Kakolanmäki, known as the “home of the wild boys”, is coming back to life when a Finnish hotel, Hotel Kakola, opens in the former prison premises. The prison’s history lives on in the details, and work clothes also play a role in it.
Kakolanmäki is bustling, but instead of prisoners prone to escape, it is now the employees of the new Hotel Kakola who are walking around in overalls.
"Kakola has a bad reputation and bad memories. We intend to bring honor to the Kakola name, but for different reasons than before. We are going to enjoy ourselves and be free from the shackles of everyday life," says Eerika Rinne , hotel manager of Hotel Kakola.
Hotel Kakola embraces the prison's history. Respecting the old architecture and recycling original materials brings a piece of the original atmosphere to the hotel.
“The chains hanging from the ceiling and the bars in the rooms are original, and the restaurant’s partitions are built from prison logs. The restaurant is also named after the famous con artist Ruben Oskar Auervaara .”
In addition to the regular rooms, special experiences can be had in four “isolation cells,” which are ascetically decorated with bars and bunk beds. The rooms have a metal sink and toilet, but no private shower or amenities like a television.
"Heartfelt service, creating experiences and genuine presence are the core of our hotel. This means investing in the well-being of our staff, in addition to making our guests feel comfortable. When our employees feel good, they can do their job even when it requires stretching. Work clothes play a significant role in that," Rinne says.
Bold ideas and everyday durable outfits
Playfulness and practicality go hand in hand in the workwear worn by Hotel Kakola staff. A slightly crazy brand needs bold ideas, and Medanta found them.
"We want to stand out with our clothes and be stylish, but with a twinkle in the corner of our eye. We are proud of good work clothes and are happy to wear them," Rinne says about the clothing requirements.
“Starched suits and ties don’t suit our style. With the help of fashion designer and makeup artist Lalli Savolainen , we found Medanta, and together they curated a collection for us that reflects our values and strengthens our brand. It was love at first sight!”
The clothing collection designed for the entire staff of Hotel Kakola consists of matching trousers, shirts, and a dress and overalls that are not typical for hotel staff. Everyone from reception staff to chefs, waiters, housekeepers and managers work in the clothing. Some of the clothing is tailored for the staff of Hotel Kakola, meaning the clothes are made from start to finish according to their measurements in Medanta's tailoring shop.
“There are a lot of demands on clothing: it has to be comfortable to wear, easy to care for, durable and stylish. Despite the playfulness, the outfits have to be believable and make the staff stand out in a good way,” says Medanta founder and Production Designer Taina Steiner .
Although the main color of the clothing is black, the strength of the collection is its versatility. Different outfit combinations provide variety for workdays, but the common line with the other staff's outfits remains.
“We gave our basic collection of clothes, such as chef coats, personality by customizing them with the hotel logo. We designed the dresses and overalls from scratch for Hotel Kakola. Interesting details have been added with a red accent color, various logo elements and embroidery,” says Steiner.
Luxury and professional pride with responsible clothing
Responsibility is a significant part of Hotel Kakola's operations. The hotel uses a lot of recycled materials and favors domestic operators and small and family businesses in all purchases.
"Our restaurant serves local food from small producers and we also emphasize the excellence of Finnish tap water. We have a free water point on the first floor for filling water bottles. We also require responsibility from our partners, and in that respect, Medanta meets all the requirements," Rinne says.
Medanta fabrics are made without environmentally harmful chemicals, dyes or heavy metals. The Medanta Flex, Rewool Touch and 4-way microfiber used in Hotel Kakola's clothing are antimicrobial, breathable, flexible and drape beautifully. In addition, the clothes can withstand constant wear and tear and even heavy machine washing.
Even though the design phase of the collection fell in the middle of the pandemic spring, the collaboration went smoothly. A video fashion show was created from the products, which made going through the details of the collection much smoother than sending emails back and forth.
“Our collaboration has been excellent in every way. Clothing is an external sign of professionalism, and Medanta immediately understood the core of our brand. We received high-quality, innovative and durable workwear. Good-looking and comfortable workwear brings luxury and professional pride to work,” says Rinne.
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