The Location of This Blog Has Moved

The items described in this blog may now be viewed at our parent company,Honfleur Home.

In the Words of Maija Isola on Martin Luther King's Day

On Independence and Personal Freedom

"Mental freedom is a chance to do a job that you really want. The most inspiring thing is freedom. That you could do things by yourself on trips. Working alone, at home, not in a factory . . . Style came from Armi Ratia, she was enthusiastic and willing to try everything, and she always stayed that way. Everyone was given a chance, everything was experimented with . . . Free. Mental freedom. The most important freedom is the freedom to fail, to mess up completely."

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Beauty Direct from Marimekko
(individual authors unspecified)

There is very little light in the long, dark winter of Finland.
Yet, we know how to cheer us up;
Run across the snow to the heat of a smoke sauna,
Light a lantern in a strong winter storm,
Jump our eyes shut into a freezing lake, screaming of joy.
Kindle a fire,
Wrap up in a warm blanket and immerse ourselves in a book.
Enjoy the small, big things; summer memories in the heart of winter;
The colours hidden in the darkness;
The nature that lives under the black and white surface.
We know how to take colours and make them vibrant.
Dreams, contradictions, everyday life - Marimekko.

Eye Candy for Take-Out

Directions, Public Transportation, and Parking

Marimekko
8519 Georgia Avenue
The Corner of Georgia and Ellsworth Avenues
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-4705


Directions

• By Car: For those in the the greater Silver Spring area, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, and/or Takoma Park, the store is easily reached via East-West Highway. [East-West to Colesville Road. Left on Colesville. Right on Wayne. Garage parking located on Wayne.] If you're coming from DC, 16th Street or the Rock Creek Parkway are good choices.
• By Metro: Marimekko is located two blocks north of Metro's Silver Spring station on the Red Line. [Walk up Wayne Avenue, make a left onto Georgia, cross the street.]
• By Ride-On: The Silver Spring station is served by Ride-On routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 28.
• By Metrobus: The Silver Spring station is served by Metrobus routes 70, 71, J5, F4, F6, JH1, J2, J3, J4, Q2, S2, S4, Y8, Z5.
  

Parking

• Parking in downtown Silver Spring is ample.
• The Wayne Avenue garage is located on Wayne between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street. The Wayne Avenue garage offers free parking weekdays after 6:00 p.m. and on the weekend.
• The Town Square garage is located on the northeast corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street.
• The Lee Building garage is located at the corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue. [Enter the lot from either Georgia Avenue or Fenton Street.]
• Marimekko is also within easy walking distance of several public parking decks. The closest is at Colesville Road and Spring Street. Another choice is the garage at Dixon and Wayne. The public garages have metered rates of 50¢ per hour weekdays and offer free parking on weekends.

Thanks Korto!

With Affection & Admiration,
Your Fans & Followers (of all ages!)

Bravo TV Project Runway Meet & Greet @ Marimekko

Meet Korto Momula of Bravo TV's Project Runway Monday, 10/28/08 at Marimekko Silver Spring

6 - 7 pm Meet & Greet

Open to the Public

.

Above: The Seat Belt Dress Coat By Korto Mormula

Bio

Age: 33,

From: Monrovia, Liberia

Education: Fashion School in Ottawa, Canada

Favorite designers: Tracy Reese, Valentino & Randolph Duke

Fashion must: Great bag

Originally from Liberia, Korto moved to Canada to attend fashion school. After school, she moved outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, where she now resides with her husband and daughter. Drawing from her African roots, Korto infuses tribal details into her classic designs. She is inspired by rich fabrics and textures and says her designs are intended for real, full-figured women. In her spare time, Korto works as a freelance fashion photographer, dances in an African dance troupe and does African hair braiding and makeup. She says her family considers her to be fun and easygoing.

Marimekko Contacts: Michael Ross or Candace Long on 301-565-4705

More Information About Kioto

Korto was born in Monrovia, Liberia. Her family left Liberia and became refugees in Canada. This has had a profound impact on Korto and her family, and she's called herself a “poster child for never giving up.”

She has said that in her life, “The most traumatic [experience] would have to be the civil war in Liberia and how it tore apart my family and the only place that I knew as home. The devastation alone was bad and even though I was blessed to not have to be in the country at the time it affected me the same. My parents were greatly affected. They worked so hard for everything they achieved and to lose everything and start from scratch was hard but we did it and kept the family and our traditions as tight as we could. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger and it did, for all of us.”

Korto was always interested in design, and was encouraged by her high school art teacher to pursue it as a career. She wasn't able to immediately attend fashion school due to the turmoil her family was going through, but eventually she did attend L'Academie des Couturiers in Ottawa once the family settled in Canada.

This early educational experience within the rigors of fastidiously-made couture would appear to have been crucial to some of her success in Project Runway. She admits, “I was not a great seamstress then but design-wise, I was good. It took a while to get my trade together.” She says that when her first design, the yellow tablecloth dress from the Gristede's challenge was called “impeccably made” by the judges, she was gratified, she said, “that all my hard work paid off.”

When Tim Gunn visited her in Little Rock, he saw that Korto's creativity extended beyond clothing. She performs drumming and dancing with an African dance troupe, dabbles in fashion photography and does make-up. Additionally, her fashion talents extend to beading and making cowhide handbags, “complete with cow horn handles.”

In addition to the influence her African roots have had on her fashion, there's another nuance to her work that differentiates it from many of the designers we've seen on Project Runway. Korto says she does focus on making designs that are accessible to women of varying shapes and sizes.

“My designs are flattering to women of all sizes even though they have a lot of detail on them,” she said. “They can be worn by anyone from a size two to a twenty. Women of all sizes are beautiful, and they all want to look great. In the real world, people look like me and they want to buy clothes.”

Above excerpted from a piece by Leslie Seaton

Sew with the Sewing Diva

Knit, Sew, Quilt & Craft @ Marimekko
Scenes from The Sewing Diva™ Classes @ Marimekko, October 2008

View Our Current Classes

Scenes from Summer 2009

PAIVANTASAAJA from Marimekko Collection 091.

Goodwill at Marimekko

Monday, August 25, 2008
When Shopping Actually Helps the World be Better

"Ain't No Junk In This Trunk" . . .
We've all heard of Goodwill. That is often the place you go to donate the things you shouldn't have bought in the first place, right? But did you know that it is also an organization that provides job training and assistance to people with disadvantages and disabilities? By selling the things people donate, it makes money to help others. And for the eco-fashionista, Goodwill is fast becoming a major source of easy basics as well as killer vintage finds.

Goodwill DC has recently launched a great new way to stock up on some one-of-a-kind vintage finds: the Goodwill Travelin' Vintage Trunk Show. Ms. Goodwill Fashion (a very entertaining blogger, who also works for Goodwill) expertly curated the selection of vintage pieces. And, let me tell you, garments (and shoes and hats and purses) were flying off the racks last Thursday at the Marimekko Concept Store in Silver Spring. I was incredibly disappointed with myself to have arrived almost an hour after the starting time! It was also great fun to hang out with some of DC's best known fashion bloggers from Fashion is Spinach and Project Beltway. We tried on outfits and giggled at ourselves. Good fun.


So, if you hear a rumor that there is a Goodwill Travelin' Trunk Show headed your way, make sure you get there early, because Ms. Goodwill's eye is stylishly sharp, the prices just can't be beat, and you will be shopping to make the world a better place.

Where & When

Thursday, August 21: The good folks at Goodwill are holding a trunk show of vintage and vintage-inspired designs at Marimekko in Silver Spring from 5 to 7 PM. Marimekko and vintage together? It’s like a dream of ours, finally coming true.

Marimekko Fall/Winter 2008

Presentation of the Fall/Winter 2008 Collection
Helsinki, Finland
January, 2008

Marimekko for Avon Introduced in UK

Marimekko for Avon Colour Cosmetics Collection introduced in the UK

As announced in March 2008, Marimekko has licensed its famous floral “Unikko” motif to an exclusive limited-edition cosmetics collection of Avon, a leading global beauty company. The Marimekko for Avon Colour Collection was introduced to the press in London, UK, on 18 June. The collection will launch globally in autumn 2008.

The Marimekko for Avon collection unites Marimekko’s signature brilliant hues and simple, yet sophisticated design with Avon’s fun, innovative colour formulae. Each piece in the range features Marimekko’s iconic ”Unikko” pattern designed by Maija Isola in 1964. Her daughter Kristina Isola re-interpreted the design with a unique look and fresh colouring for Avon.

The collection embodies Marimekko’s unique philosophy – design that brings beauty into people’s everyday lives. Licensing cooperation with Avon is Marimekko's first foray into the world of beauty and will enhance the Marimekko brand's recognition worldwide. With the collaboration, Marimekko is able to reach millions of women and share the exceptional combination of Marimekko’s bold, joyful design and Avon’s superior beauty products.

