2

50 YE A R S O F U N I KKO

MA IJA I S O L A´S C L AS S I C PAT TER N WAS B O R N IN 1964

AF TER AR M I R AT IA , MAR IM EKKO´S F O U N D ER , HAD

AN N O U N C ED THAT MAR IM EKKO W O U LD N E VER P R IN T

A FLOW ER PAT TER N . MA I JA R EF U S ED TO O B E Y AR M I´S

O R D ER S AN D – IN P R OTEST – C R E ATED AN EN T IR E

S ER I ES O F G O R G EO U S FLO R AL P R IN TS . O N E O F TH EM

WAS U N IKKO (P O P P Y ) – N OW 50 Y E AR S YO U N G .

OVER TH E Y E AR S , U N IKKO HAS IN S P I R ED MAN Y O F U S .

I T HAS B EC O M E A STO RY O F C R E AT IV IT Y, STR EN GTH ,

C O U R AG E AN D FA ITH IN O N ES ELF.

I N 2014, W E W I LL B E C ELEB R AT IN G U N IKKO AR O U N D

TH E W O R LD – W ITH TH E J OY AN D EN ER GY B EF IT T IN G

TH I S I C O N I C P R IN T D ES I G N . F O LLOW TH E FEST IV IT I ES

O N O U R U N IKKO W EB S ITE AN D S HAR E YO U R OW N STO RY.

MAR IM EKKO.C O M/U N IKKO

#U N IKKO50

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54

Maija Isola, the creator of Unikko, was a vi-

sionary designer who blazed her own path. She

travelled extensively and lived in several coun-

tries during her lifetime. As much as in her work

as in other parts of her life, Maija shunned all

things conventional and predictable. Freedom

fuelled her passion for work: it was the fire and

inspiration behind her print designs and paint-

ings. The origin of the Unikko print shows how

Maija held onto her artistic integrity and was

prepared to defy authority.

Armi Ratia, the founder of Marimekko and

an ambitious textile designer in her own right,

sought to create modern patterns that would

match with contemporary homes and their new

streamlined furniture. For Armi, modern was

synonymous with an abstract design language, a

clear and unapologetic form factor, and carefree

simplif ication. Her vision represented a marked

departure from the delicate and cute floral pat-

terns common in Finland during the 1950s. No

wonder Armi opposed Maija Isola’s floral print

designs in 1964.

Yet Unikko showed that a flower could also

be modern. It embodied the spirit of the 1960s

flower power revolution, and had plenty of pro-

vocative self-expression. People were attracted

to Unikko’s bold colours and unusual dimen-

sions. And its full-bodied form had the same

sense of humour and exaggeration as Pop Art

– the dominant art movement of the era.

Unikko was greeted with a warm welcome

when it was launched in 1964. With the excep-

tion of a few ready-made products, it was sold

as a fabric by the metre. Finnish furniture manu-

facturers used Unikko in baby cribs, laminated

plywood sofa tables and oilcloth-upholstered

sofas.

Maija Isola was open-minded about the use

of her print designs. She liked the idea that her

patterns were sold by the metre and that people

could do whatever they wanted with the fabric.

She hoped that people would bring their own

meaning and purpose to her design work. Maija

especially enjoyed receiving letters in which

customers shared their joy and creativity with

her. And of her many patterns, Unikko is prob-

ably the one that has inspired people the most.

Magazine clippings from the 1960s show how

Unikko was finding its way into the lives of or-

dinary people. In their hands, Unikko became,

among other things, original clothing, lamp-

shades and even wallpaper.

Unikko’s immense success continued until

the beginning of the 1980s, when interest in

bold patterns and colourways began to wane.

Unikko lay dormant until the turn of the millen-

nium, when it started to enjoy a greater role in

Marimekko s collections. The revival came into

full bloom, when Marimekko’s young fashion de-

signers started using classic fabric patterns in

their design work. The first ready-to-wear Unik-

ko clothing was designed during this period.

