I visited, together with my family, the brand spanking new Kamppi shopping mall in downtown Helsinki. Kamppi has been the biggest ever construction site in Finland and now it has been finally opened.

The shopping mall was built on top of an old bus terminal that is now located on the basement of the mall. The ground floor of the mall has been open for half a year or so, and now the rest of the floors have been opened to the public.

The first and second floor have several fashion stores whose brands have not yet been sold in Finland. The third floor has children clothing, fourth is dedicated to sports and the fifth floor has young fashion and a very nice café with free WLAN. Stay tuned for reviews.

We were early birds, as the base was going to be packed during the day. During the two first hours we were able to browse through the most interesting shops without any queues or dense crowds. We also spent some luxuriously lazy time on the fifth floor café, read emails and fooled around with Aapo. Then the shows started and we had to evacuate Aapo and ourselves due to the loud music…

Carlings are Norwegian clothing store chain that has recently started to invade Finland. They have a shop also in Kamppi shopping mall in downtown Helsinki. The shop is an excellent place to find a pair of good jeans and accessorise them with t-shirts and other paraphernalia needed to create your personal look.

They sell mid-price stuff, such as Levi’s, Lee, Wrangler and Diesel. The selection is quite good, especially if you are looking for more relaxed jeansware.

Carlings, Urho Kekkosen katu 1 (in Kamppi shopping mall), Helsinki, Finland

Update July 20, 2010. The shop has been closed.

Update August 5, 2007. The shop has not been closed, but it has just moved to Mannerheimintie 2. I’ve updated the contact details and the content to reflect the current situation. Also the photo is changed.

Update July 9, 2007. The shop has been closed. Sad.

Helsinki has got its first ultra-designed fashion store, Provokante, in prime location at the southern end of Mannerheimintie.

They sell Jil Sander, Chloe, Dior, Prada and Versace. The selection is not huge, as all garments are put on display with style and enough room to show the whole item. As the brands indicate, this store is not cheap. Don yourself with a thick wallet and start spending.

Provokante, Mannerheimintie 2, Helsinki, Finland, +358 44 513 5384