Marimekko and Tangerine Tango go way back.

The world renowned color experts at Pantone have released their hand-picked “it color” for 2012, and the vibrant Tangerine Tango certainly doesn’t disappoint. Its official color name is PANTONE® 17-1463, but the worlds of fashion and design are going to be seeing it as so much more than that as the year unfolds.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Of course, this bold color has been around a lot longer than just the first of January, 2012. And Marimekko has been making use of its glowing aesthetic for years. Available on fabrics (specifically these two) and throw pillows, plates, and coin purses, Marimekko has loads of products that can help you incorporate this “it color” into your everyday life. Their spring line of clothing has Tangerine Tango peeking in and out of anything from women’s dresses to little boy’s t-shirts. Look hard enough and you’re sure to find a pop of Tangerine in any number of Marimekko items.

Marimekko's spring line has plenty of tangerine to go around.

So, what are you waiting for? Happy hunting.

Marimekko Hot Air Balloon - Balloon Fiesta

We came across these photos of a Marimekko hot air balloon at Balloon Fiesta! Check ‘em out.

All photos © rosenfeld via Flickr

Marimekko Hot Air Balloon - Balloon Fiesta

Marimekko Hot Air Balloon - Balloon Fiesta

Marimekko Hot Air Balloon - Balloon Fiesta

Marimekko’s beautiful Spring / Summer 2012 Collection on display at a wonderful fashion show in Tokyo, Japan.

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Marimekko Kuukuna by Jenni Tuominen

An early Halloween treat! This beautiful Marimekko print is Kuukuna by Jenni Tuominen. Described as “Jenni Tuominen’s Kuukuna pattern takes us on an autumn foray into silent woods to pick mushrooms. Picked far from the din of the city, fl avoursome milk-caps, black chanterelles, ceps and other delights are preserved at home in glass jars.”

Download in these sizes:
1280×1024, 1024×768, 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Download Wallpaper only:
1920×1200

Marimekko Fall / Winter 2011 Fashion Show

At the end of March, Marimekko’s autumn 2011 clothing collection hit the catwalk in Helsinki. In a huge industrial hall once used to build ships, designers Noora Niinikoski, Mika Piirainen and Mia Ohta strutted their talent in eclectic style. This season, they’d found inspiration in blogs, flea markets, Marimekko print archives and more.

As a fun surprise, the playful, pattern-rich designs in silk, cotton or wool were modeled by ordinary people. Here’s what the models were saying (below photos).

Marimekko Fall / Winter 2011 Fashion Show

Marimekko Fall / Winter 2011 Fashion Show

Marimekko Fall / Winter 2011 Fashion Show

Marimekko Fall / Winter 2011 Fashion Show

1) Rosa: “What an experience! I loved the collection – especially Jenni Rope’s pattern. Wonderful brushstrokes, lots of nuances, and a fascinating sense of asymmetry. Plus, strangle colors that somehow work together. My favorite piece of clothing was Vasara overalls.”

2) Terhi: “The show was really relaxed and I met a lot of interesting people. The mood was like Marimekko’s clothesL easy-to-approach and practical.”

3) Anna: “I feel tired, but happy. We were like a relay race team. In fact, we really came together as a team well and shared a bus from Marimekko’s headquarters to Herttoniemi to the show. It was easier to walk in front of an audience than in the rehearsal. My favorite piece was Noora Niinikoski’s Tivoli knitwear.”

4) Meri: “The show just happened! I liked how the audience was in a good mood. What I liked most was walking on the catwalk and the feedback you got after the show. I’m a little more relaxed now that the show is over. I’ll definitely buy something from this collection. I really like Noora Niinikoski’s Tivoli pattern and Jenni Rope’s print design.”

5) Laura: “This was a fun and exciting day. From the show, I remember best the Vasara overalls and the Maija dress made from the Muija print fabric. Marimekko has always been a part of my home. It’s a Finnish tradition.”

6) Natalia: “I have modeled before in school fashion shows. Now everything was more organized – we knew what we were supposed to do. The collection was super cool! The best ever. I got to get it.”

7) Veera: “A nice day! The best part was the show. The 70s –style pants made just for this show were adorable. Also, the skirt I modeled would be perfect for my wardrobe.”

8) Mikaela: “It feels good to be part of this show. I’m really happy. I also met so many new people. I love wearing my Tasaraita shirt and I also own several Marimekko party dresses.

9) Designers Mai Ohta and Noora Niinikoski and Mika Piirainen (bottom middle).