In 2000, the newly launched Unikko cloth-

ing collection heralded the beginning of a

global Unikko boom – to which there seems

to be no end. The classic print has also blos-

somed in countless everyday products: Nordic

walking poles, rubber boots, televisions, mobile

phones, and computer mouses. Unikko’s grow-

ing presence in public spaces, homes and street

fashion has ushered in a new era of success for

Marimekko.

Today Unikko has established itself as one

of Marimekko’s most beloved classics – not only

in Finland but also around the world. This child

of the 1960s has grown into an admired adult,

whose future is full of life and colourful joy.

A MODERN CL ASS IC

76

ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y U N I K KO

sateen fabric

O I VA / U N I K KO

tableware

98

We photographed Unikko’s

anniversary collection in Kiasma,

Museum of Contemporary Art

in Helsinki.

5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y U N I K KO

fabrics

1110

U N I K KO

cushion covers

and fabrics

131 2

5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y

U N I K KO

sateen fabric

O I VA / U N I K KO

mugs

1 514

5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y U N I K KO

fabrics

16

The first Unikkos were printed

in red, blue and black. These classic

colourways rode with the f irst

wave of 1960s pop culture, when

Andy Warhol’s works inspired by

advertising and celebrity culture,

not to mention the swinging fashion

designers from London and the

Beatles, gave form to a new visual

dynamic. Pop culture also led to

a revolution in colour use:

conservative, broken colour

schemes gave way to a clear, bold

palette and large colour surfaces.

COLOUR 001 / 1964

COLOUR 002 / 1964

COLOUR 030 / 1964

U N IKKO HAS AS S U M ED A K ALE ID OS C O P I C R AN G E

O F LO O KS AN D G U IS ES IN TH E L AST 50 YE AR S .

S O M E T IM ES IT HAS B EEN FL AM B OYANT AN D

PL AYFU L ; OTH ER T IM ES CALM , G ENTLE AN D

FEST IVE . AN D E AC H O F TH ES E M O O DS HAS B EEN

AC H IE VED W ITH C O LO U R .

In fact, Unikko has blossomed in more than

eighty unique colourways over the years, each

conveying the mood and spirit of its own time.

Maija Isola, for her colourways, looked to weath-

er, contemporary cinema, art, music and even

news stories for inspiration. Wherever she trav-

elled, Maija carried along her notebook, writing

and drawing about interesting colour patterns.

Many of her notebooks are teeming with obser-

vations about weather conditions and natural

shades of colour.

UNIKKO: A LIFE

IN COLOURS

In the 1970s, the global oil crisis

and economic recession changed

the face of interior design: people

pined for the good old days and

a return to nature. Traditional

handicrafts and earth tones brought

desired warmth and cosiness.

The muted green and brown

Unikkos from that period went hand

in hand with the all-brown décors

of the 1970s.

COLOUR 009 / 1974

COLOUR 76 / 1974

COLOUR 97 / 1974

COLOUR 12 / 1966

COLOUR 31 / 1968

COLOUR 003 / 1968

Unikko was a wonderful way

for Maija to explore the impact

of colour on a print design.

Unikko would look different,

depending on whether the

selected colours accentuated

the petals or disk of the floral

design.

COLOUR 560 / 2011

COLOUR 580 / 2012

COLOUR 630 / 2006

In the 2000s, Unikko mirrored

bigger patterns of culture change

as lifestyles became increasingly

fragmented and varied. There

were more Unikko colourways

than ever before, and the original

print design experienced a radical

makeover with the introduction of

new colours. In 2002, Unikko was

printed on a colour background

for the f irst time. The same year,

Unikko was launched in pink and

light blue, which matched perfectly

with Maija Isola’s passion for

pastels. The first white Unikkos

were printed in 2009.

COLOUR 301 / 2002

COLOUR 556 / 2005

COLOUR 910 / 2009

Today Emma Isola, Maija’s

granddaughter, is responsible

for creating new Unikko colourways.

