Leevi Ikäheimo

No Pain No Glamour

Dialogue between pain and glamour

No Pain No Glamour is Leevi Ikäheimo’s satirical statement on how a specific image of a body is force-fed to us, starting from an early age. With each look resembling a different character or an avatar, the distorted silhouettes and bright colors are there to evoke everyone's child within – like a bodybuilding rave troll doll on steroids.

No Pain No Glamour is a satirical statement on how a specific image of a body is force-fed to us, starting from an early age. The plastic bodies of toys marketed towards young boys are built to an outrageously unrealistic proportion. For the looks and the garments produced, Ikäheimo researched the anatomical cuts of the muscles in the human body juxtaposed with clothing worn in early 2000’s millennium raves in Helsinki, Finland. With each look resembling a different character or an avatar, the distorted silhouettes and bright colors evoke everyone's child within – like a bodybuilding rave troll doll on steroids.

The different techniques and materials incorporated in the knitting include manually manipulated stainless-steel and thermoset polyester blends, 3D knitted nylon monofilament, and colorful ribs of recycled cashmere. 

With high expertise in knitwear, Ikäheimo aims to find new ways to transform the three-dimensional body, diminishing the boundaries of flesh with contemporary textiles. Working from a place of humor and satire, Ikäheimo strives for a world of inclusive, sustainable glamour.