Interview: Meet Our Newest Nordic Supplier - "LUMI"

LUMI is an exciting new brand of scented candle we are welcoming in the store this Christmas.The store smells amazing with all the natural scents Finland has to offer.

These beautiful hand-poured natural wax candles have such a beautiful story to tell, we couldn't wait to speak with the fantastic team at LUMI about their products which are exclusively available in Ireland at Industry & Co.

LUMI means snow in Finnish, what inspired you to choose this to be your brand’s name?

"When you think of snow, many things come to mind; white, clean, pure. We simply identified with these words. It is also a simple word; four letters, highly recognisable and internationally easy to pronounce. Also each snowflake is unique, so are we."

LUMI is a Finnish brand, how does the Nordic influence translate into your candle range?

"LUMI produces their own scents, their uniqueness resides in the use of ingredients which are only sourced in the Nordic countries. You will not find any patchouli, vanilla or any usual scents. Instead, we use scents based on each season, we use ingredients such as birch water, peony flower, pine needles and sage."

 The Packaging is very peculiar, is there a reason behind using the woven basket?

"There are two main reasons behind our packaging.

Firstly, LUMI has always been against the use of plastic, which is why we always try to use an alternative option.

Secondly, this packaging called Pärekori (which refers to the technique of weaving the basket) is made of the birch tree wood and is locally sourced in Finland. The packaging is a homage to Finnish tradition, it was originally used to carry heavy wood back to the Sauna. We simply scaled it down and gave an upmarket notion to it.

The goal behind this little woven basket, is to invite customers to reconsider their consuming habits and have them change the wrongdoing of excess material. Here they can value the packaging and can keep and reuse the basket. We have customers who have shared on Instagram their way of re-using the LUMI Pärekori as cotton ball baskets, cover pots for plants, or jewellery boxes – Which couldn’t make us happier."

The candles are all organic and handmade, can you talk us through the production process?

"These hand-poured, vegetable wax candles feature seasonal botanical scents, where the Nordic ambiance meets Nordic aroma-therapy. The scents are created by using several natural extracts, which combined together, form a complete scent pallet of the seasonal feeling and can transport you right into the middle of Finnish nature.

The candles burn clean with a cotton lead, free wick. They do not contain any parabens or petrochemicals, and are cruelty free."

You talk about Scent & Memory, is this what drives the creation of new scents.

"We wish to share the feelings and emotions that the Nordic nature is offering us. The lovely memories of a hot Sauna, contrasted with an immediate jump in the close-by frozen lake, these memories are buried deep in Finnish people’s minds. And who wouldn't want to refresh the memory of a summer night, spent with friends and family, in the middle of the cold winter, or the other way around.

These are the real things and emotions we wish to share with whoever is interested."

We are so delighted to be the only LUMI candle stockists in Ireland, Why did you choose Industry & Co to be your exclusive Irish stockist?

"When we choose retailers, we want their customers to understand our values and what we stand for. We wish to meet and work with a retailer who present an innovative retail story. Someone who has aesthetically educated customers that can understand our values."

Shop the beautiful scented candles here.