A Day in Pictures

Marimekko Around The World:

A Buddhist monk studies in his room at the Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Source: BBC News, Day In Pictures, April 24, 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/in_pictures/7364981.stm

Windows to the World, Now Open

Thousands Get Rare Glimpse of Diplomats' Side of Capital

By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 4, 2008; C03

One minute, talk at the Finnish Embassy yesterday was on food -- salmon spread on sourdough bread, sweet bread called pulla, and meatballs -- until the description of the Finnish recipes spread out on a huge table turned to a rye and rice pastry from Karelia.

"That's the place Russia stole from us," one of the servers said of the region lost to the Soviets decades ago, in the same matter-of-fact tone she had used seconds before for simply listing ingredients.

Politics, culture and food, intertwined -- a blend that played out all day yesterday with the start of Passport DC, a two-week exhibition in which dozens of embassies open their doors to places typically seen only by diplomats and people with visa requests and official business. Thousands attended, standing in long lines along Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue and in quieter neighborhoods around Northwest where the stately government outposts often go less noticed.

A Czech official handed out pamphlets about R&D centers as a bagpiper and drummer played Czech rock outside on the patio. Huge posters outside the Hungarian Embassy touted the "safe, European" economy, while inside a dancer performed with a jug of sloshing red wine on her head. The Finnish ambassador boasted to a packed room of the transparency and openness of his country as Finns in textile giant Marimekko T-shirts milled around. . .

Passport DC stems from a program last spring, when European Union embassies opened their doors for one day and were shocked when almost 40,000 people came. Those same embassies held open houses yesterday and many will hold concerts, lectures and art exhibitions this week. From May 11 through May 16, cultural centers, museums and some embassies will hold various programs, then there will be a second open house May 17 with non-European embassies including Iraq, Japan and Peru. Fifty-five embassies and 20 cultural centers will host public events during the two weeks.

Lines were long in many places yesterday, particularly at the British Embassy, the Portuguese Embassy and, by afternoon, the Finnish Embassy. . . Some came to the embassies because of their heritage, like Joan Janshego, 68. She visited the Hungarian Embassy with her sister in hopes of experiencing the (similar) Romanian culture they grew up with. She had performed ethnic dances as a child and speaks Romanian. "It's just nice even talking to the staff," she said.

Leena Nevalainen-Smith, a 49-year-old from Finland who lives in Cleveland, had come to Washington with her son and American-born husband to renew her passport. Late yesterday morning, she was looking around the urbane, open, cube-shaped embassy of her homeland.

"There's something about the airiness, the light" that is very Finnish, she said. Others came with an eye to the future and crowded the desks at each embassy promoting the countries' investment potential. Others came simply for the wow factor of seeing how the diplomatic half -- such a presence in the District, with 10,000 of them in the city -- lives. . .

Many said they were lured by free goodies, and the lines were long for a tiny cup of Hungarian goulash soup, Portuguese custard and the Czech Republic's Pilsner Urquell beer -- until the beverage ran out shortly after noon as the sun beat down.

"Time to go to France," someone shouted.

We Were Hipaused

As Seen In Domino Magazine, April 2008, p. 111.

Organize Your Purse
"For the one who cheerfully mixes clashing prints with solids - and isn't too cool for a cheeky status symbol, slip a do-everything palette into this bright, glossy pouch."

Luxury Source
By Marion Hume/Helsinki
Wednesday, Apr. 09, 2008

The Fabric Of Our Lives Embraced by Manolo Blahnik and H&M, Marimekko shows its once radical prints have never gone out of style

Everyone in Finland and plenty of other people around the world have Marimekko stories, whether it's a memory of curtains made of the famous Unikko poppy print, flickering in the light of a sun that hardly ever set, at a childhood summer house in the Finnish countryside, or a roommate's cheery pillows that brightened up a dull college dorm in Chicago. Marimekko, the Helsinki-based print and fabric company, with net sales in 2007 of $116 million, has a universal appeal that transcends national boundaries. It's a company that is both revered by design aficionados and beloved by housewives; its creations are worn by the slim and the not so slim, and its snazzy signature prints are available on everything from onesies to pot holders. It's possible that Marimekko even helped usher in the Camelot era when a style-savvy Jackie Kennedy traded in her haute couture for one of the company's inexpensive summer frocks, which she wore to be photographed with her husband for a December 1960 cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. In her breezy dress, Kennedy personified an elegant ease for women struggling to define themselves in a new age.

Today Marimekko casually thwarts a fashion system that decrees that if your not-so-stylish cousin in the burbs wears it then it's not cool enough for trendsetters like Manolo Blahnik or Anna Sui. Yet both designers are proudly part of a global club known as the Marimekkoites. Sui has been collecting vintage examples of the cheerful prints for years, and this spring Blahnik has created three shoe styles in Marimekko prints. H&M has launched a capsule collection this month featuring the most popular patterns from the 1950s to the 1970s. "Marimekko feels so modern," says Blahnik, who was reminded of the Unikko poppy's potency when he spotted it on a tea towel in a tourist shop. "There's a need right now for the bright and the bold. I think everyone should have a little bit of Marimekko."

So who exactly is Marimekko? The name translates literally as "Mary's dress" and figuratively as a dress for Everywoman (and, indeed, Everyman—the unisex Jokapoika shirts have been hot sellers since 1956). It is perhaps one of the first ever lifestyle brands (the Courier-type logo, which was inspired by a magazine headline, dates from 1954 and has been stamped on clothing and home wares ever since). The company was started in 1951 by textile designer Armi Ratia, whose husband Viljo owned an oilcloth-printing company that was struggling as a result of postwar shortages. Ratia was determined to set about turning the scarcity of fine fabrics, caused by postwar rationing, into an advantage by hiring designers to create inexpensive screen-printed cottons emboldened with color and exuberant pattern. That May, Ratia staged a fashion show at Helsinki's smartest restaurant, Kalastajatorppa, with the aim of showing women what they could do with the company's dazzling new fabrics by the yard. When women also clamored for the ready-made pieces they'd just seen, a fashion phenomenon, as well as a fabric house, was born.

It was a clothing and fabric designer named Vuokko Nurmesniemi, who worked for Marimekko only from 1953 to 1960, who really forged the brand's simple styles and its legacy of distinctive silhouettes, including that of Kennedy's shift. As for the company's eye-popping Tasaraita stripes, these were developed in the '60s by Annika Rimala. The patterns have been designed mainly by freelance artists, the most famous being Maija Isola, who by the time she died in 2001 had created more than 500 prints for Marimekko. She was able to mastermind an astonishing range, from the intricate and folkloric Ananas (1962)—which remains one of the most popular prints for the home market—to the radically simple, dramatically enlarged, asymmetrical Unikko poppy (1964), originally in red and in blue, which may be one of the most widely recognized prints on earth. "I think Unikko stood out immediately, and it somehow hit the world," says Isola's daughter Kristina, 62, a Marimekko design star in her own right. "Here, the blue-and-white version has come to stand even for Finland, while outside, the red-and-white stands for Marimekko."

In a company fueled by female power (and with a staff of more than 90% women), the poppy print was born when the forceful Armi Ratia told Maija Isola that Marimekko wanted nothing to do with the pretty florals that have been a leitmotif of industrially produced furnishing fabrics ever since the advent of William Morris and Liberty of London. The headstrong Isola responded with a flower print that owes nothing to an English country garden. Though today Unikko adorns everything from shower curtains to cookie tins, when it was introduced, the print seemed to channel the rising wave of '60s discontent.

Kristina Isola made working for the company a family affair. After spending her childhood with her grandmother on a farm that has been in the family for eight generations, she moved to Helsinki when she was 14 to live with her famous young mother, with whom she was collaborating by the time she was 16. These days Kristina's inspiration for her print designs is Finland's breathtaking natural world, along with the sense of magic and fairy tale that runs through Finnish culture. This spring, the company launched her latest work, Metsanvaki (Forest Dwellers), which draws on images of the pine, juniper and birch trees that grow near the back door of that family farm, where Kristina now lives. "The forest is very important for us," she says, explaining why Forest Dwellers is already a hit in Finland. "We pick berries. We walk. My grandchildren immediately see there are thousands of things hidden in a forest if you just look for them."

Erja Hirvi, 39, whose designs have been produced by Marimekko since 1995, says Finns, especially those from the frozen north, are particularly adept at drawing on their imagination. "When I was a child, there were five children in my class, and we lived far from one another," she says. Self-reliant in her life and in art, she says she can now conjure up entire patterns and colorways in her mind.

