Ivana Helsinki Brings Scandinavian Melancholy to Nolita

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Cult Finnish label Ivana Helsinki debuted this weekend on Elizabeth Street between Houston and Prince. The brand's arrival might mean it's time to start referring to Nolita as "Little Scandinavia," since the neighborhood also houses northerners With & Wessel (run by two Norwegians) and Fjallraven (home of Swedish hiking gear).

Of the three, Ivana Helsinki is definitely the edgiest. Designer Paola Ivana Suhonen has a dreamy, romantic aesthetic, but there's a slightly goth underside, a mix her website refers to as "the balancing between white arctic summer nights and endless winter sadness." The knits are made in Finland, with hand-made pieces knitted in Lapland. To celebrate the opening, the brand hosted a runway show at the Metropolitan Pavilion on Friday. Check out some looks in the gallery above; they should hit Nolita early next fall.
· Nolita Is Now the New York Headquarters of Norwegian Layering [Racked NY]
· All Fjallraven coverage [Racked NY]
· Ivana Helsinki [Official Site]