Her source of inspiration is Finnish

nature and its seemingly endless

range of colours. For example,

her Unikko colourway no. 560,

f irst seen in the 2011 spring

collection, captures the colourful

change of season as winter turns

to spring in Finland. You can see

the colours of the f irst flowers of

spring – anemones and coltsfoots

– glowing against a sky-blue

background. At the same time, her

Unikko colourway no. 580 faithfully

reproduces the many shades of

green you might f ind in a Finnish

pine forest.

232 2

MY FAVO U R ITE TH IN GS

A timeworn toy, an heirloom piece of silver

jewellery, the cretonne dress you find at the

back of the closet. Some things – by design or

luck – give birth to powerful emotional bonds,

evoking lasting memories of beloved people and

cherished moments. What kinds of memories

does Unikko awaken?

Since 1964, Unikko has delighted and thrilled

people around the world, regardless of culture

or passing trends. Finns in particular have al-

ways had a special rapport with Unikko – one

steeped in history and shared moments.

Today the best place to shed light on our

continuing relationship with Unikko is the Ma-

rimekko archive, where you can find countless

customer stories about the iconic print design.

These stories convey personal experiences and

open a window to a certain era and culture. Most

importantly, they show how objects can leave

imprints in our lives. Through these objects, in-

dividual experiences enter the realm of the col-

lective, joining us together in unexpected ways.

I N THE TU R N IN G P O INTS O F L I FE

Some of the earliest stories of Unikko paint

a picture of a dynamic generation living in the

social and political turmoil of the 1960s. No

wonder young Finns quickly embraced the rad-

ical print design as they set out to build a new,

wealthier society and a more just future. If any-

thing, Unikko gave pattern to the turning points

in young people’s lives. If you were in your

twenties in the 1960s, Unikko not only symbol-

ized the rite of leaving home but also the sense

of ecstasy that came with this new-found free-

dom. Many would spend the last of their money

on Unikko fabric and use it as a curtain or table-

cloth. Unikko would add a spark of inspiration

to an otherwise drab student accommodation

or a welcome touch of colour to a young cou-

ple’s first home. Unikko allowed people to be-

gin building their own identities with colour and

character.

With every new address or home, Unikko

would also follow in tow. It has been witness to

the many patterns of family life. Whenever there

was a wedding, graduation or christening, Finns

would proudly don Unikko dresses, gowns and

hats in celebration.

With the passing of years, the family’s origi-

nal Unikko print fabric, faded by sunlight or

worn threadbare, would be reborn as a pillow-

case, pot holder, patchwork quilt or rag rug.

U N IKKO U N ITES

For a long time, Finns, when travelling

abroad, could spot another Finn by a Unikko

dress or bag, largely because the iconic pat-

tern was not yet well known outside Finland.

Today Unikko is a global phenomenon, and its

UNIKKO IN

STORIES

2 524

popularity has travelled far beyond Finland. You

can bump into Unikko in the vibrant streets of

New York or Tokyo. You can even spot it in the

Australian outback. Unikko is a powerful mes-

sage, and if Marimekko is close to your heart,

the classic print represents something of a trib-

al emblem or symbol. When two Unikko people

meet unexpectedly, it’s the perfect moment for

a friendly chat or the beginning of a new friend-

ship.

In fact, it was just a few decades ago that

many Finns sewed their own clothes from Unik-

ko fabric, including maxi and miniskirts, suits

and bell-bottoms. These home-made garments

made more than a fashion statement. They com-

municated originality and a free-spirited take on

life. A Unikko girl would soon meet someone at a

party, because it was impossible to overlook her

flamboyantly colourful dress. Sometimes Unikko

was the first step to a lifelong relationship.

In the 2000s, Unikko experienced a second

coming and attention was drawn to the role of

family and togetherness in the Unikko stories.

At family reunions and get-togethers, Unikko

dresses would be worn like a football team’s jer-

sey.

