Tiia Vanhatapio's 5 Years Jubilee Fashion Show

Tiia Vanhatapio is a very famous Finnish designer, also known as "The Queen of Cocktail Dress". I've always admired her style. Her products have a unique look: they are powerful and fatal but still very feminine. The dresses are for a self-confident stylish woman who is bold and fears nothing. Like Dita von Teese, who has inspired Tiia in her designs, and who also wears Tiia's designs!

Tiia Vanhatapio's 5 years jubilee fashion show was held on thursday 26/8 in Hotel Katajanokka's inside yard in Helsinki. The place brought it's own special feature to the fashion show: the estate is a former prison!

So, where there used to be prisoners wondering around, this evening the yard was conquerd by models presenting the wonderful Tiia Vanhatapio design dresses. And us, the viewers.

The show began with wedding gowns:

And continued with cocktail dresses:

And finally, the long evening dresses:

The designer Tiia Vanhatapio

Tiia Vanhatapio is definitely one of my favourite fashion designers in Finland. I also love the fact that before her career as a fashion designer, she was a rockabilly singer! Her past as a singer was also present in the fashion show in the music, which was very well chosen. We heard e.g. Marlene Dietrich singing as the models were walking on the runway. The show was a nice tribute to Tiia Vanhatapio's career so far. My best wishes to the designer!

(P.S. As I was walking away from the show, I saw a delightful reminder that yes, we are in a former prison...)

A creative way to keep a door open... :)