Why we like: There’s nothing more satisfying than people watching—both the beauts and the uglies, I love em’ all. I have to admit, however, that I often partake in a sick game with those whom are well-saturated in style. Following an inner debate with myself over who could wear ‘said outift’ best, I become obsessed with finding a nearly similar ensemble to prove that I am the champ of this one-sided fashion challenge. When the streets of Toronto seem barren from flashy vintage apparel, and each TTC ride is more “sorority-stricken” than the next—I turn to Hel Looks. It is here where elevator stares are welcome, and we can dissect “the other” upon a single click of the mouse.
What you’ll find there: An exhibition of tastes found and documented on the streets and in the nightclubs of Helsinki. The project, by Liisa Jokinen, is a tribute to Fruits and Street magazines—the forerunners of street fashion photography. While some images evoke utter shock like Rosa, the fluorescent cyber punk princess others make us wish we we had the balls to flaunt ourselves like Heini, who likes gothic Lolita, manga and anime (Don’t fret, I too do not know what the eff this means…I’m sure we’ll be caught up in 7 years or so) .
Where in the world:Helsinki, Finland (Where vending machine payments can be made with cell phones and your boyfriend’s name is ‘Kimmo’ pronounced; ˈkē-(ˌ)mō )
In a nutshell: An electic array of fashionistas documented in an ongoing series, where each photo of Finnish folk, unravels and reveals the diversity of fashion and individuality in Helsinki. Collect em’ all!