Erika Kaija
F R A G M E N T S
18.06.26
IN CONVERSATION
Erika Kaija draws on her Finnish heritage to design what she calls protective armour. Leather studded with metal nails, construction exposed and raw.
For anyone encountering Erika Kaija for the first time, tell us a bit about you and the brand.
Erikaija creates with an emphasis on tangible bricolage with sustainable and unusual materials, and repurposed methods. It is a vision that seeks to reclaim aesthetic pleasure as a form of empowerment by challenging traditional perceptions of femininity.
EK
Is there a piece from a recent collection you feel particularly drawn to?
Within the Vixen collection, is a piece called ‘armour trousers’ that I am particularly drawn to. From a holistic stand point they embody what erikaija looks and feels like. The material is intended to be used as gloving leather, so it comes in very small hydes.
The exposed construction within the seam work is raw in that it feels provocative like revealing a part of the body meant to be concealed. My garments work as a boundary between protective armour and provocative elements and this piece is a mergence of the two.
EK
One of the looks in Issue N°01 featured a pair of your boots studded with metal nails. How did that piece come about?
I made these for my final BA project. I remember I was heavily into sci-fi anime at the time, so anything with bizarre silhouettes worked well within this collection. My materials, especially the fastenings, are sourced from numerous locations, they may appear to me at various DIY shops, markets or streets.
At the time I wasn’t knowledgeable about how to sew leather that thick, finding an alternative from the materials I had sourced was mostly trial and error. The nails worked and that’s how the piece came about.
EK
Have you always been based in London? Where do you draw inspiration from?
The first time I designed anything was during a summer program in Paris at The New School. I was sort of trialing whether design was a passion I could be successful in, which then led me to pursue it in London- this was 6 years ago now. Being Finnish is a massive part of my design identity. I often find myself scrolling through the digital Finnish heritage library, a lot of the artefacts there are so intricate and dark. I think that comes through in my material choices and silhouettes.
EK
What's a recent project or collaboration you've worked on?
Feyza Berca and I were commissioned to create a custom look for Julia Pytko’s new music video ‘Justice’ featuring Waterbaby. We merged an erikaija silhouette with one of Feyza’s printed fabrics. The look is incredibly ethereal and is an artistic blend of music and fashion.
EK
What’s next for Erika Kaija?
Since graduating from my masters, I have been working a lot with my friend Feyza Berca, to create a capsule collection of garments from past projects into ready-to-wear pieces. It’s been difficult to juggle that with our full time jobs but we’re hoping to have it out sometime during summer. So stay tuned!
EK