Anyone can submit a design to Marimekko, though the lion's share of those chosen for production come from Finns, who best understand what has become, in effect, a national brand. Maija Louekari, 25, who grew up in a far-north home full of Marimekko and had her first design produced when she was only 21, imagines her creations as "little children being sent out into the world." As for why her color combinations are so bold, she responds in a lilting accent, "It's so cold and dark, you need something delightful."

More than just rejoicing in a brand that seems hardwired into their sense of identity, the Finns appear to need Marimekko. The home market represents more than three-quarters of all sales for this publicly traded company, a significant number of whose shares are held by individuals who see investing in Marimekko as akin to investing in their country. Helsinki's streets do not yet glitter with the shiny stores of the now homogeneous luxury brands (although Louis Vuitton opens April 8); the Finns, including their female President, Tarja Halonen, a Marimekko wearer, support their own.

"We dress our houses as well as ourselves," notes Marimekko's p.r. manager, Tiina Alahuhta. "We spend a lot of time inside, so we change the curtains and cushions for winter, and then many people dress their houses with special tablecloths, even curtains, for Christmas." That good design is the basis of a better life is a deeply held belief in this Nordic nation of about 5 million citizens, which has produced an impressive number of influential designers, including Alvar Aalto and architect Eero Saarinen.

But after Ratia died in 1979, Marimekko lost its way, and its products all but vanished, first from the North American landscape and then from the Finnish soul. Ratia's heirs sold their shares to a Finnish conglomerate called Amer, whose businessmen failed to preserve the magic in what had always been an organic, quintessentially female and artistic company. As Marimekko approached its 40th birthday, things were so bleak, employees were warned they would be laid off for two weeks without pay.

Enter Kirsti Paakkanen, a retired advertising executive who had made a fortune with a largely female advertising agency. Paakkanen snapped up Marimekko for a nominal sum in 1991, saving it from closure. One of the first things she did was have the grime cleaned from the windows at the Marimekko House as a signal that the heart had come back into the home. Next she boosted the designers while deflating the bureaucracy. "Men in business start at the top. They create positions for themselves and then work down. Women work from the bottom up and value their workers," she said in an interview with England's Guardian newspaper. "We don't much use titles," says Alahuhta, "and we multitask at whatever needs to be done." By 2007 Paakkanen had opened full-scale concept stores for the brand in North America, with shops just outside Washington and in New York City; Cambridge, Mass.; Miami; and Vancouver, B.C.

When Paakkanen retired in February, at age 79, she handed a robust company to the new president and CEO, Finnish former banker Mika Ihamuotila, 43. Ihamuotila is a man, but, as Kristina Isola says, "he appreciates how to work with women. He's grown up with textiles. His mother was a textile designer, and his wife is a painter." In fact, it was his mother who introduced him to the company. As a child he was dressed in Marimekko. "And as a 10-year-old boy," says Ihamuotila, "I even decorated my room with Maija Isola's curtains, [choosing] a pattern from a jungle forest."

These days, men and women work side by side operating the labor-intensive printing presses that turn out about 1.8 million m of printed cloth a year. There's no sense that the pressure is on to find the next blockbuster poppy print. All the designers are treasured here, whether their creations adorn just 200 m of cloth or prove so popular, they result in mugs and mouse pads.

A quick glance at Erja Hirvi's Kaakaopuu (Cacao Tree) suggests this print just might have the raw excitement to power another sensation. The design was inspired not by a voyage to a warm climate but by a trip with her young son to Helsinki's botanical gardens. There Hirvi noticed that the fleshy pods, whose seeds are the source of chocolate, seemed to grow directly from the tropical cacao tree's trunk. As she looked around for a botanist to question about this, a print was already starting to form in her mind. The botanist, who eventually allowed her to take a few fallen leaves and a pod for reference, turned out, of course, to be a huge Marimekko fan.

Why Not Redeem Someone?

The Marimekko Gift Card. Online, In Store.

H&M’S TRIBUTE TO MARIMEKKO

It’s all about the energy of summer. This season H&M brings a burst of life to the fashion scene with its tribute to Marimekko, the Finnish textile company that has thrilled since the 50s with its bold, bright colour. Using prints from the famous Marimekko archive to create 70 pieces for men, women and children, the H&M design team will take you all the way from the city street to the heat of the beach. The collection will be sold in H&M’s stores on all 28 markets from April 10, 2008. Selected parts of the collection will also be sold at 10 Corso Como Milan and 10 Corso Como Seoul, and at Dover Street Market in London.

Marimekko is well known for vibrant bold simple prints. It was fashion icon Jackie Kennedy that put Marimekko on the international map when she wore their dresses during her husband’s 1960 presidential campaign. Since then, Marimekko has always symbolised optimism and positivity, which makes it a perfect match for H&M.

”H&M’s design team has always admired Marimekko’s vivid prints and colours, and they feel so right for this season,” says H&M’s Head of Design Ann-Sofie Johansson. “We came up with the idea of creating a summer collection built around the fun and joyful attitude of Marimekko’s vintage prints.”

Dipping into the massive 60s archive, the H&M design team have taken these fun retro prints and given them a very modern twist. Pinafores, smocks and shorts are the must-have women’s styles that sing out with holiday spirit. Certain designed pieces have been given extra detail for example three buttons on a cotton/silk mix apron dress. When it comes to the beach, the Tribute to Marimekko has both 50s-style one-piece swimsuits and bikinis, as well as sun-hats and versatile scarves that can be wrapped high on the head, or easily gathered into a sarong.

For men, the striking Marimekko stripes are used on what will become the favourite T-shirt of the season. There are also short-sleeve shirts and shorts in more intense prints. For children there are bright fun matching prints on apron dresses, sun-hats, skirted swimsuits and even a patterned teddy bear!

INSPIRATION: The brilliant optimism of the Marimekko archive

COLOURS: Perfect combinations of red and pink; olive and orange; red and turquoise; red, white and black

MATERIALS: Cotton, jersey, cotton/silk mix

The Ikoni Dress by Mika Piirainen. $219. Available April 12, 2008.

We are currently accepting pre-orders for shipment or in-store pickup. Phone Marimekko Washington, DC on 301.565.4705 to reserve an Ikoni. As many Mairmekko fans know, the Marimekko® brand prides itself on its fine attention to detail and quality of production; they produce in limited batches. All this to say, though we've done our best to stock up on all sizes, dress availability is on a first come, first serve basis.




Also available for pre-order and shipping April 12, 2008 . . . the popular "Pomme" T. $59. Call us on 301.565.4705 to stake a claim.

Marimekko Spring/Summer 2008

The Independent

How to Dress Like Jackie O

Fifty years after America's First Lady of fashion took the boat trip that launched the brand, Marimekko's prints and patterns are conquering the world again

"Marimekko's latest collection Features Bright and Beautiful Patterns"

By Susie Mesure
Sunday, 23 March 2008

Marimekko is having a moment. Another moment, to be precise, as almost half a century since Jackie Kennedy put the Finnish design house on the global fashion map its bohemian florals and bold graphic prints are back in vogue in a big way. The iconic 1960s designs, perfect for this season's bright and beautiful patterns, would have looked as fresh as ever on the spring catwalks. No wonder fashionistas from high-end to high street are hooked.



Take Manolo Blahnik, the high priest of footwear. He has splashed Marimekko's most iconic print, Unikko, a bright red poppy flower, across one pair of his masterful stilettos and used BonBon, a black and white print, on another. Dolce & Gabbana has been selling floral-spattered dresses that shriek Marimekko (even if the Italians are now in trouble with the company for, ahem, "borrowing" its famed red flower without asking. Or at least using something suspiciously similar). For those on more modest budgets, next month the Swedish mega-chain Hennes & Mauritz (H&M to us) launches a capsule collection daubed with yet more designs from Finland's national treasure.

So what is it about Marimekko that has suddenly got the fashion world so excited? To Blahnik, Marimekko is an old friend; its fabrics scattered on cushions throughout his homes. "In the 1960s everybody was wearing it," he says. "I remember my sister in their smocks. To me, their prints look more modern today than back then. There are millions of their prints that I adore but I really have a particular fondness for Unikko and BonBon."

Margareta van den Bosch, H&M's head of design, thinks its Marimekko collection, which hits stores on 10 April, will be "joyfully fresh, like a vitamin injection". The 50-piece range will feature prints from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s on cute A-line tunics, maxi dresses and smocks. There will also be items for men and children. Although this is far removed from H&M's recent tie-ups with the likes of Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld, fashion pundits predict a scramble. If they are correct, the range should do for Marimekko's Noughties image what Jackie Kennedy did for it when she stumbled upon several cotton shift dresses at a Cape Cod boutique. She wore one of her finds on the cover of the December 1960 issue of Sports Illustrated. The public loved her choice and Marimekko loved the effect on its sales.

