Metamorphosis of Workwear
Metamorphosis of Workwear is an international haute couture collection created by 18 designers, envisioning the future of work and working life. The collection was presented in September 2025 at the Industriemuseum Chemnitz in Germany. In 2026, the performance and exhibition was presented in Bulgaria and Poland.
In this project I designed a workwear outfit for the future. The research phase focused on the working-class history of our local region. The Tampere design team immersed itself in Finnish sauna culture, which has a long and rich history and an increasingly significant influence on contemporary life and well-being.
The wearer of my garment is a future sauna therapist who works in a self-built sauna located in a quiet area deep within the forest. They welcome exhausted and stressed clients, caring for them with calming herbs and individually tailored sauna experiences. Their work combines traditional healing practices with personalized wellness treatments.
Materials used in the garment: dried plants, wool yarn, linen, chiffon
LUPINE NOX
LUP
INE
Lupine Nox is a design and plant dyeing project by Ira Heikkinen and Enni Heinä, featuring a mini collection of two outfits made from natural materials dyed with garden lupines. The project was supported by the Environmental Protection Department of the City of Tampere. The outfits draw inspiration from the feeling of liberation and the hazy mystique of bright summer nights. The project was presented at the Tampere Architecture & Design Week in the autumn of 2022.
Photos: Ira Heikkinen
NOX
SERENE NOX
SER
ENE
Serene Nox is an installation that invites the viewer to disconnect from the surrounding noise and take a moment of calm with the colors, forms, and sounds of nature. Textiles dyed with garden lupines, tansy, and nettle form a multisensory artwork, which was exhibited during Tampere’s TAD Week in autumn 2023.
Serene Nox is a plant dyeing and art project by Ira Heikkinen and Enni Heinä, supported by the Environmental Protection Department of the City of Tampere. The installation is built from plant-dyed discarded textiles and incorporates real wild plants as well as natural sounds.