This year, Marimekka's most recognizable pattern, the legendary Unikko, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, in whose honor celebrations will be organized throughout the year. At the same time, the venerable anniversary is the time to pay tribute to the entrepreneurial and visionary Arma Ratia, the founder of Marimekko, who turned a textile printing company into a globally recognized brand that is still famous today.
Marimekko, literally "Mary's dress", was created in 1951 in Helsinki based on an idea Armi Ratia, visionary textile designers. Since she and her husband Vilja were left with a lot of consumer goods due to a failed project, Armi recruited her artist friends to make textiles embellished with graphic patterns. From this they later formed simple dresses, in order to clearly show how to practically use printed textiles. The positive reaction from the public was immediate, as was that from the fashion industry. This was followed by the opportunity to present at the Triennale in Milan in 1957, where they presented themselves with a fashion show in a department store Rinascente, whose manager he was at the time Giorgio Armani.
"It is necessary to have a dream. And it is necessary to stand out.” (Army Ratia)
A design sensation, which stood out for large textile samples and unusually tailored clothes, soon crossed the borders of Finland and reached popularity in Europe. Cooperation with young, progressive designers paved the way for the brand, which offered a new lifestyle, and in addition to ready-to-wear, they unconventional, varied patterns applied to home furnishings and home textiles. Marimekko in the late 1960s, he regularly appeared not only in fashion magazines, but also in lifestyle magazines, and numerous covers of foreign magazines also contributed to the general recognition of the famous Finnish look. If the European market was quickly overwhelmed by the desire for appearance Marimekko, thanks to the friendship between Armi Ratia and to American architects and merchants Benjamin C. Thompson, the person behind the shops Design Research stores. He brought ready-to-wear to America Marimekko, which finally became famous when it Jacqueline Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign, she appeared several times in various The Marimekkos clothes. Their patterns and designs greatly influenced taste in the 20th century, and many of their early products remain in production today.
A woman's zeal
Visionary, driven Armi Ratia gathered around her a company of creative, driven women, with whom she paved the way for a recognizable design style Marimekko. In particular, we mention two designers who played a key role at the beginning of the journey: Vuokko Nurmesniemi, which developed a pattern with vertical lines that is still relevant today, Piccolo, and Maia Isola, who signed one of the most recognizable Marimekko designs of all time, Unique.
Unique
Maia Isola, a painter by training, after studying painting at the Central School of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, quickly became the main designer for Marimekko. Despite wishes Armi Ratia, that Marimekko will not use floral patterns in its collections, listened to its creative forms and thus created a series of more than 100 samples. He was also exceptional among them graphic, conspicuous, pink, red and black floral pattern on a white background, the legendary Unikko pattern. Screaming graphic print it was largely created in 1964, shortly before the movement flower power in the 70s of the last century. Despite the fact that she regularly depicted motifs from nature, this was the first pattern with which she played around and explored pop art. Because they are flowers enormously increased, the image grew from an illustration into a graphic image that characterized design in the 1970s. Vibrant flowers cover clothes, bed textiles, kitchen textiles, fashion accessories, curtains, mugs, serving plates, trays ... all patterns Marimekko are wrapped in a cult pattern that even today, after 50 years, famous as the most recognizable symbol of Marimekko, which has not lost its popularity over the years. Every year Mrs refresh with new color waves, thus continuing Isolina's legacy brilliant design.