These days the label is better known in the US than in the UK. Sex and the City devotees obsessed about Carrie Bradshaw's Marimekko curtains (the 1960 print Tantsu) and loved the vintage Marimekko sundress she wore in the cult series' 64th episode. The homewares retailer Crate & Barrel has a long relationship with the Finnish company.

The story of Marimekko – which is Finnish for "Mary's dress" – dates back to 1951, when Armi Ratia transformed her husband's small oilcloth and textile printing company into a graphic-design hothouse. Charlotte Fiell, a design historian, explains: "Instead of being slaves to contemporary fashion trends, Marimekko set out to set itself apart from the fashion industry. Its first collection was so bright and colourful and just so different from the drab, earthy colours of the 1950s. The durability of its designs shows you can have fashion that is impervious to trends."

The company flourished in the 1960s and 1970s, making a name for itself as a resolutely female business, but after Ratia's death in 1979 came something of a decline. After being sold to the Finnish conglomerate Amer Group in 1985, it came close to bankruptcy.

Kirsti Paakkanen, a stalwart of Finland's advertising world, was persuaded out of retirement to buy Marimekko from Amer for a song and under her aegis the company prospered, tapping new export markets. She approved the H&M collaboration because she felt the Swedish retailer would "take the brand forward in a very trendy and high-quality manner".

It was to a man, Mika Ihamuotila, that Paakkanen handed over last month when she retired a second time. She says his gender does not bother her. "He has committed to treasure Marimekko's current culture – both internal and external."

Ihamuotila says he "deeply respects and treasures" the company's heritage. "With its design, Marimekko has spoken a language that crosses boundaries and has made Finnish design well-known the world over. I see Marimekko as a 'pearl'. However, I think the company could be much, much more."

Don't bet on that Marimekko moment ending any time soon.

High on Dry: Clothes, Accessories That Play In The Rain

GRAY CLOUDS AND SOGGY SKIES don't have to rain on your fashion parade. With all the hip-yet-monsoon-ready trench coats, groovy umbrellas and stompingly cool boots around, bad weather might just make you look good.

Even higher-end designers (Chloe, Nanette Lepore) have gone out in the rain with way-beyond-Gorton's fisherman trenches in eye-popping hues.

Such revved-up storm styles give "folks not otherwise comfortable with unusual prints or bold, bright colors a chance to go to town," says Marni Frankel, owner of Silver Spring's Marimekko.

Add a pair of wild wellies and a 'brella with attitude, which Frankel thinks "gives bounce to your step on a rainy day." That should help you jump over all those pesky puddles.

Jennifer wears a Marimekko Ruusupuu poncho ($75, Marimekko, 8519 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring; 800-656-3587;marimekkowashingtondc.com) and carries a Pylones umbrella from Fred Flare.

The Ruusupuu Poncho & Umbrella, Art by Maija Isola, 1957

Make Our Day

From Home & Garden Television's Taniya Nayak, As Seen On HGTV's Broadcast "Designed To Sell" Program.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008



Design Digs: Marimekko Washington, DC - My Favorite New Source. Y'know all those gorgeous fabrics that hang in the Crate & Barrel stores to highlight the displays? I always notice them when I am shopping because they are so cool! They are contemporary, colorful printed fabrics that look just like art. Well, what are these hangings exactly? They're Marimekko.

I stumbled upon the actual Marimekko Concept Store in Silver Spring, Maryland. I am hooked! You will probably see a lot of Marimekko in my upcoming shows. The store itself makes awesome art of these fabrics. I have been stretching them on basic wooden frames that the store staff build in-house. I am loving the fact that I can make it as large as I want, and I splice them up so the pattern continues from frame-to-frame. I also recently used another print for some pillows, and it added the perfect punch of color. I also just ordered a print for my own home (it's abstract pears, also known as Paaryna) and used their in-house upholsterer to create the finished piece. So cool!

My only reason to share this info is that I LOVE Love Love it! My other favorite thing about the store is that they have one super talented manager/designer that is the bomb at giving advice and being very patient (I had about 20 bolts of fabric on the table)! Michael - you rock!

For more information about Taniya Nayak, check out www.designdigs.net.

The Hills [OK, Not Quite The Hills But At Least Not The Sticks] Will Be Alive With The Sound of Music

With Wonderment, It's Almost Signed, Sealed Delivered
and (Thankfully) Not Slip Slidin' Away

(i'd make more puns, but now how many of us really remember Garfunkel's?)

WASHINGTON - February 29, 2008

"Live music in Silver Spring inched closer to reality Thursday, when a Montgomery Council committee approved $2 million for the Live Nation music venue.

The panel approved the project without changes, though committee members previously had said they wanted some details clarified first.

The money would help fund a deal set up by County Executive Ike Leggett to allow California-based Live Nation, which operates the Fillmore and House of Blues music venues, to take over the site of the old J.C. Penney store on Colesville Road. . .

Music fans and Silver Spring citizens groups have praised the deal, hailing it as a great move for music-lovers and a boon for the neighborhood, which lagged for years before its recent — and continuing — redevelopment. The venue’s location has been empty for 18 years."

How could any respectable Marimekko-ite not consider this is a cool thing?! And besides, just because I'm stuck with one kid smitten with the Cheetah Girls and (double-whammy) High School Musical II doesn't mean we should all suffer. Though, come to think of it, perhaps I should focus less attention on Miley Cyrus and more on why the song "Hey There Delilah" resonates with my five year old.

Flattering February

Matin by Mika Piirainen Resort 2008. $189. Available in-shop and online.

People Say the Darndest Things

Disclaimer:
The story that you are about to read is real. The names of the parties involved are not provided in an effort to protect the (small vestiges) of privacy that individuals can now reasonably expect.

Disclaimer II:
We fully acknowledge that glitches are part of what makes us human. And, when considered in retrospect, they're often downright funny. We present this exchange in that spirit. Besides, we think Ikea has a cool concept, introduces people to great style, and, all-in-all, does a great job for a big-box company.

Background Geography: Marimekko is a Finnish company located Finland, which is in Europe. Ikea is a Swedish company located in Sweden, which is also in Europe.

Setting:

• Ikea, College Park, Maryland

Cast:

• A Marimekko Employee in Search of Mella Tables


• A Well-Meaning and Clearly Pooped Ikea Employee Manning the Information Booth in the Ikea Warehouse


• A Super Nice (and super cute) Manager Branding a Headset-Qua-Customer-Freak-Out-Prevention Device

The Exchange:

• Marimekko Employee: "Hi, Can you tell me where I can find the Mella table? The tab on the item upstairs tells me its in aisle 20/bin 9, but it's not there.


• "Ikea Employee: Oh, we rearranged the warehouse last night; the tags upstairs haven't been updated.


• Marimekko Employee: "So, like, anyone who finds something they want to buy from the showroom - say, a bedroom set - they come downstairs to pick up the boxes but no one can tell them where they are?


• Ikea Employee: At the moment, yes. The overnight team messed up big-time."


• Marimekko Employee: "Wow. Well, I'm not in a rush, and I'd like to buy a bunch of these as I heard they're being discontinued. Any chance someone might know where they went?"


• Ikea Employee: "Doubt it."


• Marimekko Employee: Well, since I drove out here, maybe I can talk to one of the guys zooming around the floor, just for the fun of it."


• Ikea Employee: [Calls out for a nearby floor staffer.]


• Marimekko Employee: [Said while waiting] "Jeez, people must be going nuts."


• Yeah, they're pretty mad. But, you know, what can I say: We're a European Company


• Marimekko Employee: Oh, I see. Sweden, right?


• Ikea Employee:" Yes"


• Marimekko Employee: [Smiling broadly] Is that what management puts in the training manual - when all else fails, blame the Europeans? (Ikea employee starts laughing)


• Marimekko Employee: Well, I guess we shouldn't lump all ineptitude on European companies, You know, thinking of it, you might want to check out Finland. They're in Europe, but I've read that they do a great job with their warehouses.


• Ikea Employee "Hey, when push comes to shove, it's just easiest to blame a place that's far away


• Marimekko and Ikea employee laugh and part ways. In the meantime, super-cute warehouse director locates a whole lot of Mella tables. It's not too hard to make a person feel gratified.

[By the way, we so enjoy Ikea - well, the experience of it, that is, the parts that don't include putting together furniture.]

And hey, 'least Ikea doesn't have the Staples slogan, the one with the tag line "That Was Easy!"

Uneeda Unessa

So, it's probable that I'm dating myself here - I mean, haven't biscuits been thoroughly upstaged by scones? Well, irrespective, this is truly great insta-art.

Ingredients:

• One Unessa Tea Towel.
• One frame to fit the 18.5" x 27.5" tea towel.
• One nail or piece of wire to affix frame to wall.

Total Time:
15 minutes


Makes:
One dose of heart-healthy happiness per person, per viewing

Each Serving:
No calories, no artificial sweeteners.

