This year, we celebrate our 25th anniversary. The journey from a basement in Punavuori to where we are today has been a long one, but we’re grateful for every step along the way. To mark our 25 journeys around the sun, we’re sharing some blasts from the past.
The early years: 2001 – 2005
The idea for a clothing brand had been brewing for a while already. Professional snowboarders Joni Malmi and Jussi Oksanen had both been traveling the world and seen colleagues stick a logo on a T-shirt and call it a design brand – to great success, no less. So, why not try it ourselves?
And then, on a fateful night in a bar in 2001, the ideas that had been germinating reached a conclusion. Makia was born. The idea was to design down-to-earth clothing and see how far it could fly. Jussi came up with the name, and Joni designed the logo. Both were catchy and designed with the international markets in mind. There was just one problem: neither Jussi nor Joni knew a thing about selling clothes. Luckily, Ivar Fougstedt, a professional in the industry with a background with Burton Europe, knew a thing or two. Joni and Jussi showed him a black T-shirt with a white Makia logo on it. That was enough: Ivar was in, and the trio decided to invest in a textile printer.
But man, was it hard. The trio managed to sell some items to friends and at domestic events, but the profits were slim. Well, to be honest, they were nonexistent, since making clothes also costs. Eventually, Jussi and Ivar decided to pursue other careers. The trio disbanded on good terms, but Makia’s future was uncertain.
However, Joni was determined to keep going. He decided to reach out to an old colleague who he knew had retired from snowboarding to seek a career as a clothing designer – that’s a perfect match, if any. Enter Jesse Hyväri, who shared Joni’s sentiments about the defining philosophy behind Makia. Together, they rented a basement in the old workers’ district in Punavuori, Helsinki, where Jesse started sewing the prototypes. Makia’s first collection was underway. Now, they just needed someone who knew how to sell it…