Photographer: Aleksi Kokora – Editor: Sems Erik
The place was Turku and the day was 14.5.2022, where young people under the age of 30 converged for a one-of-kind spectacle. Under the name of Fashcene, a few creators arranged a unique event that combined fashion, music, and art in an unexpected place – the parking hall of Turku University of Applied Sciences’ Educity campus.
By mustering up enough courage to put Turku under the spotlight again, they created more events highlighting the activities of young generations in one of the well-known cities in Finland.
Choosing Turku over Helsinki was such a valuable decision, as they wanted to focus on developing Turku’s cultural and artistic side in order to help the city shine again.
The concept is different from the traditional fashion show that only exhibits a single fashion designer. Rather, Fashcene offers the young talented designers a platform to present their skills.
They strongly believe that whether you have previous experience in fashion shows or not, it should not be an obstacle to making a career in the fashion industry. By promoting such a radical idea, it attracted many sponsors, including Red Bull, which opened good opportunities for the future of Faschene.
A good number of clothing designers showed some of their collections at the event, such as Mauro Severino and Vilma Savolainen.
The show’s awesome first debut was extensively covered by most of Finland’s famous media outlets, such as Turun Sanomat, Yle Areena, Yle Åboland, Alfa TV, JKS Magazine, and more.
The creators & more
Panashe Kauhanen – 20 years old. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe. I’ve lived most of my life in Turku.
My career is multifaceted. In addition to being a Trap artist and live cameraman, I have a few roles in my work at the Fashcene Agency as a Board member, the Production Manager, the Head of the artists, and the co. Creative Director.
I’ve always been interested in fashion, styling, and modeling, but I had no experience. I realized I needed something more to my life, and I wanted to be part of something bigger. Turku didn’t have any fashions shows or support for upcoming artists, and I saw my opportunity to combine music and fashion here.
I didn’t have any experience, so I began my research and searched for people who had experience. I met Aada in January 2022 through mutual friends, and asked if she would be interested to be a part of my project.
Aada Peltoniemi – 24 years old. Born and raised in Turku. Living and studying in Lahti – second-year wearable design student at LAB University of Applied Sciences / Institute of Design and Fine Arts.
I currently work in the Fashcene Agency as a Board member, the Creative Director, the Head of models and designers, and the Show Manager. Thanks to my never-ending interest in fashion, I’m currently studying to be a fashion designer.
When I first met Panashe, I realized how cool this project could be, and how it would give me a great opportunity to learn new things from the fashion industry. Because I had started my studies, I had to take some time to think. In February, Panashe called me and before I had even said anything, I was going to be a creative director for Fashcene 2022. I texted Eveliina, who was my friend at that time, and asked if she would be interested in working with us and hearing our proposal.
Eveliina Salminen – 25 years old. Born and raised in Turku. Currently working as a Sales and Marketing Manager at Turku Music Festival.
As a Board member of the Fashcene Agency, I’m also the Sales and Marketing Manager and the Head of security and permissions.
When it comes to the field of fashion, my experiences have been based on studying to be a journalist at Turku University of Applied Sciences. I’ve also worked as a fashion journalist with some experience in Visual Merchandise.
I met the crew a week later at Café Art in Turku. They held a presentation about their idea and vision. All I remember is saying to myself: “xxxx yeah! This is what Turku needs.” And from that moment, the third musketeer was in.
Our destination
We want to create a platform for young people to express themselves and show their talents in a safe, welcoming environment. We also want to give an opportunity for people to come and join the event, experience different forms of art, and become inspired. The most rewarding part of the event is having the chance to network with multiple people from different areas in the industries.
Fashcene wants to liven up Turku’s cultural side and give the youth a voice. Our intention is to put the city on the map, as Fashcene’s platform and its concept is the first of its kind in Finland.
The show
The first Fashcene fashion show was held in an underground parking lot in May 2022. We were able to gather 250 people under the same roof to enjoy culture. The show presented five fashion designers, seven artists, 23 models, and many talented painters. Fashcene is an annual fashion show, bringing forth new ideas and themes. It is solely created by motivated young people with the aid of different sponsors. Before Fashcene came to be, we already had good connections to different people who believed in us. As a team, we’re determined. Not only do we believe strongly in ourselves, but we also have believed in Fashcene so much that we were able to convince other people to join the ride.
Our main target is young people who are interested in culture, but we also want to encourage others to see more greatness in culture and express themselves further. Simply put, we want to bring various people from different areas of the industries and those with similar interests under the same roof.
Values
As a team, we want to create a better and a long-lasting future for the next generations. We take sustainable and ethical questions into our consideration each year in the best way we can.
Communality and multiculturalism are important values for us, as the goal is to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated. In order to improve the future, we also encourage designers to make sustainable decisions regarding their collections. In addition to working with local businesses, we bring diversity on the catwalk.
The Future of Fashcene
The next show will take you back in time in history while our story continues on May 6, 2023.
Everything from Production to Direction has been greatly expanded. Compared to the last show, the main difference is experience. While our debut certainly turned heads, the next show will be much more cinematic in bringing our visions to life.
Tickets will be available on our website through a third-party link, where you can purchase them once they are live. You can also find information on our website and social media page (@fashcene.underground).
We are currently working on a TV broadcast for the show, as it would provide a way for people to participate in the show online. But as of now, we are unable to make any promises yet.