Cause You've Got Personality

A portion of our Marimekko Concept Store and web site features vendors whose work highlights our Marimekko product offering. Our company is committed to providing exposure and support to both regional and national new market entrants who are not represented by mass market retailers.

To submit a product(s) for our consideration, include a hyperlink to your work and/or digital images, an overview of your product and its target audience, and the location in which the item is produced/manufactured. Vendor inquiries should include the phrase "vendor inquiry" in the subject. While we cannot reply to every inquiry we receive, we will promptly reply to those that we wish to assess.

February Feature
Yomphana Designs
Washington, DC Based Artisan
Courtesy of the Sharon Fine Gallery
Peruvian Opal Necklace
$79

It's A Green Thing . . . Choose What You Want to Do

As Seen In . . .


Is green the new black? Well, it's definitely in the forecast for Spring 2008. [And as tempting as it is, we are making no comment on this blog about "going green", global warming, or environmental policy.] So, without further adieu and as a welcome endorsement of the spirit-lifting impact of happy colors:




Here are some storage solutions with a fresh, clean look to brighten up your kitchen, office or living room. These lovely Onni tin boxes will engage the eye with their sinuous leaves and verdant textures. Design by Teresa Moorhouse. Small tin dimensions: 4" x 4" x 4.3". Large tin dimensions: 4" x 4" x 7". From $9.00 - $14.50. MarimekkoWashingtonDC.com

The Washington Post: Great Maryland Stores

December 2, 2007





"It's December and the holidays are inching closer by the minute. We've already scouted can't-fail gift stops in the District and Northern Virginia; This time, it's Maryland's turn. Maybe you've whittled your shopping list to just a few stragglers or perhaps your holiday hunt hasn't even begun. Either way, you're sure to find something grand at one of these top shops.

Imbibe

(moderately, please)

As seen in Imbibe Magazine, December 2007

DCStyle Magazine Does The Fandango

Dish in Style

"The season of entertaining is upon us and what you set on your table says more about you than you may think. Take a look at some of these personality-fueled place settings I found around town, and avoid being branded the "the dull one."

For a traditional touch, check out Marimekko’s Fandango plate sets. Red and white with just the right amount of elaborate design, these dessert plates are the perfect holiday addition to any existing dinnerware set.

So make your list and check it twice, cause the holiday season is here and your guests are arriving before you know it."

Marimekko, 8519 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD, 301-565-4705, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Published November 21, 2007

Two Really Good Buys

Marimekko Candles $9.50 USD &
Ornaments $12.00 USD

My Oh Maija

Maija Louekari continues to show precisely how knowledge of and appreciation for art, history, culture, and surroundings inspire the objects that decorate our lives. From the Marimekko Autumn/Winter 2007 collection.

[Shown: Louekari's Kulkue Tea Towel Set, Mug, and Plate; Vuokko Nuresniemi's Pirput Parput Mug]

The Washington Post Discusses: Homefront Silver Spring, Maryland

"Silver Spring, Md: So, what is the story about Bombay Co.? I mainly ask because I live in downtown Silver Spring and we are sorely in need of some decent stores. . . What's the skinny?!

Jura Koncius: Dear Silver Spring. You DO need more stores there. Things are bubbling up at midcity - which is what they call 14th and U now. Silver Spring has wonderful nightlife, restaurants and a subway. Love the new Marimekko store. But we need more..Bombay has been around since 1978 and originally started making really affordable copies of 18th and 19th century classic English furniture. It strayed along the way design wise, changing their look many times."

The Washington Post, November 1, 2007

Finnish Fashion Designer at Marimekko 11/17/07

Saturday, November 17, 2007
To The Public: 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Press Briefing and Embassy Interviews as Scheduled
Contact - Maria Bunch, bunchmaria@marimekkowashingtondc.com
8519 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
1-800-656-3587
Store hours: 10 am - 9 pm Mon.-Sat; 10 am -5 pm Sunday
www.marimekkowashingtondc.com


Mika Piirainen, a principal fashion designer for the Marimekko Corporation, Helsinki, Finland, will make a guest appearance at the Silver Spring Maryland Marimekko Concept Store, Saturday, November 17, 11:00 am-2:00 pm. Come and meet Mr. Piirainen and view his fall collection of clothing for men, women, and children and accessory wear including bags and hats. Hear him speak about his designs for this iconic international company. Mr. Piirainen's work is described as fresh, happy, contrast-accentuating, and simplistic in design. When asked how he would describe his work, he explained, "I seek uncluttered forms and I make bold use of color. The keywords are practically, originality, and minimalism. I like both light and heavy natural materials." Mr. Piirainen makes extensive use of historical Marimekko patterns. He collaborates closely with textile designer, Kristina Isola, the daughter of legendary designer and visual artist Maija Isolo.

Mr. Piirainen was trained at the Lahti Design Institute, Lahti, Finland and at the Maharishi Art Academy, Helsinki, Finland. He has participated in numerous fashion shows and exhibitions. He is represented in the current touring design exhibition in Europe, Scandinavian Design-Beyond Myths.

Since its inception in 1951, Marimekko has built a lifestyle brand that preserves its historical roots and internationally recognizable patterns while embracing the work of younger designers of distinction. The DC area Marimekko store is the largest concept store outside of Finland, and it serves as a destination spot for community-oriented events and lectures that tap the varied writers, authors, musicians, and artists that live in and around the greater Washington DC area.

To register for this event and/or to receive notifications of events, click here to access our event participation system.

Upcoming Marimekko Events

Our Twist on the Typical Retail Store . . .
The Silver Spring Marimekko concept store is situated in the heart of the Washington, DC Metro area. In addition to carrying products where price-meets-quality, we also serve as a destination spot for community-oriented events and lectures that tap the varied writers, authors, musicians, artists, and other creative types that live in and around the Washington, DC area.

To register for an event and/or to receive notifications of events, click here to access our event participation system.

Store Displays, Fall/Winter 2007

The Jaakharu Collection; Pattern by Klaus Haapaniem


[Shown: La Boca Tray, La Boca Latte Mugs, Unikko Black/Grey and . . . Unikko Beige/Cream]


[Shown: Kivet Duvet, Orange/Raspberry; Pirput Parpat Mug; Stilla Tray; Hetkia Moments Latte Mugs; Stilla Latte Mugs; Paayrna Tea Towels; Paayrna Trays]

No, It's Not an Underground Prison

It's the Washington, DC Metro system . . . (clean, well designed, and far, far below ground)



We thought it'd be nice for riders to absorb some Marimekko verve as they wait on the platform - a little pick-me-up of sorts to offset the ubiquitous brown/grey concrete decor.

Examples of Our Workroom Pieces

Clockwise: Custom Accent Pillow, Putkinotko Fabric. Custom Bedspread, Stilla Fabric.
Custom Duvet Cover, Pillowcases, and Shams, Dombra Fabric. Upholstered Sofa, Joonas Fabric. Seeking something to suit your home furnishing specifications? Call the fabric department or drop an email.

.

Inspiration Joikapoika

The Jokapoika shirt, designed by Vuokko Nurmesniemi in 1956, is Marimekko’s oldest item in continuous production. The Piccolo fabric upon which the design is printed is even older, dating from 1953. At present, there is also a women’s Joikapoika fit and, as shown, the Pikkupojanpaita for children.

Have It Your Way

Custom Wall Hangings by Marimekko Washington, DC - Interested in creating your own?

Email us with subject line "Wall Hanging" or contact Michael Ross or Valerie Roseborough of our staff on 800.656.3587 or 301.565.4705.

Shown: Wall hanging featuring Marimekko Iso Satakieli Fabric




Shown: Wall hanging featuring Marimekko Latvassa Korkealla Fabric

In A Visitor's Own Words

October 03, 2007
Pretty Store


"During a quick trip to the bookstore today, I found what a friend told me last weekend to be true: Marimekko has opened a store locally. We couldn't stay long because nap time was near, but I managed to snap a couple of interesting corners. Isn't their cutting counter pretty? Just look at this assortment! Thanks Marimekko!"

Also, here's the children's section, where they featured goods from a couple of other cute companies. Click image for a close-up.




Excerpted from http://www.mollyirwin.typepad.com/

Do You Know Where You're Going To?

"McGinty's was my first foray into the nightlife of Silver Spring. I can't say that Silver Spring is my new hangout, but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if I come back .... especially because of that bangin' Marimekko trench I saw in the window of the gorgeous Marimekko store down the street, really close to the DSW . . ." Yelp.Com, 09/25/07

New Arrivals - Fall Apparel Collections

New in-store arrivals include the following from Samu-Josi Koski, Jaana Parkkila, and Mika Piirainen. Don't see a clothing article from Marimekko seasonal collections 073 and/or 074 that you're seeking? Drop an email or call us on 800-656-3587 M - F 8:30 - 9 pm EST.

