Klaus Haapaniemi

Klaus Haapaniemi (b.1970) is an internationally recognized London-based Finnish designer. In 2010, he founded the Klaus Haapaniemi artisanal design and lifestyle brand with Mia Wallenius. Their design approach is influenced by nature, Finnish folklore and traditional decorative arts with a modern twist. Inspiration comes from a rich selection of cultural references including the worlds of art, ballet, music and storytelling. Haapaniemi’s design experience includes many major brands including Levi’s, Diesel and Dolce & Gabbana. He has been recognized as one of the most important rising stars in design by the WGSN’s trend forecast. In 2015, Haapaniemi designed the piece Cunning Little Vixen for the Finnish National Opera which inspired the Tanssi collection for Iittala. His sense of whimsy and magic is illustrated in Iittala’s classic Taika series.