Marimekko Blog

Just in time for spring showers… save 20% on Marimekko Umbrellas. Brighten up a rainy day and look stylish too, over 35 colors/designs to choose from, for you or as a gift. 20% off Marimekko Rain Ponchos too.

*Sale price is limited to supply on hand, so get yours before it’s sold out.

Finland’s Olympic team was led by flag-bearer Juha Hirvi during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The female athletes on Finland’s Olympic team are proudly dressed in the Marimekko Pisaroi (drops) pattern – available at AlwaysMod in an umbrella, mini-umbrella and rain poncho. Photo 3 from REUTERS/David Gray

A graduate of the Lahti Institute of Design, Mika Piirainen has designed for Marimekko since 1994. Over the years, his versatile collections have included clothing for women, men and children and a variety of accessories, such as Marimekko bags, hats, clogs and Marimekko umbrellas.

Mika Piirainen, how would you describe your own style as a designer?
I seek uncluttered forms and I make bold use of colour. The keywords are practicality, originality and minimalism. I like both light and heavy natural materials.

Where do you find the ideas for the garments that you design?
They come from everyday life. An idea can be inspired for example by an interesting person in the street, a memory from the past, an experience from travelling, being outdoors in nature, listening to music or watching a movie.

What’s it like to design at Marimekko?
This place has excellent opportunities for designing on a broad scale. I’ve had the opportunity to design fashions, interior decoration products, bags, shoes…

What do you think is the most important quality of a fashion designer?
The most important thing is ”garment sense”, combining the aesthetic, practical and three-dimensional aspects with a feel for materials.

Are there any artists or designers whose views and works you particularly respect?
Among film directors, I could mention Alfred Hitchcock and Pedro Almodóvar. In Finnish design, my great idols are Rut Bryk and Marimekko’s legendary Maija Isola.

Who would you like to see wearing a garment designed by you?
I design for all, from babies to grand old ladies. My oldest customer is an elegant 104-year-old! Of movie stars, I could choose any one of the female characters in Almodóvar’s films.

Please describe yourself briefly?
I’m a social recluse, calm and with a sense of humour.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by silence, music, films and nature. I dream of travelling, being able to see all the countries of the world.

If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you do?
I’d be a gardener.

Just some of Mika Piirainen’s designs are below. Check our Mika Piiranen page for even more of his designs.

Yes! It’s time for our semi-annual Marimekko sale and this one is going to be out biggest ever! 100’s of Marimekko products are on sale including well over 200 Marimekko fabrics. Save on bags, bedding, bath, kitchen, home accents and much, much more now through July 15th. Hurry though, sale prices are limited to inventory on hand. This is our biggest sale ever, so there is not a better time to get the Marimekko designs you’ve been waiting on. Start saving now.

Who said florals were just for women? Unikko works for both women and men, as demonstrated by Michael Francis at the Unlock the Silence benefit event. His grey and black silk Unikko tie is both chic and sophisticated. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Monthly.

Recently we came across MODKID a boutique that specializes in funky, wearable clothing for girls 1-8 years old. Of course, what caught our eye is the collection made from Marimekko fabrics. The photo above and photos below are just a sampling of what is available. Looking to dress your child in something original, funky and chic? Head over to MODKID’s Etsy page for more information. A small selection of Marimekko Kid’s Clothing is also available at our website. Thanks to MODKID and Patty for sharing these great designs with us.

H&M designer Anna Teurnell and Marimekko designer Mika Piirainen dicuss the collaboration between H&M and Marimekko for the spring collection. Included is a brief background on the Marimekko Joonas print.

Love our Marimekko umbrellas but wish they could fit inside your purse? Well, our new mini-umbrellas can do just that. When open, they are large enough to keep you protected from any downpour, but when closed, they are compact enough to fit inside a purse or tote. Available in a variety of patterns from Omena to Pisaroi.

Thank you to Anna for sharing her trip to h&m with us:

I went to the Mall of America on Friday, April 11, the opening day of the Marimekko collection at h&m. The bright colors of Marimekko were located front and center in the store. No men’s clothes in sight, and far less of the women’s line than I had seen at hm.com. However, everything I was interested in was luckily to be found.

I tried on all the t-shirt styles and short dresses. I had been expecting the clothes to be billowy and not form-fitted based on the pictures I had seen, but it was still surprising to try on a baggy XS shirt. The purses were cute, as were the sarong/scarves.

I ended up buying the black and white Joonas mini-dress, which has 3 buttons up the back of the dress that give it extra character. It looks so 1960s and I got so many compliments on it already. A close runner-up was the orange and pink dress. I choose the black and white one instead because it fit a bit better, but I would have gotten both if I had had the money! I’m planning on going back and getting one of the bathing suits too.

Even though there wasn’t as much choice as there could have been, I was not disappointed. Not sure if they’ll be getting other styles or menswear later on, but I would highly recommend stopping at h&m to check it out anyways!

-Anna

Well, everyone has been waiting…here is a peek at the H&M Marimekko Spring 2008 Collection from New York Magazine. Available in stores soon. What do you think?

More information available at H&M.