Games You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

If you're in our store or browsing online, please view our selection of European and Made in the USA toys, games, coated bibs, and other baby and child products. We've carried these items for years - i.e., yes, prior to the massive recall. We just focus on those things that meet our standard of the simple quality of being well made.

Samu-Jossi Koski & Jukka Rintala - Winter Preview

Images from Samu-Jusi Koski's spirited and beautifully rendered "rain drops keep falling on my head" collection for Autumn/Winter and Jukka Rintala's "Eileen Fisher, did you know that women seeking comfortable elegance might also enjoy a dash of color every now and again?"* Winter 2007 Collections

*OK, this comment is a little "snarky" - I'm sure I'll revise it . . . soon.

Marimekko Turned Madame Malkins

Pottermania: Bewitched and Besotted by Book 7
Excerpted from The Washington Post, July 21, 2007

At 12:53 p.m. in the District, there was a crush at the Potter check-in table at the Borders at 18th and L streets. . .

At 5:50 p.m., Adam Rice, 32, of Alexandria arrived at A Likely Story Children's Bookstore, which was organizing a party in Old Town. He said he spent the week "a wreck," avoiding news Web sites that might ruin the ending. "I've been honestly kind of freaking out about the spoilers this week," Rice said. . .

At 8:27 p.m., at The Potter's House cafe and bookstore in Adams Morgan, bookstore manager Tom Taylor breathed relief: He had found and retrieved 70 "Deathly Hallows" copies that had been mistakenly delivered elsewhere. . .

About 10 p.m . , more than 1,000 people jammed Diagon Alley in Silver Spring, a.k.a. Ellsworth Drive. McGinty's Public House became the Leaky Cauldron, serving up "Deathly Hallows" shepherd's pie, Fizzing Whizbee ice cream and Butterbeer, which was actually Boddington's ale. A caped robe thrown over a mannequin turned the Marimekko shop into Madam Malkins' boutique. And Muggles (non-magical folks) mingled with wizards and witches.

Silver Spring, Maryland Hosts 2nd Largest Harry Potter Shindig in Nation

As Silver Spring, Maryland, Harry Potter fans await the release of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' at the stroke of midnight Friday July 20, they will be treated to a magnificent re-creation of Diagon Alley. This transformation of Silver Spring's downtown is the brainstorm of Borders Books, one many many local business to participate in the festivities. Whole Foods Markets will host a butter beer brewing booth and Marimekko invites visitors to make their own capes. Marimekko, the Finnish design concept store, is a relatively new resident in Silver Spring. The Silver Spring Marimekko is the largest of the chain's design concept stores in the United States as well as outside of Finland. Another Silver Spring anchor, the American Film Institute (AFI), will be showing all four of the Harry Potter movies back to back on Friday and Saturday

Inside Borders, which will recast itself as Flourish and Blotts for the occasion, Harry Potter fans can attend the Grand Hallows Ball beginning at 10 p.m. Prior to the ball, there will be dancing in the Alley with live musicians. Organizers warn, however, that broom riding is strictly prohibited.

Wand making, dancing, face painting, strolling entertainers, an animatronic sorting hat, and costume contests will entertain eager Potter fans as they await the Witching Hour.

Sources: "Grand Hallows Ball," Borders; notice from community planner Alan Bowser, parkhillscivic@yahoogroups.com; "The Grand Hallows Ball", www.silverspringdowntown.com

This Blogger's Two Cents . . . O.K., Maybe 3

If I had to . . .

1. Get by with just one all-purpose classic Marimekko bag this fall season The
Magneetitlaukku Messenger Bag in Khaki.

2. Choose one basic black pant that's just right for, well, you name it (the street, the supermarket, yoga, pilates, underneath a Marimekko dress) it'd have to be the black $79 Tilavus pant. It even handles pesky shedding dog hair and, more importantly, repeat wear.

Cachet
Marimekko Style: A Bold New Concept Store Debuts in Silver Spring


Marimekko officially arrived on the fashion scene in 1960 when Jackie Kennedy appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated wearing one of the Finnish company’s mini-dresses. All the rage in the ’60s and ’70s, Marimekko’s bold and daring textiles are still winning design awards today.

Longtime fans and newer converts alike will celebrate the April 30th opening of a Marimekko concept store in downtown Silver Spring. The 4,000-square-foot showroom will stock 120 fabrics, from classic to recent creations; bedding and bath accessories; kitchenware; apparel for men, women and children; and a hip selection of handbags. A workroom onsite will create custom window treatments, accent pillows, upholstery, custom bedding coordinates, monogramming and more.

Store owner Marni Frankel has admired the Marimekko brand since childhood. “One of the company’s most laudable attributes,” she says, “is its ability to mix the work of its pioneer designers with that of younger designers who respect the past but have a vision of what the brand can become.” She plans to roll out future Marimekko locations in Chevy Chase and Penn Quarter in the next two years.

Marimekko is located at 8519 Georgia Avenue, across from Discovery Communications. For more information, call (800) 656-3587; to order products online, visit the Web

—Sharon Jaffe Dan

Simply Irresistable

Because men matter. [And you couldn't possibly imagine just how much restraint it's taken to resist qualifying this statement in accordance with journalists' 5 Ws, the old who, what, when, where, and why. And, of course, how.]

Tarja Turunen - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Kurt Cobain (Nirvana song follows the intro) meets soprano Tarja Turunen who is wearing designer Jaana Parkkila at the Marimekko Fashion Show held at the Kaampi Center in Helsinki. Beautiful voice albeit mournful rendition of "Smells Like". [Perhaps the crying baby heard in the video is reflecting Cobain's reaction from below?] File under things that make you go hmmmm . . . P.S. We actually have in stock two of the tops that Turunen is wearing and one remaining skirt (ours are in the white/black colorway). Email if you're interested.

A Stripe is not a Stripe is not a Stripe is not a Stripe

Even that Banana Republic/Old Navy/Kohl's brand horizontal stripe-on-stripe that you see on t-shirts everywhere has its origin, it's raison-d'etre if you will.

Annika Rimala designed clothing for Marimekko from 1959 to 1982, and her Tasaraita stripe design debuted in 1968. Rimala believed in "anonymous" design: that people should be motivated to to buy something because it was comfortable and of quality, not because it was a particular season's fashion statement or because the item bore the label of a designer du-jour. Her aim was to create something that was functional, practical, and timeless, something of high quality with a fit for all sizes and ages and suitable for both genders. The Tasaraita stripe by Rimala for Marimekko. To borrow for a moment from Levi Struass & Co., it's an original.

[Regarding the header of this posting "A Stripe is not a Stripe is not a Stripe is not a Stripe". . . and so, so completely off-topic: People usually interpret Gertrude Stein's 1913 Sacred Emily poem line "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" to mean that no matter how many layers of meaning are attributed to something, that thing, at its core, is still just that: an object. Stein herself, though, was not chaneling Magritte: she was making a statement about the preservation of the "identity" of an object. When asked what she meant by her famous line, Stein said that in the time of Homer or Chaucer, “the poet could use the name of the thing and the thing was really there.” She could be understood as saying that over time we attach layers and layers of attributes and significance to a thing that it's useful and important to reach back and remind ourselves that the rose is just that. She writes: "I think in that line the rose is red for the first time in English poetry for a hundred years."]

Take This Bag And . . . Wash It!

OK, it's not a challenge. Really. While we don't encourage abuse (in any form), Marimekko bags can take a beating. Need to overstuff it on occasion? The zipper won't let you down and won't buckle under the added load. Has chocolate melted or other detritus accumulated on the bottom of your bag? Do this: turn it inside out and wash on gentle cycle with like colors. Air dry. The bag keeps its form and good looks. We hope you'll then see why, in addition to its great styling, a canvas Marimekko is the bag for all time.

The Ambassador Stops In . . .

Straight Outta Finland

Finnish Ambassador Pekka Lintu on Thursday afternoon became the first official customer of Marimekko in downtown Silver Spring before the doors opened for its grand opening party.

Lintu bought a child’s shirt from the Finnish retailer’s first D.C. location, refusing to accept it as a gift from the stunned and nervous staff. What does one do when the ambassador just happens to drop by? “Run, get champagne as quickly as you can find it and figure out how to work the cash register,” owner Marni Frankel said.


[Photo Credit: Anne Mandelbaum Photography]

Big Night

From Yelp.com
"simply gorgeous! was at the store's gala opening this evening and touched probably every item in it. streamlined white shelves and custom architect-designed clothing racks are the backdrop for a glorious mutiny of color -- dramatic, modern-retro, boisterous-refined color. you can't feel grey in a marimekko store.

you may recognize the brand's "big flower" print or one of the other iconic prints they have trailblazed over the last 50 years. for the conservative, there are simple graphic stripes and dots, and adorable kids stuff; for the mod folks, which the opening definitely attracted (so... many... cute... dresses!) the graphics get waaay bolder and brighter. for your inner interior designer, the store sells fabric as well as plates, ceramics, linens, and decorative objects -- pretty much anything you could possibly screenprint on. plus the website says they intend to continue hosting events, art receptions, readings, and classes for the local arts community.

