Further Reading

A mighty Finnish design era came out of the rubble of WWII and was granted decisive impetus by the International Triennial's of 1951 and 1954 which clearly set up the concept of Finnish design. By officially blending design into production, materials from Marimekko had achieved international consideration with their distinguishing of a select market receptive to the large Finnish design look.

Marimekko started in Finland in 1949 after buying Printex Oy, which was an oilcloth factory outside of Helsinki. Armi and Viljo Ratia started the company and it is known for the production of the highest quality textiles for clothing and home furnishing. They brought back the old technique of silk-screen printing by hand on cotton.

The procedure, which was known bya nonuniform outcome and recap lines, elicit a human feel to every design. Though building techniques were mechanized years ago, the business stays building hand-crafted value in its printing. Its work of attractive designs and regular fibers further upheld its liability to the Scandinavian empathy for nature.

Under the design direction of Armi, the company broke ranks with conventional Finnish textile designers and implemented a range of nonfigurative patterns, using abstract graphic designs of art colleagues. The first collection of simply cut dresses, introduced in 1951 in Helsinki, originated as a promotional vehicle for the company's printed cotton fabrics.

Wraparound and front buttoning articles of clothing were incorporated, bringing focus to the fabric instead of the styling of the garments. This collection was known as Marimekko, a combination of the old Finnish girl's name of Maria along with the term mekko, which is a tow shirt, open in the back and worn like a pinafore or apron. Since that time, "Maria's little dress" has grown to encompass items from home furnishing textiles to paper products, ceramics, rugs, wall coverings and even furniture (möbler).

Marimekko made a name for itself in the United States in the 1990's by licensing its products here. These products included fabric for interior design (inredning) such as wall coverings and rugs, as well as bed linens and much more. Their name is not as well known in America as many others are, but their designs are highly sought after. They have established a brand based on a simple classic look that is identifiable with the company.

A strong Finnish design movement emerged after World War II and was given decisive impetus by the International Triennial's of 1951 and 1954 which defined the concept of "Finish design." By formally integrating design into manufacturing, textiles from Marimekko acquired international attention through their identification of an exclusive market responsive to the strong Finnish design aesthetic. Since then "Maria's little dress" expanded into home furnishing textiles, with overseas licensing agreements (initiated in 1968) for wall coverings, bedding, decorative fabrics, paper products, table linens, kitchen ware, furniture (möbler), ceramics, glassware, rugs, and wall coverings. These products included fabric for interior design (heminredning).