Peik Westerlund

Inspired by people who live their labor—fishermen, lighthouse keepers, sailors—thecollection embodies resilience, repair, and deeply worn beauty. Rooted in the ruggedbeauty of the Finnish archipelago, Peik Westerlund’s BA thesis collection exploresthe intertwined lives, culture, and history of coastal communities in Finland. Drawinginspiration from archival research into historical workwear, navy uniforms, andtraditional sails, this collection fuses the raw essence of the sea with a distinctlymodern edge. "The sea has its own rhythm. A certain calmness mixed with the unavoidable feelingof smallness. I wanted this collection to feel like stepping into that slow, salty world." The collection features both menswear and womenswear, all handmade with astrong emphasis on materials and craft. Natural fibers such as wool, linen, andcotton form the foundation, complemented by leather, upcycled fur and technicalfabrics. With references to maritime uniforms and gear, the work explores howgarments function in tough environments, and how they evolve through wear, repair,and time.Sustainability plays a key role—through material reuse, digital patternmaking withCLO-3D, and minimizing waste in the prototyping phase. The creative process hasbeen intuitive and hands-on, guided by the designer’s own memories andexperiences sailing the Finnish archipelago. "Using digital design tools such as CLO-3D helped me cut down on waste and timeused in the prototyping phase, but it also made me rethink how I approach form—freed from all physical restrictions, I was able to focus on my key design elementsand on bringing them to life." New textile manipulations emerged through experimentation, including felting woolinto sculptural forms and developing a sail-inspired textile from organza, glass-fibernet, and liquid latex. Technical nylon ripstop fabric has been heat-formed intowrinkled shapes through Shibori manipulation. Leather and wool pieces areaccented with heavy duty metal hardware. "There’s beauty in repair, in patina, in how clothing adapts to life. That’s what I triedto express through texture and form."