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Marimekko Interior

Marimekko from all over the world found on Flickr. Enjoy!

1. via danne_hki
2. via Saunaflow
3. via Jushih

Marimekko Unikko Umbrellas

Marimekko Korea

Meet New Marimekko Designer Astrid Sylwan

If you don’t know her yet, chances are you will soon. The designer of Marimekko’s most complex print to date, Vattenblänk blurs the line between paint and print. Designer Astrid Sylwan is a Belgian-born painter whose abstract works command attention with vibrant colors and layered patterns. Inspired by the poetic movement of water as it shimmers in the sunlight; Vattenblänk actually means “glittering water” in Swedish.

An artist who seeks to stir different emotional responses through her work, it took extreme skill and new printing techniques for Marimekko to translate her colorful painting into a fabric print that exuded the same qualities. As Marimekko says, “Astrid’s multilayered use of colours and exacting attention to detail meant that getting it half right was never an option. In fact, only a handful of textile printers in the world could have reproduced Astrid’s vision with the same commitment to artistic integrity…” Visually stunning, Vattenblänk is more like a work of art than an industrially manufactured product.

Marimekko Vattenblänk Fabric

Finding inspiration from within herself, Sylwan prefers that her prints evoke emotion instead of clear illustrative imagery. Her design process relies on finding the unexpected through the expected. “My working process is a mixture of total control and improvisation. I always start with a plan that goes wrong eventually. Even with the Marimekko prints, I found a new direction through experimentation.” Sylwan’s expressive vision aligns well with Marimekko’s encouraging creative atmosphere and her deliberate use of color and artistic integrity promise a fruitful partnership with Marimekko. See the AlwaysMod website for more products by Astrid Sylwan such as the Vattenblänk Throw Pillow, the Vattenblänk Fabric or the Irrbloss Serving Bowl.

Other Fun Facts About Astrid:

My first memory of Marimekko: When I was a small child my mother wallpapered my room in strong yellow striped wallpaper. She also painted my furniture in the same intense yellow and hang curtains with Maija Isola´s Unikko in navy blue, orange and yellow. I loved my room, it was as if the sun was always shining in there, an endless summer.

The word that best describes my creative philosophy: Work. You can’t think yourself to a good painting. Working, failing and finally getting there makes progress.

My greatest artistic influence: Artistic influences can be so overwhelming that they are hard to get past. An extraordinary exhibition can take weeks to recover from. I used to have artistic house gods but I don’t anymore. I try to search within myself.

The pattern I’m most fascinated with right now: Manhattan by Josef Frank.

Photos via: AlwaysMod.com

Marimekko Joonas Yoga Mat Bag

A purely remnant-inspired project, the idea for creating this Marimekko Yoga Mat Bag came after rummaging through our remnant fabric bin at work. Inspired after reading the Marimekko Surrur book, which walks you through countless inventive crafts sewn by Marimekko designers, I decided to create a sewing project out of an unused piece of Marimekko Joonas Upholstery fabric by Maija Isola.

With less than 1 yard of fabric and a discarded piece of Aalto black webbing (designed by Alvar Aalto, a famed modern architect and glassware designer from Finland). In 10 quick steps I’ll show you how to make a Marimekko Yoga Mat Bag that melds mod design with meditative spirit.

What you’ll need:

- ½ a yard of Marimekko Upholstery fabric

-1 yard of Aalto webbing (for the strap)

-yoga mat (I have a standard size mat from Target)

-sewing machine

-scissors

-pins

-pencil

Step 1: Measure your yoga mat. Roll up your yoga mat and measure the length, width and circumference. When rolled, my mat measures 24” L x 4” W with a circumference of 13”.

Step 1: Measure your yoga mat.

Step 1: Measure your yoga mat.

Step 2: Cut the circular-shaped bottom pattern piece. This piece should be slightly larger than the width of the bag. I made my bag an inch larger than my mat so add 2 inches to the bag’s width plus ½” for seam allowance and you should arrive at the diameter for your pattern piece. Use a protractor to draw the circle or I had a plastic container the same width so I traced it to get an even circle. My circle pattern piece is 6-1/2” in diameter.

Step 2: Cut the circular-shaped bottom pattern piece.

Step 3: Cut out the fabric. Use the dimensions of your mat and add 4-1/2” inches to get the length (1/2” for seam allowance & 4” for the top drawstring loop) and add 3-1/2” to the circumference to get the width (1-1/2” for seam allowance & 1” to allow adequate room for your mat to slide in and out).  My fabric measures 28-1/2” L x 16-1/2” W.

