If you know Ommellinen, you may also know Liisa Häkli, the entrepreneur behind the brand. Liisa’s story is an inspiring tale of how a passion for sewing turned into a business and a successful Finnish clothing company. The story began in a home attic driven by love, creativity and pure determination.
It all started with a serger
It all began when Liisa put a serger to use — a gift from her mother — and started sewing clothes for her own children as well as for friends’ kids. As her enthusiasm for sewing grew she launched a blog where she wrote about her creations and showcased the garments she made. The blog's readership grew, and interest quickly spread beyond her immediate circle.
At the time, Liisa was working as a special education teacher and was expecting her third child. She dreamed about a longer maternity leave. Sewing provided an opportunity to try earning a bit of extra income working from home, and slowly but surely, the hobby began to evolve into a business. For the first two years, Ommellinen was run from the family’s attic, but by the third year — as the space became too tight — the business moved to Muurame.
The fast-paced early years
Ommellinen’s first years were full of work and turning points. Along the way came subcontracting, the purchase of a fabric business and the hiring of the first employees. In the fourth year, Liisa’s husband Jesse also joined the company, marking the beginning of a new chapter where all clothing production was brought back from subcontractors to Ommellinen’s own hands.
Today, Ommellinen is a close-knit team of professionals united by a love for hands-on craftsmanship, colors, and patterns — and a genuine belief in the power and purpose of working together. Every team member is a valued part of a family-like work community, where people care for one another and work hard toward shared goals.
Finnish fashion, made with pride
At Ommellinen, domestic production is a matter of the heart — that's why every Ommellinen garment is both designed and sewn in Finland. It is not always the easiest path, but it is undoubtedly the most rewarding. There's something special about that moment when — after a thoughtful design process — fabric transforms into clothing and finds its way to the store, ready to be discovered by a customer.
High-quality materials, durable design and meticulous craftsmanship make Ommellinen garments long-lasting — and that is why loyal customers keep coming back, time and time again.
At Ommellinen, the customer is always at the heart of everything. Customer wishes and feedback are listened to carefully and thoughtfully, and combined with the company’s own vision — guiding the development of both collections and individual products.
Perhaps the secret to Ommellinen’s success lies in the fact that nothing has been forced — everything has come together naturally born from passion and created with love.
Looking Boldly to the Future
Ommellinen’s story is a dream for many — and for good reason. But. behind the success lies, above all, an immense amount of hard work, bold decisions and at times, uncertainty. There have been countless long days, challenges faced and risks taken. Yet the journey has continued with determination: new facilities have been built, the skilled team has grown stronger and the business has been developed step by step.
In Liisa’s own words:
"We didn’t choose this — Ommellinen chose us. And when it’s good, it’s easy to keep going."
