Haru, Moomin Arabia’s first complete dinnerware collection

The new Haru dinnerware collection is a homage to Tove Jansson’s life and work, drawing inspiration and name reference from her favourite summer place, the island of Klovharun. The collection is designed by the duo Naoto Niidome and Nathalie Lautenbacher, combining Finnish and Japanese influences. The collection will be globally available from 30 May 2024.

The new collection is Moomin Arabia’s first complete dinnerware collection, consisting of nine different dishes, from plates and bowls in various sizes to a teacup and chopstick holders. The overall look is soft and serene, designed for creating sophisticated settings without losing the playfulness provided by the Moomin stories. The dishes find their place at all meals, from breakfast to dinner, from pasta dishes to rice bowls, and from soups to tapas and sushi servings. Haru will be part of Moomin Arabia’s continuous collection.

Moomin Arabia Haru

 

Finnish design with a touch of Japanese accents

The Haru collection’s design by the duo Finnish-Japanese Naoto Niidome and Finnish-French Nathalie Lautenbacher is a tribute to Tove Jansson and the Finnish archipelago with a touch of Japanese flair.

The collection’s name refers to the rocky islet of Klovharun, for short Haru, located in the Porvoo archipelago on Finland’s south coast. There, Tove Jansson had a cottage where she lived and worked in summers between the 1960s and 1990s.

 

“We wanted to highlight the archipelago and chose the rounded edges of the stones and rocks shaped by the sea as the starting point for the designs. Due to our backgrounds, there are Japanese touches that complement our Finnish, often nature-inspired aesthetics. I am half Japanese, and Nathalie has worked and been awarded in Japan, so there’s natural influence,” says Niidome. “And there’s also that lovely coincidence with the island’s name Haru, which means ‘spring’ in Japanese.”

The designer duo Niidome and Lautenbacher have been collaborating on design and art since 2008, when they were awarded the Finnish Young Designer of the Year award. Niidome is trained as an interior architect and clothing designer, and Lautenbacher as a ceramicist.

Lautenbacher has already designed for the Arabia and Iittala brands earlier while freelancing for Designor, today Fiskars Home.

Illustrations from Tove Jansson’s wreaths

The Haru dishes are decorated with beautiful ink-blue outline illustrations that Moomin Arabia’s design team adapted and combined from Tove Jansson’s wreath motifs. 

 

During her productive career, Tove Jansson drew numerous wreaths featuring Moomin characters among florals and other natural elements. She used them in her book illustrations and other illustration work, such as the letters she sometimes wrote back to her fans.

“The Finnish archipelago was very dear to Tove Jansson, and she often used its natural elements in her wreath illustrations, so we focused on them in Haru. Those familiar with last year’s Moomin’s Day mug, Sea Breeze, notice the similarities with Haru. The blue-on-white hand-drawn style and the theme make them a match,” says Annika Tickle, Head of Design at Moomin Arabia.

A wreath illustration on a letter template by Tove Jansson

Moomin Arabia Haru collection available 30th May 2024

The Haru collection will be available from 30 May 2024 in the Moomin Shop online and offline, Moomin Arabia webshop and stores. From 1st August onwards the collection will be sold at other selected retailer locations as well. 

Make sure you don’t miss the launch and sign up for a notification through the Moomin Shop – you’ll get an email as soon as the products are available.

 

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