MEET THE VOGLIA FAMILY

I am honored to be the new CEO of Voglia, following the footsteps of my father Markku Virtanen, and his father, Pertti Virtanen. My grandfather had had a longtime dream of starting a new clothing concept, and Voglia was founded in 1983. Fittingly, he named the company Voglia, meaning desire, a strong will. My father Markku and my mother Kristiina started working at Voglia as soon after it was founded, and now the third generation - my brother, sisters and me - are continuing our family’s legacy.

In photo: Markku, Katriina, Pauliina, Marjaana and Kristiina Virtanen. Valtteri Virtanen is missing from the photo.

My grandfather brought his vision to reality, introducing high-quality, Italian-influenced styles to the women of Finland. The very first stitches of Voglia were sewn in the heart of Finland, in Hämeenlinna, where our headquarters remain today. Responsible fashion is our legacy. Through the years we have added modern technology, but in many ways we still operate as we did when we began over 35 years ago. We still design, test, plan, and produce everything in-house for our own stores, both brick and mortar and online. Having a full control over everything in our process chain allows us to be the first to try new innovations, like the newest ecological materials or 3D-modelling for fabric cutting.

In photo: A few pieces of Voglia clothing from the 80s

We’ve always designed clothes for people who shape the world. In the 1980s, we set the tone for the independent individuals in blazers with power shoulder pads. Later we produced city-shorts and jumpsuits. By 2000, Finland welcomed our first female president, Tarja Halonen. It was President Halonen who awarded us the prestigious “Golden Hanger” fashion award in recognition of our high quality Finnish design and craftsmanship.

The same cornerstones on which Pertti began to build the concept still guide our work today. Through good quality, excellent cut and fit, responsible way of manufacturing and conducting business, and excellent customer service, we want to dress people who want to make a difference. Together, we shape the world.

Katriina Virtanen,
CEO of Voglia