MARIMEKKO: PRINTS AND COLORS

Marimekko's textiles have been a longtime favorite, and a visit to one of their stores is always a treat. According to the Marimekko Timeline, long live patterns and long live colors. The brand was built on the bold florals of the 1960's, and evolved over the years with diverse designers.

According to the company, "The name Marimekko is a play on words, yet completely descriptive. 'Mari' is an anagram of the first name of the company's founder, Armi Ratia, while 'mekko' means 'dress' in Finnish. And it was indeed Mari's dresses that started it all in 1951. 

The most iconic Marimekko pattern is Unikko, or Poppy. The splashy print came about after Armi Ratia announced that Marimekko did not manufacture floral prints. Maija Isola, always the trailblazer and rabble-rouser, designed Unikko as a protest against Ratia’s statement. The result was the bold, powerful and unapologetic flowers of Unikko. Unikko is easily the most recognizable symbol of Marimekko and its popularity has not dwindled over the years. New color waves are created every year, continuing the legacy of Isola’s brilliant design."

I came across this fun, brief history of Marimekko on Apartment Therapy.