GO O D BYE TO H O MES I CKN ESS

Like rye bread or salmiakki, traditional Finn-

ish salty liquorice, Unikko has always helped

Finns overcome moments of homesickness.

Whether studying abroad or working on assign-

ment in a foreign country, Finns have packed

2726

their suitcases full of Unikko. It was a part of

Finland – something that made the unfamiliar

feel like home.

FRO M O N E G EN ER AT I O N

TO TH E N E X T

If the 1960s generation look upon Unikko

with nostalgia, young people today see the

iconic pattern as an exotic window to an era that

appeals to them for its honesty and authentici-

ty. The retro-generations of the new millennium

appreciate the colourful fabrics passed down

from mothers and grandmothers. Frayed edges,

faded colours and small stains serve to highlight

the many emotions behind these heirloom fab-

rics. Perhaps they can even bring young people

closer to an admired lifestyle or their family’s

own story. For them, Unikko can be a visible re-

minder of their roots and a lasting statement of

who they are.

So whether we see Unikko as an heirloom

fabric or an exotic novelty, this beloved pattern

will continue to blossom in homes around the

world and inspire lifelong memories.

2 928

JOURNEYS WITH

UNIKKOI N THE L AST 50 YE ARS , U N IKKO HAS

TR AVELLED TO THE FAR R E ACHES O F THE WO R LD.

SO ME T IMES AS AN E XPECTED G U EST.

SO ME T IMES AS A W ELC O ME S U R PR IS E . O F TEN IT

HAS S H OW N U P FO R A FLEE T IN G M O MENT O R

THEN D EC ID ED TO STAY FO R A L I FE T IME .

YE T O N E TH IN G I S CER TA IN : W HER E VER IT GO ES ,

U N IKKO W ILL ALWAYS B E N OT I CED.

FLO W ER S I N M OT I O N

Miles or kilometres? Thousands of commuters in

Taiwan, Manhattan and Hong Kong have travelled in

busses and metros decorated with Unikko. Elsewhere,

too, Unikko has welcomed city travellers.

31

C O N V ER S E M A R I M EKKO

Fun sneakers that combine Converse’s iconic

footwear with Marimekko’s colourful patterns.

No wonder Unikko stepped into these shoes

almost right away.

BLOSSOM IN THE SK Y

In 2011, a hot-air balloon with the Unikko pattern

flew over Helsinki as part of Marimekko’s 60th

anniversary celebrations. The Unikko balloon has

also visited the United States.

3 33 2

FLY W IT H U N I KKO

In 2012, Marimekko and Finnair took to the skies

together. To symbolize the partnership, 36 Unikko

flowers were painted on a passenger jet flying

between Helsinki and Finnair ’s destinations in Asia.

3 53 4

EX

HIB

ITIO

N D

ES

IGN

: IMA

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ITE

CT

S. P

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S: N

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A &

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INC

.

IN A JAPANESE SHRINE

In spring 2013, Unikko and a host of other Marimekko

fabrics were on display at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

in Japan in an exhibition entitled The Warp and Weft

of Finnish Textiles.

3 93 8

PH

OT

OS

: AM

AN

DA

HE

ST

EH

AV

E

D R ES S ED I N U N I KKO

In August 2013, Teemu Muurimäki’s stunning

Unikko dresses were the grand finale at Marimekko’s

spring fashion show during Copenhagen Fashion Week,

the largest fashion event in the Nordic countries.

414 0

PEOPLE AND STORIES

I N TH E S P IR IT O F MA IJA I S O L A’ S E X AM PLE , 2014

I S A YE AR O F B O LD PER S O NAL IT I ES . PEO PLE W H O

ALLOW IN S P IR AT I O N AN D C R E AT IV IT Y TO TAKE TH EM

TO U N E XPECTED PL AC ES . W H O GO AG A IN ST TH E G R A IN ,

FO LLOW TH E IR IN ST IN CT S – AN D MAKE S O M E TH IN G

WO N D ER FU L HAPPEN FO R ALL O F U S .