5-star earners: the friendly staff, the awesome "kitan" dress, and the "closs" coat in red. yes, please!"

From a third generation Marimekko fan on Capital Hill
"When I was invited to the opening of the new Marimekko store in Silver Spring, I was so excited. The patterns are bright, sweet, and fresh. They could punch up the most boring Pottery Barn apartment. I actually have a wall hanging in the Unikko pattern that certainly livens up my sandstone living space. The store is bright and airy, and the best part is actually the baby clothes and the housewares. Seriously, if any of my friends move or pop out a kid, they are getting a present from here. Marimekko: Love it, Live it."

From DC Celine Online
Marimekko is a design concept - and store - worth visiting. And to go on a mini-rant, the Daily Candy pitch this week just didn't do it justice. It's an intelligent brand, perfect for the cerebral fashionista of DC. Clothing is simple and structured, yet easy and no-nonsense. Architectural, to a point. The fabrics are amazing - jerseys are the softest cotton you've ever felt (H couldn't keep his hands off of one understated logo T), and the "oxfords" are jauntily textured.

And then there was the party. It made people happy. The feel was as bright and airy as the design. Fortunately for me, there were no cakelove cupcakes in sight (Warren Brown was a co-host). Cookies, yes, cupcakes, no. The few models wandering the party were inviting, not intimidating, and the crowd was, like the designs, smart, curious, and clearly willing to buy (the registers were ringing all night). My one real disappontment? I didn't get to meet Pamela Deutsch, one of the What Not to Wear producers, and another host. Oh, well.

Oh - and nearly forgot. Must say that the press materials and guest gift bags were some of the most thoughtful I've seen. Sweet pieces from the Paaryna (Spring 07) collection - a mug that now graces my office desk (much better than the lame sample one I have from the mug supply company), and a darling little tray that now holds my water pitcher and glass on my nightstand.

A return trip is definitely in order.

From Brightest Young Things
in sheer number, marimekko’s s silver spring '07 clothing offerings are huge. besides offering their tried-and-true classic pieces (of which the shapes and colors are surprisingly NOW), six designers - ritva falla, mika piirainen, jukka rintala, jaana parkkila, samu-jussi koski ), and matti seppanen (the sole menswear designer) - each put together a collection based on their own individual aesthetics, and built on classic marimekko prints and designs.

the seppanen men’s range is small and a little too ‘express’ for my taste; guys will probably fare better with the more casual ‘classic’ offerings - or with marimekko’s bags, of which many are totally unisex and universally appealing. in womenswear, the casual half of falla’s line is the most easily accessible - the bright colors and modern (sometimes experimental) shapes are far more appealing than anything in the rintala or parkkila ranges. don’t count out the other lines, though - at the opening on thursday night no less than six women were wearing black-and-white print dresses by piirainen, and the koski collection is the best of the bunch. its casual half features an oversized strawberry print on comfortable cotton and both dark and light wide-legged denim; the remainder of the collection is feminine and 60s-inspired without being overtly girly or too mod (if such a thing exists). our favorite dress of the night was the audreina (view here), and even though i can’t find the amazingly cut, perfectly shaped, khaki-colored marni-ish dress that i was drooling over at the opening in any of the lookbooks, i’d be willing to put money on the fact that it’s by koski, as well.

in all, marimekko’s huge spring/summer collection is far more hit than miss, and the silver spring store is well-stocked with the best of it - they had nearly every piece of the higher-end koski, and i saw more of the lines that didn’t quite get it right in the lookbook and online than i did in the shop. and it’s surprisingly affordable! well played, Finland.

Dress Finds From The Runway

From Helsinki Design Week, Sea Cable Hall. Designs by Samu-Jossi Koski. View online

Set Your Child's Stage

Everything's Coming Up "Pop"py

The Washington Post Express: "Graphic Artistry"

ANDY WARHOL's platter-sized posies. Roy Lichtenstein's neon dots. Peter Max's Day-Glo clouds. Pop Art stars bold prints and bolder colors, a combo that's adding painterly punch to spring fashion. Some styles — little jackets with huge spots, Twiggyish trapeze dresses — channel '60s London; others mix subtler hues and shapes. Breezy and slightly beachy, such slightly psychedelic graphics scream Bermuda vacation or night on the town. "Pop prints are an antidote to dreariness," said Marni Frankel of marimekkowashingtondc.com. "They're so happy!"

» TO BROWSE the eye-popping items from this Weekend Styles fashion spread, click here.

Here, Emily wears plastic hoops ($16.50, Luna, 7232 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda; 301-656-1111) and a Marimekko knit "Aseem" coat ($295, marimekkowashingtondc.com). Shot at D.C.'s poppy Hotel Helix.

Source: The Washington Post Express, By Jennifer Barger, March 25, 2007

Going Up?

Marimekko has teamed with elevator company KONE to beautify the interior walls of elevator cars. “Applying Marimekko designs to elevator cars will turn the ride into an experience that can be continued in other interior designs of the building. The agreement reflects the goal of both parties to make design a part of people’s everyday lives,” says Kirsti Paakkanen, President, Marimekko.

Shown: Adorning this elevator is Maija Louekari's Ho-Hoi! pattern. This pattern was the fabric design category winner of the 2005 Elle Decoration International Design Award.

About The Designer: Maija Louekari has been creating prints for Marimekko since 2003 when she won a competition jointly organized by Marimekko and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Her designs are characterized by expressive line drawings and large planes of color, often incorporating vivid glimpses of moments or landscapes.

What We Brought Back From Finland

[And, sorry to say, we don't mean the models. Blame Customs. Something about first acquiring work visas . . .]

The Design Museum Gent

Exhibition
Marimekko: Textiles, Fashion, Architecture
16 December 2006 > 9 April 2007

Armi and Viljo Ratia established the company Marimekko in 1951 to brighten up post-war Finland with trendy interior textiles and groovy clothes. The company earned itself a world-wide reputation by 1960. Jackie Kennedy, wife of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, bought seven dresses with a label that had remained almost unknown until then. The textiles, with their big graphic patterns in bright colours, became an icon of the sixties.

In the early 1980s the company disappeared from the spotlights. Kirsti Paakkanen was asked to give Marimekko a new Èlan in 1991. And she managed to do just that. Like Armi Ratia did before her, Paakkanen attracted the best Finnish designers. The range of strong and highly recognizable prints from the sixties was extended with contemporary creations.

Vuokko Nurmesniemi - Exhibition & Retrospective

Design Museum Finland's summer exhibition of 2007 presents the unique life’s work of Vuokko Nurmesniemi. This retrospective is the first comprehensive overview of Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s extensive oeuvre of over five decades. It also provides an important chapter to the history of Finnish design in the post-war period.

Originally trained as a ceramist, Vuokko Eskolin (born 1930, Eskolin-Nurmesniemi from 1953 ) was hired as a designer by Marimekko in 1953. Supported by Marimekko’s broad-minded managing director Armi Ratia, she went on to revolutionize the history of printed fabrics and fashion design in Finland. Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s prints employed large planes of colour, and she rejected the close-fitting cut of women’s dresses and gowns favoured in international fashions at the time. Her best-known prints for Marimekko/Printex include Tiibet, Muksunhylly, Rötti and Varvunraita, standard favourites among clothing designed by her are the
Jokapoika shirt and the Iloinen Mekko dress. Vuokko Nurmesniemi figured prominently in giving Marimekko an international profile. A veritable media success came when Jacqueline Kennedy ordered a series of dresses designed by Vuokko Nurmesniemi.

Vuokko Nurmesniemi left Marimekko in 1960 and in 1964 she established a company bearing her own name, where she was both managing director and the only designer. She went on to develop her own uncompromising line at Vuokko Oy, encompassing the whole process of production and marketing, from the design of fabrics to finished products, their presentation in fashion photography, fashion shows and being worn by the designer herself. Examples include the Pyörre and Myllynkivi designs and her black-and-white evening gowns of velvet. Vuokko’s discreet everyday wear employing graphically distinct fabrics and often ingenious cuts and solutions and her exclusive, sculptural evening gowns found a strong following both in Finland and abroad. After the company’s bankruptcy in the late 1980s and the turbulent years that followed, Vuokko Nurmesniemi opened a new shop in Helsinki’s Esplanade in 1993, with a line of fashions bringing her design philosophy to the present day.

