Finland's biggest fashion accolade, the Textile & Fashion Award, was presented yesterday at the 2025 Textile & Fashion Forum Helsinki. The brand who took home the top prize was the beloved Finnish high-end brand Almada Label, which has seen rapid growth and remarkable international recognition in recent years. Below, we caught up with the founders Linda Juhola and Alexa Dagmar to find out the secret behind their success
Yesterday, the who’s-who of Finnish fashion flocked to the capital’s Little Finlandia for the 2025 Textile & Fashion Forum Helsinki, a bi-annual event that gathers industry leaders, innovators and decision-makers to tackle the burning question: what’s next for the industry?
The cherry on top of the day, which was filled with thought-provoking talks and networking opportunities, was the unveiling of the winner of the 2025 Finnish Textile & Fashion Award, the country’s biggest single accolade in the field. Valued at €10,000, it's granted to “a company in the textile or fashion sector that has shown outstanding merit”. Scooping up the top prize this year was buzzy Finnish brand Almada Label, which, though launched only in 2020, has already achieved tremendous international success.
The jury – chaired by Sanna-Kaisa Niikko, member of the Finnish Textile & Fashion board and chief marketing officer of Marimekko – included Jonas Meerits (partner at Reima, chair of the boards of Mini Rodini, Our Legacy, and Klättermusen, board member of Happy Socks, and former CEO of J.Lindeberg), media influencer Miisa Grekov, Petteri Masalin (chief design officer at Fiskars), and Marja-Liisa Permikangas (CEO of Finnish Textile & Fashion).
Almada Label co-founders, Alexa Dagmar and Linda Juhola, receiving their award. Photo: Courtesy of the Textile & Fashion Forum Helsinki
The panel honed in on sustainable growth, internationalisation, increased industry visibility and future orientation as the key criteria for the award. They mention being especially impressed by Almada Label’s rapid sustainable growth and remarkable presence in international media and high-end retail markets while praising the brand’s “beautiful and timeless design”.
“Almada Label has set ambitious international goals from the very beginning and achieved profitable growth in a relatively short time. The brand’s products and aesthetics resonate with a rapidly growing audience, and the company has built credible, reputation-enhancing distribution through many of the industry’s leading retailers,” says Niikko. “In addition, Almada Label has achieved high-level media visibility, thereby bringing attention to Finnish fashion in an international context.”
Founders, veteran influencers – and ride-or-dies since the 2010s – Alexa Dagmar and Linda Juhola hail the win as the perfect milestone for Almada Label’s fifth anniversary. “It feels really good. It was unexpected, but it’s always amazing to receive this kind of recognition. We’re super happy and honoured,” Juhola muses. Dagmar adds: “It feels like in Finland there’s been a fair share of challenging news around the industry in recent years, so it’s wonderful to see this kind of positive, sunnier vibe – successful companies and a reason to celebrate them.”
One of the latest A-lister sightings in Almada Label's sleek pieces came in September as supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepped out in the brand's 'Zila' dress . Photo: @almadalabel
What began with just three refined knit styles has evolved into a global brand coveted by A-listers and fashion insiders alike. Today, alongside its own online store, Almada Label is stocked in some of the world’s most prestigious department stores like Harrods, Printemps and Le Bon Marché, its sleek, minimalist wardrobe staples crafted from the finest materials and perfectly embodying the spirit of ‘quiet luxury’, practically flying off the shelves. While the brand started with a focus on elevated knitwear, it has recently expanded into ready-to-wear, introducing new silhouettes and fabrics like recycled satin, crepe and leather to the mix – a shift fuelled by their devoted clients, who longed for the “the full Almada look”. Its shearling jacket, for instance, sold out the very day it was launched.
“I think the biggest factor has definitely been that right from the very beginning we decided to go straight for the international markets, and to do it boldly,” Dagmar says. “From day one, we’ve had a really clear vision for everything to do with branding – how we want to look and how we want our product to feel. But you also have to have that courage to jump into the unknown and learn as you go,” Juhola chimes in. Being self-taught in production, for example, has only bolstered the founders’ open-mindedness. “We’ve always felt that certain rules don’t bind us,” Dagmar notes.
Iconic Finnish supermodel Suvi Riggs in Almada Label's recent campaign. Photo: Kulesza + Pic
Aside from the fearless, international mindset the duo embraced from the get-go and Almada Label’s timeless, elegant offering, they credit its secret sauce for success with nailing branding that resonates and building an engaging community. “Our products are also exceptionally good quality,” Juhola adds. “Our price and quality really hit the sweet spot, topped off with kick-ass branding.”
In the near future, we can expect more must-have launches, while Dagmar and Juhola also hint at additional pop-ups and events in the pipeline – and perhaps even a runway show one day. “I mean, we’re only getting started,” Dagmar says.