This brand-new silhouette is inspired by the golden age of gritty rock with an aesthetic that highlights the uniqueness of each brand. Vyner Articles is the brainchild of Finnish designer, Heikki Salonen, dedicated to Artworkwear – everyday workwear for the creative ones. 

That being said, every now and then a link-up comes along that rejuvenates my passion for co-releases, something that not only feels organic, but really represents the meeting of creative minds. Enter: Vyner Articles x Karhu.

Teaming up with fellow Finnish label Karhu, Salonen – whose other projects include MM6 Maison Margiela – has taken his eye for intricate detail and design, and fused it with the sneaker label’s deeply rooted sports foundations to create, well, an honest collection.

“To me it needs to be more than just simple 1+1=Y it should always be x minus the unknown. It’s not just about plonking logos on someone’s iconic products.”

“The process was as it always is: a mix of discussions, desires, needs, and cherishing good memories,” Salonen says of the design process of the M-Runner.

“I knew that I could play quite a lot and draw freely as there was this super professional team of Karhu responding to them creatively and technically. So it was pretty much a dream situation for a designer.”

The Karhu M-Logo has been created from leather and includes decorative stitching done in the Vyner Articles initials, and a heel patch adorning its emblem.

“Working as designer and creative director in fashion has shaped my thinking about clothing and my view changes and evolves constantly,” continues Salonen. “I like quality products, but when clothing becomes too much like a product, it loses its charm in my eyes.”

“Clothes should breathe and never be completed by the designer but the wearer. I love when I see people wearing us and I just see them without necessarily realizing they are wearing our designs."

"I think that is the Vyner goal, to really let people shine through. In fashion that has not been in fashion for way too long, and I think we’ve achieved it here.”

We’d like to thank style writer Tayler Willson of Highsnobiety for interviewing Heikki Salonen and shining a light on our latest collaboration.