scandinaviahouse.org/events_kids_upcoming.html