The Vuokko exhibition at Design Museum features fabrics and fashions and explores Vuokko Nurmesniemi’s work as a designer of ryijy weaves, glass and ceramics, while also addressing her important role as a designer of exhibitions together with her husband Antti Nurmesniemi, and as a leading figure in the international success of Finnish design.

Source: Finnguide, http://www.finnguide.fi/sightguide/artdetail.asp?a=3024,; original text from Design Museum Finland

When Is A Product Not Just A Product?

(Or How One Woman's Perspective on Living Life Informed A Culture)

Marimekko founder Armi Ratia never limited the meaning of fashion. "Clothes are but a part of the totality of fashion, which includes interiors, food, art, literature, lifestyle. " She also said that "Marimekko’s deepest being is not the products but the force of the creativity from which ideas are generated which, in turn, are expressed in the form of products." Current president and visionary Kirsti Paakkanen, who has been at the helm for 12 years, imparts that “The most important thing is respect for the customer. A human being always takes centre stage. Our starting point is still the one from which Armi Ratia began: we want to produce joy and light, good, high-quality products that will illuminate people’s everyday lives." To us, an ocean and many miles away, it is this company's values and foresight, and -- more importantly -- its ability to satisfy its values and "way of seeing" that informs cultures and shapes a way of life.

What Customers Think: Live & Learn

The Bloggers: On The Ground & Keeping Us On Our Toes
http://offashion.blogspot.com/ [The soundtrack is great fun, Misslilly. Do you want to manage our music mixes?]. Review also found on Glam.com
"Stores and Boutiques I love - The Marimekko Store is a Finnish interior d??cor and fashion design store exuberant with color and natural beauty. As a lover of boutiques, I soon discovered the newly opened Marimekko-Concept store in Silver Spring, Maryland (my hometown,) and fell in love with the aesthetic tranquility of the store and merchandise. The Marimekko-Concept store in Silver Spring is owned by H&A Enterprises LLC an independent retailer of Marimekko that recruits interior and fashion designers to create the merchandise that is sold with the Marimekko concept in mind. Marimekko itself has its main stores in Finland, Sweden and Germany. It also has four stores in the United States and many other store locations in exotic places abroad. Some retailers and boutiques such as Crate&Barrel carry the Marimekko brand in their stores. The theme of the store is based on different floral and fruit design patterns; but also boasts ingenuity in using simple, yet fashionable prints. As well as having a boutique on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, you can shop online and view their complete Spring 2007 collection. I have posted part of the Spring Collection and some of their merchandise for review on my blog "Of Fashion" at http://offashion.blogspot.com. I also encourage you to visit the store whenever you are in the D.C. Metro Area. You can visit their websites and blog: www.marimekko.com www.marimekkowashingtondc.com www.marimekkodc.blogspot.com"

Marimekko Fashion - It's Not (Only) Your Mother's Tasaraita

Hallmarks of Finnish Design: Where The Past Is Present and the Present is Fresh



Source: The Washington Post Online, By Lucian Perkins, June 2005

Marimekko Concept - It's All Under One Roof

“The Marimekko Corporation in Finland not only sparked a revolution in pattern making but also pioneered a new definition of fashion that embraced the entire home environment.” From Marimekko: Fabrics ~ Fashion ~ Architecture, 2003, Marianne Aav, Ed.

Marimekko Concept Stores differ from other shops that sell Marimekko or Marimekko licensed products. Concept Stores feature Marimekko exclusively, and they represent both their continuing classic and seasonally-rotating interior decoration, clothing, and accessory products. Concept Stores also lead in the presentation of fabrics and ready-made products that feature the textiles and designs of Marimekko pioneers (think Maija Isola, Annika Rimala, and Vuokko Nurmesniemi) alongside the work of the award-winning "young designers" (witness Maija Louekari, Samu-Jussi Koski, and Anna Ervammaa). Together, Marimekko continues a 50+ year legacy of identifying and presenting the work of artists whose talent, taken together, enhances the rich history that distinguishes the Marimekko brand. U.S. Concept Stores are located in Cambridge, Miami, and, now, . . . DC.

It's Time - Marimekko Washington DC Region

Monday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm
Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
8519 Georgia Avenue
The Corner of Georgia and Ellsworth Avenues
Directly Across from the Discovery Headquarters
Downtown Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-4705
MarimekkoWashingtonDC.com

We loved it in the sixties, straight through the seventies, and here it is - a new millenium, and it's still more than a cut above. The first Washington, DC area Marimekko® Concept Store, located in Downtown Silver Spring Maryland, is a place to browse and shop for items of distinction, and it also serves as source to cultivate a lifestyle look and feel that conveys a sense of depth, quality, and individuality.

The Downtown Silver Spring Marimekko® is stocked with both the Marimekko® of Finland continuing classics as well as the seasonal European fashion and accessory collections for men, women, and children. It features well over 100 of their trademark fabrics in addition to a comprehensive presentation of Marimekko® home fashions, handbags, and accessories. The store also offers tailoring, made-to-order home furnishings, and interior design services. Since its inception in 1951 Marimekko® has built a lifestyle brand that both preserves its historical roots and internationally recognizable patterns while embracing the work of young designers of distinction.
______________________

Like A Good Neighbor

Get up, get up, do something . . . www.downtownsilverspring.com . . . The first of the Marimekko Washington, DC area Concept Stores is opening this April [that would be 2007!). You'll find us at directly across from the Discovery Headquarters, at the corner of Georgia and Ellsworth Avenues in Downtown Silver Spring. Follow your nose to CakeLove and keep your eye out for the AFI and you've found us.

Not Your Average Company: Framing Design Within Its Historical Context

All families have their ups and downs. But the lucky ones stay strong out of shared values, acceptance of change, and the history that ties them across generations. So what's this got to do with a store? Because it matters to us that Marimekko has history, has founding principles, and has Kirsti Paakkanen as its current president, someone who is more-than-ably fulfilling founder Armi Ratia's belief in the "Marimekko lifestyle."

The Principles and Evolution of "A Different Kind of Company"

Since its inception in 1951 Marimekko has built a brand that both preserves its historical roots and internationally recognizable patterns while embracing the work of younger designers of distinction.

Finnish design - which was defined by the International Triennales of 1951 and 1954 - gained momentum in the aftermath of World War II in part as a response to the grey hues (and general bleakness) that dominated wartime Finland. The company was founded by Armi and Viljo Ratia, whose factory used hand silk-screen printing techniques. While fabric production is now in large part automated, the company's production processes absolutely preserve the hand-crafted quality for which the company is known. Under the direction of Ratia, Marimekko turned its back on florals* and figurative patterns, opting to build a collection based on the abstract graphic designs of artists from the Ateneum School of Art. Among those plucked from Ateneum were Maija Isola for interior textiles, and Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi for printed designs, including clothing.

Marimekko's textile patterns reflect Finland's seasons and landscape and a more general Scandinavian appreciation for nature. Their patterns also strongly reflect the boldness and saturated colors associated with contemporary graphics and modernity. The designs of the 1950's included simple, small stripes and black and white nature-inspired graphic prints; the 60's featured op-art and oversized flowers; variations on early designs using different shades and scales prevailed during the next two decades. It was, principally, the introduction of Fujiwo Ishimoto's prints and Jukka Rintala 's clothing in the early '90s, that initiated a renewed sense of energy and vigor.

While starting with simple dresses to highlight the varying uses of fabric, the vision of its founder was never that of a fashion house. She stood for a lifestyle that reflected both her interpretation of the "ideal society" and her own fervently-held sensibilities. [In one interview, Armi Ratia stated that she did not like ". . . hats, corsets. There is almost no more bra or even pants--no elegant woman will wear stockings, perhaps even no shoes.] "The world changes quickly, and this is expression of the new society."

Family ownership ended in 1985. After a period of marked by a need for repositioning, a company owned by Kirsti Paakkanen (Workidea Oy) acquired Marimekko. Paakkanen has since expanded and, some would assert, revived the brand. She has enabled Marimekko to reach a world-wide audience yet ever mindful of the company's founding principles and the import of preserving Marimekko's identity, even while adding innovations. Simply put, the company's innovations and instantly and permanently recognizable print designs are, in and of themselves, one of the perpetuating hallmarks of modernity. Its lifestyle concept that emphasized simplicity, comfort, and timelessness is perpetuated - and ever relevant - to this day.

*Worth a note: while Armi Ratia had turned her back on florals, Maija Isola, ever independent, still designed the Unikko flower - bold and fresh in accordance with Ratia's vision, but an interpretation of floral design nonetheless.

Source: Marimekko Within Its Historical Context, By Marni Frankel, President & CEO, Honfleur Home, LLC and H&A Enterprises, LLC, February 2007

Moments Along The Long & Winding Road

[At right: Kyle McGowan, IT Director & graphic artist extraodinaire; Angie Baker, Senior Buyer and Vendor Relations Manager.]