A weird wheezy instrument and a tar odor made the Estonian fashion exhibition at London Fashion Week a truly mystical multi-sensory design experience. Designer of the exhibition is Estonian interior designer Hannes Praks.

The laureate of the best exhibition of International Fashion Showcase 2014 of London Fashion Week – the exhibition called „Fashion Now: Estonia“ – blew minds by expressive design that reflected the sense of „kaamos“ – not easily translatable Estonian word describing a particularly dark period during autumn and winter, a pitch-black time for observation, self-reflection and melancholy.

Designer Hannes Praks used natural materials to reflect the rough feeling and to introduce Estonia as a Nordic, forest-rich country: raw pine timber for different design elements and aromatic tar as a graffiti on wall. Sound was also added as part of the design: a weird guitar-like instrument hanging above dummies enriching impression with periodic wheezes and clatter. Mannequins were hanging on the wooden sticks. Walking through all of it made one feel that he is strolling in the mystical woods.

The jury pointed out that design of the exhibition has linked skillfully and elegantly the Estonian past and present, reflecting genuinely the culture of Estonians, but still keeping fashion designers and their creation on the focus.

Project initiators: Estonian Design Centre, Estonian Embassy London
Project manager: Sirli Nõmm
Curator of the exhibition: Tanel Veenre
Design of the exhibition: Hannes Praks Studio
Graphic design: Kerli Virk, Stella Skulatšjova
Fashion designers: Marit Ilison, Kärt Põldmann, Sille Sikmann, Jo Nurm
Photos by Hannah Laycock