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In the 1970s, Marimekko introduced simple ment and the systematic implementation of company’s future. A new state-of-the-art business idea drew on the ideals of this exci- In 2004, Kirsti Paakkanen, President everyday clothing in subtle designs, such as new ideas. printing machine and screen-making equip- ting and impulsive era and combined a strong of Marimekko, was named as the Ernst & the small-patterned shirts, dresses and unisex Marimekko has consistently nurtured and ment were acquired for the company’s textile belief in the future with freedom, joy and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” in Finland. clothing created by Pentti Rinta. Marimekko’s refined its operations in line with the basic printing factory in Helsinki. By modernising power of creativity. However, the business idea Paakkanen represented Finland in the “World printed textiles division gained a versatile new philosophy of its business idea. The image of its printing production, the company gained was also built from daily realities. Entrepreneur of the Year 2005” competition in designer in 1974 when Fujiwo Ishimoto joined the Marimekko brand is bright. The company’s greatly needed additional capacity. Moreover, Monte Carlo in May. the company. The production of the still-popu- product profile is distinct, strengthening the the new machines and equipment will give achievements lar canvas bags also began in the 1970s. brand’s image. The international respect given Marimekko’s designers more latitude for bring- Marimekko has claimed its place in the History Armi Ratia’s passing in October 1979 her- to the products has increased its brand recog- ing their ideas to life. values of each successive era through con- In 1951, Armi Ratia joined Printex, a textile com- alded a period of uncertainty. In the early nition. Marimekko has recently also entered into trolled brand building that reflects the spirit pany which her husband Viljo had acquired in 1980s, Marimekko still thrived. The most suc- Marimekko has three product lines: cloth- several new licensing agreements. Nordic of the day, choosing on its own the direction 1949. Armi asked her friends to create distinc- cessful designs at that time were Fujiwo ing, interior decoration, and bags. Marimekko’s walking poles, manufactured by the Finnish for its operations. Marimekko has become suc- tive fabric patterns for Printex, which resulted Ishimoto’s multifaceted fabric collections, ready-to-wear collections offer high-quality, company ONE WAY Sport Oy, represent an cessful by developing and renewing itself with in boldly coloured, non-figurative designs that Pentti Rinta’s bold dress patterns and the new functional clothing for different age groups entirely new product area in Marimekko’s an open mind, relying on its own strengths. revolutionised the entire tradition of textile knitwear line created by Marja Suna. In early and occasions, including elegant business licensing. Other new licensed products include As the company’s business operations printing. People admired the new, unique fab- 1985, Marimekko was sold to Amer Group Ltd. suits, comfortable leisure wear, outdoor jackets lampshades made by Le Klint A/S in Denmark have evolved, the Marimekko brand has gained rics, but they did not quite know how or where In the spring of 1991, Amer approached and coats, and exclusive evening wear. as well as baby bottles and pacifiers manufac- new content and added value. Marimekko’s to use them. To show the potential of the fab- Kirsti Paakkanen and offered her a job as The main products of the interior decor- tured by the Finnish company Berner Oy. success in different eras has stemmed from rics, the Ratias decided to make a small collec- President of Marimekko, which at the time was ation line are printed cotton and linen fab- how well the company’s identity and opera- tion of clothes. A separate company was also a loss-making business. Paakkanen declined rics. The collections also include a variety of promotion tions have meshed with reality. The business established to produce the clothing line. The the job offer, but agreed to buy Marimekko ready-made goods such as kitchen and table- Marimekko’s basic strategy involves maintain- idea and the product concept which form the company was named Marimekko. when, in September, Amer offered to sell the top products, bed linen and bathroom textiles. ing superior and innovative design expertise essence of the Marimekko brand have provid- The first Marimekko apparel was designed company to her. She felt a patriotic urge to Marimekko’s rich world of textile patterns, as a factor that strengthens competitiveness. ed virtually unlimited scope for business oper- by Riitta Immonen. The fresh and colourful col- save Marimekko. Her first step was to strip own printing production and profound design At Marimekko, designers are at the top of the ations. The factors affecting the brand’s value lection was received with great enthusiasm away bureaucracy and to establish a working expertise provide the interior decoration line organisation, and all products are labelled and the stature have