Bold and minimalist. Clean lines. Function as well as form. Large-scale prints with memorable color palettes, reflecting the colorful houses and buildings that dot the Finnish landscape, a place that is cold and snowy for large parts of the year. That is Marimekko.
Discovering Marimekko
I discovered Marimekko about 30 years ago through, naturally, their most famous pattern, Unikko. I was in love. But I was also very put off by how much Marimekko’s items cost. Back then, their patterns were on a more limited number of products. Clothing, bedsheets, and even fabric yardage were available, but being a high-end name using high-quality fabric, I only managed to afford one yard of fabric once when it was on sale. I made a skirt out of it and still have it to this day.
But it seems I am not the only one who yearned for more affordable ways to have items that reflect my taste, as Marimekko patterns can now be found on a much wider variety of products.
Marimekko’s Origins
Marimekko is a Finnish brand that began in the textile industry and later expanded into women’s fashion. Their designs are bright, colorful, fun, and timeless, their clothes comfortable and simple but bold, feeling as fashionable and relevant now as they did at their start in 1951.
The company has had multiple designers working for them over time, each bringing their own flavor of bold design. Unikko, as a pattern, didn’t arrive on the scene until 1964, but it is usually the pattern that people think of when they think of Marimekko, me included. This beautiful poppy design puts the oversized petals front and center, making the bloom the star of the show. Many of Marimekko’s other patterns also reflect the organic shapes of nature, referencing a connection to the outdoors.
Marimekko had a brand revival in the 1990s, which is when I first learned about them. There was a new generation of people to appeal to, but the company worked hard to keep their focus on quality and durability, as well as on sustainability, both in their practices, and in the more slow-fashion of their own clothes.
Marimekko Today
Marimekko’s style has inspired countless others to create similarly bold and organic designs, including IKEA, which has made fabric for years (to which my fabric stash can attest) at a much more affordable price point, though IKEA’s fabric types are less versatile. Many other companies are finding new ways to reach consumers too (KFC has been especially creative with this), putting their names and/or designs on a wider variety of products than ever before.
For Marimekko, much to my benefit, that includes their designs showing up on some stationery and desk items, which are considerably more affordable than high-end clothing fashion and allow one to enjoy these designs on a more ongoing basis than an outfit or two would allow.
I recently was sent a couple of samples where they teamed up with publisher Chronicle Books for some products that have been successful for Chronicle Books in the past, namely the One Line a Day journals and the boxes of 100 Postcards.
(This isn’t the first time that Marimekko has partnered with Chronicle Books, but the One Line a Day journals are a new combo, and the postcards are a new version of the collaboration.)
One Line a Day Journals
The Marimekko One Line a Day journals come in two different styles, both Unikko, both the red style that drew me to Marimekko in the first place, and the blue colorway, which I also adore. As with all other One Line a Day journals, these have pages for January 1 through December 31, with five sections per day where you fill in the year, then write your short entry. One journal lasts for five years, and includes a ribbon to mark your place. You can begin on January 1, but you could technically start any day of the year.
I’ve been keeping a One Line a Day journal for the past 12+ years. I’m on my 13th year of writing one long sentence or several short sentences each day about what I’m up to. It takes very little time, and it’s quite fun to look back on previous years’ entries. It’s amazing how often patterns emerge! These journals are also great for even sporadic journal keeping, as they’re affordable and last for five years. And, because you are meant to use these journals for such a long time, I have found them to be quite sturdy.
Journals that last five years are not a new concept, however. I have a couple that my great-grandmother kept in the early 1900s, containing mostly commentary on social engagements, but also entries that spanned when my grandmother was born and was a newborn. It was also notable to see what my great-grandmother wrote down and when she stopped writing before she died in 1918 in the flu epidemic. I can only hope that my descendants will also read about the mundanity and excitement of my own life.
100 Postcards Boxes
The Marimekko postcard box provides a wide range of the company’s illustrations for a great price. And, you get 100 of them, so you can keep your favorites while mailing out the rest. You could even frame some that you especially like. When I send out these and other postcards, I have fun matching patterns and designs with recipients, trying to find something that might speak to them. With such a large stack of postcards to choose from, it’s pretty easy to do, as well as having 100 different designs to enjoy before mailing any out.
Conclusion
If you, like me, are often sad that children get the most interesting, fun, and colorful clothes and accessories, check out Marimekko’s style, and bring some color and whimsy into your life, either through their clothing, or through some of their affordable and accessible partnerships such as Chronicle Books’s One Line a Day journals and boxes of 100 Postcards. Marimekko offers something for everyone’s budget, and these two options are only about $20 each.
Note: I received a couple of samples for review purposes.