PER HAP S YO U ’ R E O N E O F TH EM?

S HAR E YO U R STO RY: MAR IM EKKO.C O M/U N IKKO

O N THE FO LLOWIN G PAG ES YO U ’ LL F IN D F IVE STO R IES

O F W HY C O U R AG E MAT TERS .

Kirsti Paakkanen became the owner and

CEO of Marimekko in 1991. Prior to that, she

had had a distinguished career as the founder

and managing director of a successful ad-

vertising agency. Honorary doctorates were

conferred on her by the University of Art and

Design Helsinki in 2001 and by the Helsinki

School of Economics in 2006. Kirsti Paak-

kanen managed Marimekko until 31 January

2008.

Having sold my advertising agency, I ac-

quired a residence in France and decided to

settle there. I had hardly had occasion to ful-

f il an enduring dream of mine – of driving in a

convertible, chiffons and hair blowing in the

wind, through marvellous landscapes and simply

enjoying being alive – when a single telephone

call altered the course of my life: ’Marimekko is

yours’. The call followed negotiations I thought

had already broken down.

On the last page of my book of aphorisms my

mother wrote some advice I have always tried to

heed: ’Each day one should work a wonder!’ It

was of particular importance during the moment

on 28 September 1991, in the depths of the re-

cession, when I put my signature as buyer to the

Marimekko contract.

My work and life at Marimekko brought me

immense joy. I felt that I was of worth and that

I had something to give. Day-to-day happiness

is happiness supreme. Being able each day to

work a wonder.

Marimekko thrived because we believed in

the future and the power of working together.

We also had something truly special and unique

– a strong foundation and heritage on which to

build. And we had the world’s most beautiful

flower, Unikko.

KIRSTIPA AKK ANEN

4 342

J IN XING

With an accomplished and internation-

ally awarded dance career and having also

proven her versatile talents in theatre, film

and tele vision, Jin Xing has become a cultural

and social icon in her home country. Through

her talk show and her fan base in the blogo-

sphere with nearly a million followers, she has

a strong impact and she is one of the most

influential opinion leaders in China today.

In everything I have done, in my dance ca-

reer and in my personal life, I have trusted my

own way.

I like walking a path that nobody else has

walked before. It’s not always accessible, but

I can learn from failures. Slowly the path be-

comes a road, and there’s a free world in front

of me.

I have openness and curiosity in my heart

– a curiosity about the world. Like a flower: in

the springtime flowers come up and they don’t

know what is going to happen over the year. You

never know what will happen the next night.

Just let things come and let things go.

The turning point of my life, as a female art-

ist and as a woman, came with my family. Before

I became a mother, I had a different attitude to

the world. True reality brings you back to earth.

Once you have your feet on the ground, you

know what real life is. Real life and your imagi-

nation, your creativity, become one – you can’t

separate them.

Before I became a mother, I just wanted to

fly as a free bird. Now, when I am a mother, I

know why I fly. Freedom has substance now.

Marissa Mayer joined Yahoo as President &

CEO in July 2012. Prior to Yahoo, she worked

for 13 years at Google, where she held nu-

merous positions, including engineer, de-

signer, product manager, and executive, and

launched more than 100 well-known features

and products. Previously, Marissa worked at

the UBS research lab in Zurich, Switzerland

and at SRI International in Menlo Park, Cali-

fornia. She graduated with honours from Stan-

ford University with a BS in Symbolic Systems

and a MS in Computer Science.

Growing up, I was very, very certain that I

was going to be a doctor. When I was in college

I was doing biology and chemistry; I was good at

it but I wasn’t that excited about it.

Then I took my first computer science

course, and suddenly there was something that

really unlocked my creativity, my passion, and

meant a fundamental shift in my overall life

view. I realized that I wanted to be a part of it,

and so I changed my major.