also changed with time. amidst the greyness of the post-war era. The environment in which creativity could flourish. with excellent avenues for developing new with the designer’s name. The designers are Marimekko alone is responsible for its brand- most influential designer contributing to the The key strategic plan was to create distinctive products. also actively engaged in the marketing of their building efforts. By internalising this chosen creation of Marimekko’s distinctive clothing and profitable designs. Marimekko’s bag line features a large products. concept, Marimekko has been able to guide its line and its industrial production was Vuokko After six months under Paakkanen’s lead- choice of bag models for a variety of uses: Marimekko mainly advertises in maga- business down the right road. Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, who joined ership, Marimekko started to make profit. tote bags, briefcases, rucksacks, shoulder bags, zines and newspapers. The focus of other pro- At Marimekko, the company’s own manu- Marimekko in 1953 to design Thanks to Paakkanen’s visionary strategy, mobile phone cases, purses and cosmetic bags. motional activities is on event marketing. Each facturing operations have always played a clothes and fabrics. During Marimekko returned to the market stronger The bags are mainly made of cotton canvas, year, Marimekko organises a variety of public vital role in the design process. Marimekko has her time, the Marimekko than ever. Today, Marimekko is a globally recog- nylon or leather. Some classic designs have events with free fashion shows and exhibi- three factories of its own, all of which are in name became synonymous nised and successful company, and it is quoted been in production for over thirty years. tions of interior decoration products. Finland: textile printing in Helsinki, a clothing with industrial art and the on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. factory in Kitee and bag production in Sulkava. culture of dressing. In in- New designers have joined Marimekko, recent developments brand Values Market In addition, Marimekko outsources products terior fabrics, Maija Isola and the product range has been expand- Marimekko design has been widely show- One of the main strengths of the Marimekko Marimekko Corporation, established in 1951, from both Finnish and foreign suppliers, and was a similar trendset- ed. The additions include the business- cased at international design events and exhi- brand is the diversity of the qualities associ- is a leading textile and clothing design com- Marimekko products are also manufactured ter. She joined Printex as a wear line designed by Ritva Falla and the bitions over the past few years. An extensive ated with it. To some customers, Marimekko pany in Finland. Its operations are based on under license in Finland, the US, Japan and designer of printed textiles menswear collections by Matti Seppänen. retrospective exhibition, entitled “Marimekko: means exceptional colours, bold patterns and the Marimekko concept, which is derived from Denmark. in 1949 and stayed with Marimekko’s current team of clothing Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture”, has been tour- avant-garde visions, while others experience the brand and represents the company’s life- Marimekko owns 25 retail outlets in Marimekko until 1987. designers also features Samu-Jussi Koski, ing the US and Europe since November 2003. it as classic, elegant and refined. High quality, style thinking. Finland and one in Sweden. The shops have an Marimekko began its Jaana Parkkila, Mika Piirainen and Jukka Thanks to the high visibility generated by aestheticism and unique design are attributes The Marimekko brand was born in an extensive product range and a visual image export operations in the late Rintala whilst Fujiwo Ishimoto and Kristina the various events, the profile of Marimekko that most customers probably attach to the era of global reconstruction. At the time, the reflecting the brand. There are also about 130 1950s. The company’s global Isola are the chief designers of interior fab- design and its worldwide recognition have Marimekko brand. world looked ahead to a gleaming future full independent Marimekko retailers in Finland. breakthrough started in 1960 rics. At the beginning of the 21st century, increased dramatically. of dreams and opportunities and people were Some 1,000 foreign retailers sell Marimekko after Jacqueline Kennedy Marimekko has also re-launched a large vari- In 2004, Marimekko made a significant open to new and fresh ideas. Marimekko’s products across the globe; the Marimekko purchased seven Marimekko ety of fabric designs by Maija Isola. investment that has a major bearing on the THingS you didn’T know ABOUT… brand is registered in 58 coun- dresses. In the heat of the tries. The largest export mar- US presidential campaign, the products Marimekko kets in 2004 were Sweden, the press followed every step of the There is no physical product at the innermost • Under Kirsti Paakkanen’s management, US, Japan, Norway, Germany candidates and their spouses.

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