the story of satu nisu design
Satu Nisu stumbled into the world of textiles by accident. She shares the early stages of her career as follows:
“My heart has always been beating passionately for interior design, and my dream was to work as an interior designer. I applied to study the field at a local college and got accepted. Filled with enthusiasm, I resigned as a store manager and followed my heart into interior design. However, on the first day of school, my excitement turned into confusion when I realized the classroom was filled with nothing but looms. I felt a chill down my spine when I heard that the studies focused on textile crafts. Back in primary school, I couldn’t even finish knitting a pair of mittens in the crafts class, and I immediately declared that I would quit the program. The teacher’s persistence and encouragement, however, convinced me to stay.”
“The day came when I was tasked with weaving a blanket. I set out to find inspiration in the forest. In nature, I saw rocks, moss, and bark… The vision was clear: my blanket had to reflect these beautiful surfaces of nature. Surprisingly, I wove a texture in my blanket that had never been seen before.
Upon completing the task, I sought to refine my skills by enrolling in the Helsinki Design School for interior design. There, designer Kaisa Blomstedt, also a teacher, noticed my blanket. She remarked, “You won’t just be an interior designer. What you’ve crafted is a true gem that deserves recognition worldwide.” Inspired by Kaisa’s words, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey in the textile industry.
My textiles were showcased to the public for the first time at Finland’s most significant furniture, design, and interior decoration fair, Habitare, in 2017. This marked the beginning of my global journey.”
“Instead of thinking about what a textile should be, I think about what it can be.”