Tom of Finland - Helsinki Pleasure City

With his fearless and groundbreaking work, Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, 1920-1991) brought alive a world of sexuality and joy that continues to fuel equality movements even today. In collaboration with the Tom of Finland brand, Makia launches a casual streetwear collection to celebrate Tom’s ever-relevant message of gay pride, equality, and solidarity.

The small teaser drop celebrated Touko’s, the man behind the pseudonym, birthday in May. Now, it’s time for the full launch.

The Helsinki Pleasure City collection features t-shirts, long sleeves, sweatshirts, hoodies, and more with some of Tom’s finest pencil works, like the iconic Sailor and a scene from the Motorcycle Thief series. (By the way, we urge you to take a closer look at the Wings beanie. You won’t be disappointed.) The prints, paired with distinct iconography, illustrate Tom’s playful and sensual way of depicting the male body. Or, as Tom himself put it: “My whole lifelong I have done nothing but interpret my dreams of ultimate masculinity, and draw them.”

We shot the collection in locations around Helsinki to show the different aspects of the city – the different things that give the Pleasure City its unique charm. Even though Tom himself was born in Kaarina, located in Southwestern Finland, he spent most of his life in Helsinki. Ina way, the photos shot on the streets of Kruununhaka, Suomenlinna and its ferry, and the subway stations of East Helsinki act as a tribute to the city that became Tom’s chosen hometown. For models, we had the privilege of working with three models with immense charisma and unmistakably personal styles.

Welcome to Helsinki Pleasure City.