Greetings from the woods and meadows! Lapuan Kankurit celebrates its 50th anniversary with an enchanting Osmankäämi pattern, which pays tribute not only to Finnish nature but also to the roots of the company.
OSMANKÄÄMI TEXTILES by Lapuan Kankurit celebrate Finnish nature with their delicate textures and nuanced colors. The napkins and tablecloths, suitable for both everyday use and festive occasions, are decorated with a vivid print designed by Elina Helenius. The pattern pays tribute to the half-century-long history of the family-owned business.
The roots of Lapuan Kankurit go back several generations. The company started as a felt boot company, founded by Juho Annala, in Lapua in 1917. They began weaving fabrics over a decade later, in the 1930s – the name of the brand accurately translates to “Weavers of Lapua”.
Juho's son, Juha Hjelt, who had worked in the family's weaving mill since he was a young boy, founded the current Lapuan Kankurit with his wife Liisa. In 2023, Lapuan Kankurit will celebrate its golden jubilee: it's been 50 years since the couple Hjelt started to produce high-quality home textiles from linen cloths and throws to towels and napkins.
Liisa Hjelt left her mark on the history of Lapuan Kankurit - and the décor of many Finnish homes - not only as the founder but also in another way: she worked as the first textile designer of Lapuan Kankurit. Her works include the beloved Osmankäämi wall hangings, for which Liisa drew inspiration from Finnish nature with its rich plants and flora – “Osmankäämi” is Finnish for “Typha”, which is a genus of tall vertical herbs.
Elina Helenius, who works as the company's chief designer, has paid tribute to Liisa's legacy by updating the Osmankäämi collection to the 2020s. Plants continue their carnival in the lovely pattern now adorning tablecloths and towels instead of wall tapestries.
The original Osmankäämi textiles were made from jacquard, but now the material is easygoing and lightweight linen. Textiles are still woven in Lapua Kankurit's weaving mill, in the middle of the Ostrobothnian fields – as it was already decades ago.
See also:
• Lapuan Kankurit's Osmankäämi tablecloth >
• All products by Lapuan Kankurit >
• Read also: Lapuan Kankurit – high-class linen from Finland >
Text: Susa Pääkkönen Images: Lapuan Kankurit