“Primitive” and “raw” are a few of the words Tuomas Merikoski would use to describe his new women’s label, Aalto — but judging from his first few collections, the terms “relaxed” and “retro” come to mind, too. “I’m not trying to make it too abstract or too conceptual — it’s still clothing you can wear,” says the 36-year-old designer who introduced the brand with a Pre-Fall 2015 collection in January.

Born in Finland and based in Paris, Merikoski — who has worked on the design teams at both Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, and still freelances for the latter — draws particular inspiration from his homeland. “We really want to explore and show people Finland in a different way,” he says. For his second collection, Fall/Winter 2015, the designer turned to Finnish youth, incorporating in his designs the phrase “young heroes” over and over, and photographs of teenagers making out in ’90s Finland. More recently, in his Resort 2016 collection, Merikoski drew inspiration from the country’s endless sun — prolonged daytime in the summer when Merikoski recalls gathering with friends in the woods for all-night raves and bonfires. Loose tailored suits, a knee-length denim pencil skirt and mock turtlenecks are marked with a certain casual vibe and classic color palette.

At its core, Aalto — which means “wave” in Finnish — conjures the moment when a nostalgic, ’90s club kid meets its older, more mature self. After all, Merikoski says, “we don’t want to be too sophisticated.”

Born in Finland and based in Paris, Merikoski — who has worked on the design teams at both Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, and still freelances for the latter — draws particular inspiration from his homeland. “We really want to explore and show people Finland in a different way,” he says. For his second collection, Fall/Winter 2015, the designer turned to Finnish youth, incorporating in his designs the phrase “young heroes” over and over, and photographs of teenagers making out in ’90s Finland. More recently, in his Resort 2016 collection, Merikoski drew inspiration from the country’s endless sun — prolonged daytime in the summer when Merikoski recalls gathering with friends in the woods for all-night raves and bonfires. Loose tailored suits, a knee-length denim pencil skirt and mock turtlenecks are marked with a certain casual vibe and classic color palette.

At its core, Aalto — which means “wave” in Finnish — conjures the moment when a nostalgic, ’90s club kid meets its older, more mature self. After all, Merikoski says, “we don’t want to be too sophisticated.”