Step 3: Cut out the fabric.

Step 4: Press the seams. Wrong side facing up, press a ½” seam along the length of the fabric. Also press a 2” seam along the top end (this will create the loop through which you’ll put the drawstring.

Step 4: Fold the seams.

Step 4: Press the folded the seams.

Step 5: Sew the top. Wrong side facing up, sew the top (about ½” from the edge) to create the drawstring loop. See image.

Step 5: Sew the top.

Step 5: Top is sewn & edges have been pressed.

Step 6: Pin the straps. Working on the right side of the fabric, pin the Aalto webbing strap to the fabric. The bottom strap should be 2” from the bottom & the top strap should be 1” from the top seam. Note: Make sure to match-up the seams you made in step 4.

Step 6: Pin the straps.

Step 6: Straps are pinned & seams match

Step 7: Sew the length of the bag. Bringing the right sides of the fabric together, sew along the edge. Note: when sewing this you will be trapping the strap inside the tube you are creating.

Step 7: Length of the bag sewn, straps are now in place.

Step 8: Pin the bottom: Step 8 & 9 will probably the most difficult part. Match up the edges with the right sides together and uses as many pins as you need to secure the bottom.

Step 9: Sew the bottom to the tube. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Go slowly as you sew at this step, taking the pins out as you go. Note: I also zigzag stitched the edges of the bottom to reinforce the bag and to keep the upholstery fabric from unraveling.

Step 10: There is no step 10. Just turn your bag inside out and run a cord through the drawstring loop…done, you’re now ready to head to your next yoga class. Personally, I chose not to use a drawstring because I loved the clean and streamlined look of the Marimekko Joonas Fabric.

Step 10: Flip the bag inside out & head to yoga!

Step 10: A view from the top of the completed bag

Additional notes: If you’d like a slimmer or wider bag change the pattern as you see fit and heck, if you’re ambitious add a pocket to hold your personal items. Whatever improvement you choose, I hope this sewing project inspires your creativity. Happy sewing and Namaste.

Marimekko Yoga Mat Bag - Wear it over one shoulder

Marimekko Yoga Mat Bag - Wear it across your body

The countless color combinations of Marimekkko's Lumimarja fabric

That’s it; I’ve decided that Marimekko’s Lumimarja fabric wins the “most-popular” award this year. It seems that do-it-yourselfers consistently choose to re-vamp forgotten furniture, drab walls and plain tabletops with varying hues of Lumimarja-printed fabric and wallpaper. A perfect example of how this print can be used to its full potential, see how this salvaged wooden chair was recently revived with a piece of Marimekko Lumimarja Fabric, some elbow grease and re-upholstery know-how. The finished chair is stunning and full of renewed character, visit the link below to see the restoration step-by-step.

The salvaged chair - before Lumimarja

The Marimekko Lumimarja Re-Upholstered Chair - After

The Marimekko Lumimarja Re-Upholstered Chair - After

Finnish for “snowberry,” the popular pattern was created in 2004 by designer Erja Hirvi and adds elegance and understated modern style to anything it touches. Take a look at our past Lumimarja-themed posts to get more ideas for your own renovation project.

Recall the condo renovation with Marimekko Silver Lumimarja Wallpaper…

Condo renovation using Marimekko Lumimarja Wallpaper

or the re-upholstered ottoman…

Marimekko Lumimarja Ottoman

or the lovely green Lumimarja wall hanging…

Marimekko Lumimarja Wall Hanging

Photos via: I made it so… blog & our own Alwaysmod blog

Marimekko Uno Bag - Lukematon Collection

You can always count on Marimekko to create bold and modern prints but this season they’re playing it by the numbers, literally. The fall 2011 collection of bags feature an expressive pattern called Lukematon, which means “innumerable” in Finnish. Created by Marimekko designer Marjaana Virta, she re-purposes  numbers by completely filling her print with a jumble of digits to create a bold and energetic pattern where the numbers become an engaging, artful design.

The sporty silhouettes of these bags were designed by Mika Piirainen, whose eye for shape and comfort is unsurpased at Marimekko. Smart yet stylish, own an edgy piece of Marimekko design as the addictive collection of Lukematon bags are available in eye-catching colors such as hot pink or graphic black and white.

Check out the Uno and Etta Bag online at AlwaysMod.com

Marimekko Uno Bag - Lukematon Collection

Marimekko Etta Bag - Lukematon Collection