How Luhta revolutionised Finland's aesthetics for Milano Cortina 2026 An interview with Jeri Luhtanen

Among the fashion brands that stood out during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Luhta, the official partner of the Finnish Olympic and Paralympic teams, deserves an honourable mention. For its fifth Olympics with Finland, Luhta created something magical with a stunning collection presented during a fashion show. The standout piece is the down vest, which starts white at the top and finishes dark blue at the bottom, with a light blue gradient and pixelated effect merging the two colours. It is a surprising design, and to find out more, we interviewed Jeri Luhtanen, Luhta’s Division Director.

How did the idea of presenting the collection through a fashion show come about?

"The fashion show itself was organised by the International Olympic Committee for the first time ever at the Olympic Games. It was very fitting that it took place in Milan, one of the world's fashion capitals. I think that, in previous years, the outfits have created more and more interest among consumers and athletes through social media, as well as attracting investment from companies, which puts more weight into the whole Olympic outfitting process, including marketing and all kinds of events during and before the Olympics. We also held an event to mark the 100 days to the Olympics and introduce our collection to the Finnish media and the team. This fashion show was held few days before the opening ceremony and it was a perfect opportunity for all the global brands to showcase their creations."

This marks your fifth Olympic Games alongside Finland, yet this collection represents a turning point. Was it your intention to introduce such a clear shift?

"I think you can look at it from two different angles because, in terms of design, each collection and each game starts from scratch. Where do we get the inspiration from? What's the core story behind the collection? I think we also started from scratch this time, as we have done before. Of course, we also have 53 products in the collection, so we have learned a lot from previous years: what the athletes want and need, and what we have done well and can repeat. However, from a creative design point of view, we really wanted to showcase Finland this time, especially drawing inspiration from Finnish nature and Lapland. With the Olympics in Milano, we also considered that fashion needed to take a step forward, combining it with sport to create a clear fashion aspect in the outfits and designs."

How do you tell the story of Finnish heritage without falling into clichés associated with snow, cold, and icy landscapes?

"It's a big challenge because I think all the nations had a similar challenge. The easiest way to start is to think about how to represent the flag and its colours. We also had that in mind when we were designing the collection and the opening outfit, but we wanted to find inspiration elsewhere. I think a lot of discussions came about from that, such as what makes it special. There's the darkness during the winter in Lapland, with sparkling snow in the icy cold when it's minus 20 or minus 30. When the sun goes down, you can see diamond sparkles in the air and the round cloudy shapes of the trees, which are covered in snow. The snow is soft, and the clouds are shaped like diamonds. We bring all that into a product and an outfit, and it's a long process. We tried many things and there were a lot of different samples for the opening outfit. Then there was this print that we used in the opening outfit. It was actually in another product at first, but we recognised that it was something special. Could we apply it to the whole collection? Could we draw inspiration from it? And then it became the overarching theme of the whole collection, from light to dark, and the shading of day and night."

Do you feel that today it is no longer possible to develop a sportswear, formalwear, or technical line without taking lifestyle into account, or has this crossover become essential?

"I think you always have to take lifestyle into consideration as well as the changes in traditional formal wear. Then you go all the way to outdoor wear, which is very technical. I think that, in the past five years since the pandemic, the lines have become increasingly blurred between sportswear, outdoor and fashionable technical wear. This gives us many more possibilities in terms of what can be produced and explored in the sportswear sector. It's very interesting, but everything is about lifestyle and trying to see where that is going."

Which piece required the most work and which one you are the most proud of?

"I'll give you one extra answer as well. The hardest work was on the opening vest, getting the print right and the roundness of the shape. Then we used recycled down to make sure it stayed puffy, as it goes in the packing. The team travels and puts it in small spaces, but it comes out looking good without needing too much steaming. There were multiple samples, in terms of the shape, length and print. We worked quite intensely with the team on that product, and it's the one I'm most proud of. I think the whole team feels the same way, but the product that has generated the most excitement among athletes, including those from other nations, in the villages is the cap with diamond crystals. Shining crystals on the hat, and it's now the most wanted piece in the collection. You never know what will become the highlight piece, but I think these two really stand out this year."

Were you happy and satisfied watching the collection on television or live at the Olympics?

"I was extremely proud and satisfied. I went to the fashion show in Milan and it was really nice to be there. It felt amazing to be a Finnish brand alongside the other global powerhouses. It was a proud moment for the whole team, and for us here in Luhta, to see the two-year process culminate in the opening ceremony of the fashion shows."