It was in 1994 that I made that decision. But

a really amazing thing was yet to happen: the

Web. That wouldn’t happen for another whole

year, so no one had even really dreamt of the

enormous potential that symbolic systems and

computer science could have. Nor did I really

have any idea of what kind of profession I would

have, and what kind of contribution or impact I

would be able to make.

When Google was about a year old, I took

a trip to Switzerland and I saw the website on

someone’s screen. At that time no one in Swit-

zerland was supposed to know about Google.

When I saw that this little website I was work-

ing on with 20 of my friends was already being

used halfway around the world by people whom

we didn’t know, and who were really enjoying it

and learning from it, I realized the impact of the

internet and the impact that being involved with

computer science and technology could have,

and it made my decision so worthwhile.

MARISSA MAYER

4 54 4

NAOKOOGIGAMI

Naoko Ogigami is an internationally award-

ed Japanese film director. Educated both in

Japan and in the United States, she received

attention for her 2003 directorial debut Bar-

ber Yoshino (Yoshino’s Barber Shop), which

won a special mention at the Berlin Interna-

tional Film Festival. Her third film, Kamome

Shokudo (Kamome Diner), shot in Helsinki,

Finland, has enjoyed great success both do-

mestically and internationally.

Having got tired of the conservative Japan-

ese film industry, I asked my producer if I could

make a film abroad. Film-making is quite hard

work, so if I had to struggle, I wanted at least

to work freely and do something that nobody

had ever done before. I travelled to Finland

and made my film Kamome Shokudo (Kamome

Diner) there. On the premiere day, I instantly

forgot my struggles and was filled with a sense

of accomplishment when I saw the long lines of

people waiting to see the film.

SVANTE ÖQUIST

Svante Öquist is the editor-in-chief of the

Swedish edition of Elle Decoration magazine.

Prior to his current position, he worked for

several years as art director for Elle fashion

magazine as well as for Elle Decoration.

The year is 1995. I’m the art director for

both ELLE and ELLE Decoration, the latter hav-

ing started in Sweden three years earlier. Eva

Abrahamsson, a sort of iron lady, was then the

CEO of Hachette Sweden as well as the editor-

in-chief for the two ELLE magazines. At some

point she decided that enough was enough.

At the end of August 1995, Eva said to me:

‘Svante, we need to talk. You’ll be the new edi-

tor-in-chief for ELLE Decoration.’

My answer was very quick and very deter-

mined: ‘No, I will NOT – because I CAN not!’

Eva: ‘Yes, you CAN!’

I: ‘No, I CAN not. I prefer to be “just” an art

director, that’s my profession!’

Eva: ‘OK, sleep on it! But remember, the de-

cision is already made and it’s non-negotiable.’

A couple of months later Eva left the com-

pany and I became the new editor-in-chief for

ELLE Decoration.

Since that moment I’ve never, ever had the

slightest feeling of regret. I still love every sin-

gle day, and next year I will have been doing it

for 20 years!

S O M E S IX T Y Y E AR S AG O, TH E B O LD

C O LO U R S AN D U N C O N VEN T I O N AL PAT TER N S

O F TH E N E W LY ESTA B L I S H ED FAS H I O N

AN D D ES I G N H O U S E MAR IM EKKO

TR AN S F O R M ED TH E TE X T I LE IN D U STRY

IN F IN L AN D. TO DAY, O U R IN VEN T IVE ,

Y E T T IM ELES S D IALO G U E B E T W EEN C O LO U R ,

PAT TER N AN D S HAP E TR AN S L ATES IN TO

D I ST IN CT IVE D ES I G N S THAT C ELEB R ATE TH E

AR T O F P R IN T MAK IN G ALL OVER TH E W O R LD.

Marimekko Corporation

P.O. Box 107, FI-00811 Helsinki

Puusepänkatu 4, FI-00880 Helsinki

Finland

Tel. +358 9 758 71

Fax +358 9 755 3051

E-mail: info@marimekko.fi

www.marimekko.com