An early verse, sung by Finnish artist Tapani Kansa, hints at the theme of rural love; he recalls leaving the city to find his beloved in the countryside. And yes, even though it’s in Finnish, the jubilant, staccato-like beat is enough to charge the crowd with a certain upbeat energy. It immerses us in a vibe, puts us in a different place, perhaps even a different time. And if it weren’t so inappropriate at this moment, it would probably get us on our feet and dancing. That was just designer Rolf Ekroth’s intention. 

Rolf is a connoisseur of nostalgia. Watch any of his runway shows , and you’ll immediately feel it. You may miss things you never thought you would. You may even yearn for memories that aren’t your own. You can count on him to transport you just about anywhere with every show, even when the set is a pared-back, blank-canvas warehouse in Refshaleøen. No props, no extravagant productions, no stunts — just clothes and the right music. “I had a playlist with about 200 Finnish songs,” Rolf tells me after the show, “And every night, before I went to sleep, I listened through the air pods and tried to figure out which ones.” 

The music enthralls me completely. Then the opening looks come out on the runway and my attention pivots. They’re instant showstoppers: billowy, tango-ready dresses in hand-painted floral prints (by Rolf’s girlfriend, but more on that later), with inflated bodices that resemble life jackets. These first few looks are the perfect amalgamation of what this season’s theme is all about. “So it started off with me forcing [my girlfriend] to see The Sound of Music,” he tells me. “There’s [that song], My Favorite Things. And I felt like, hey, this could be an idea for a collection. My favorite things — but it’s sort of a messed up version of Finland.”

And so, he got to research, narrowing down the characteristics and traditions integral to the Finnish identity — stoicism, dark humor, melancholy, and yes, even romance. He found inspiration in velvety summer evenings back in his homeland, where people gather in outdoor dance halls to tango the day away — a decades-old tradition known as “lavatanssit.” Oftentimes, it’s to find a partner. “Finnish people are really weird,” Rolf says. “They don’t like to show emotions, so they listen to the most romantic music in the world, but they’re stoic.”

He also took cues from a dark game called “hukkumisbingo,” where bets are placed on how many people will drown during midsummer swims, maybe after they’ve had one too many drinks at the dance hall. Aside from the printed, life-jacket-inspired vests and dresses, we also see circular bags, with design ideas borrowed from life-saving equipment. It’s uplifting. It’s despairing. It’s joyous, but it’s also melancholic. In other words, it’s Finland. That’s why Rolf calls this his “most Finnish collection to date.” 

Mixing It Up

Moving on, we’re treated to several windbreakers in a bevy of prints. Paneled, cinched, zippered, these technical pieces, with all their pockets and utility compartments, are pure Rolf Ekroth. Let’s not forget that Rolf got his start in fashion with technical wear. Over the seasons, he widened his aperture to focus on traditional Nordic crafts, and though that work is outstanding, it’s nice to see that he is still keeping the sporting spirit alive and well. 

One standout piece — Rolf’s own personal favorite — is a multi-paneled anorak, featuring swirly, plaid, and checked prints in one garment. (The scrunched-up hood is a delightful little secret.) “Maybe I just designed this for myself,” he says. It was last season that he started playing around with mixing fabrics and patterns. “That was sort of a thing that I actually did a lot during studying at Aalto University.”

This season marked a more confident return to those early-career skills with paneled coats, patch-kneed pants, and a flowy, two-toned skirt. Oh, and I’d be remiss not to mention the blazers, cleverly mixed and matched. Most Finns, as Rolf explains, have only one blazer that they wear to every event — be it a funeral, wedding, or a graduation. “And I just took a few of them and put them together in a new way.”

Prints have always played a big role in any Rolf Ekroth show, and this season is no exception. Daisies and dandelions, commonly found flowers in Finland, appear on several garments — all painted by Rolf’s girlfriend, Matilda Diletta. It’s an exciting collaboration between the pair, even a therapeutic one for Matilda. “It’s been fun doing it because it’s almost meditative,” she says, later adding, “They’re all hand-painted. It goes along with your theme of handcraft — everything is made by hand.”

Holding on to Heritage

“I love you, you,” croons Finnish musician Kaj Chydenius, his voice thick and bombastic. “Like a boat on an early morning river moves your soft hand.” It swells into a powerful, albeit heart-shattering, ballad, punctuated by somber percussion. There’s a subtle mood shift. You can see it — literally. A model steps out with tears skiing down his cheeks, decked out in an oversized coat bearing several elements from the Rolf Ekroth design lexicon: miniature alpha-woven pendants, a crochet collar, and a rose-printed scarf. 

Rolf, who came to fashion later in life after dabbling in social work, sales, and online poker, credits his time in school for nurturing his fascination with Nordic handcraft. “In school, I think I was mostly known for intricate handcrafting details, and when I started the label, I forgot them,” Rolf told me back in January after his fall-winter show. “So after the pandemic, I felt like we really needed to focus on those again. And that’s when I feel like a small thing clicked. Then it started to grow.” 

This manifests into roomy knitwear pieces crafted in collaboration with Novita — the largest manufacturer of yarns in the Nordic countries with a decades-long history. Just like last season, the brand will make its patterns available for customers to make their own version of the garments at home. A recurring element: those miniature alpha-woven pendants, made by his mother’s hands again this season. At this point, it’s hard to imagine a Rolf Ekroth collection without them. 

One of the most labor-intensive pieces to show up on the runway is a pair of denim pants, decorated with 250 handmade fuzzy dandelion pendants; each pair requires over 200 hours to create. “I was cycling a lot during the making process of the collection,” Rolf says. “There were these large fields, and I was just imagining, if you have a pair of jeans and go to lie in the field, how you would look between all the flowers.” 

As is the case every season, there are so many more details to unpack — from the scarves to the eye-catching socks (in partnership with Swedish brand Happy Socks). Subtle flickers of silver are peppered throughout several pieces. Made in collaboration with Finnish jewelry brand Kalevala, the recycled-silver pieces can be worn as earrings, scarf rings, or as seen in show, as pierced accessories resembling nipple rings. Each ring features a pixelated, 8-bit rose motif — Rolf Ekroth’s emblem of nostalgia. 

Joy and Melancholy

As we near the end of the show, both vocals and instruments completely abandon the track; it’s stripped down to a clangy, tinkling sound that cuts through the silence. Then, the last model steps onto the runway, teary-eyed. He walks slowly in a floor-sweeping, long-sleeved shirt-dress festooned with Kalevala x Rolf Ekroth rings and emblazoned with the word “Rakas,” meaning sweetheart in Finnish. At the end of this upbeat, summertime romance, something bristles — something human and universally heart-breaking. Not every dance culminates with a happy ending; not every romance goes right. 

But then, as the models reappear for their final walk, the soundtrack shifts back to optimism. Post-show, I see several attendees moving to the easygoing, feel-good beat, oscillating their hips, swirling their arms. It’s like, for a moment, we’re in a barn somewhere in Finland. It’s summertime. Outside, the dandelions and daisies are in full bloom. The night is young, and anything is possible.