Marimekko is one of the reasons I love to go to Helsinki. I have been sewing with their colourful fabrics for nearly 40 years. When I was in Helsinki in May they had just celebrated their 60th birthday. They must be doing something right.
the 60th birthday party table
Marimekko was founded in 1951 by Viljo and Armi Ratia. The company has become known for its bold, colourful patterns used on fabrics, dinnerware and home decoration. Jacqueline Kennedy made Marimekko popular in America when she wore their dresses on the 1960 Presidential Campaign.
a Marimekko table set with Iitala glass
Under the current CEO Marimekko has spread all over the world, taking their brightly coloured designs far and wide.
the fun new Marimekko store in Helsinki
I liked the print in the window so much I bought enough for my long outdoor table at home. It was used for the first time today when I invited my young friend from Sardegna for lunch.
getting ready for lunch
say hello to Rossella
I'm a Marimekko fan
The next photo has nothing to do with Marimekko. For dessert I made the Campari and vanilla mandarin tart from the Delicious magazine (Australia, September issue). It was a bit fiddly, but the result was worth it. Take a look.
Campari and vanilla mandarin tart
The recipe was for 6 small tarts, but I made one big one. Give it a go. Look on page 91 for the photo and 95 for the recipe.
Stunning fabrics – love the bold, colourful designs. Wish I’d learned how to sew and such-like…. Sigh….
By: Reggie on September 18, 2011
at 6:48 am
Marimekko make such happy prints and the colours are wonderful.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:25 am
Oh yes I remember so well when we could first buy Marimekko dresses for children in the seventies in Brisbane – it was wonderful quality , eye catching, and expensive – never wore out – My daughter’s dress was then lovingly handed on to another little girl.
Di
By: dianne Cant on September 18, 2011
at 7:12 am
I made curtains from Marimekko fabric in the 70s. I still have the fabric.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:26 am
I would love to go to that Marimekko shop!!! Your lunch table looks great – as does the mandarin tart!!!
By: Alison on September 18, 2011
at 7:21 am
You would love the Marimekko shop in Helsinki. I never leave without a new piece of fabric.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:27 am
I love Marimekko simply for its eye-catching designs. Spied the wonderful herb pots outside the Marimekko shop and assume these are included in the designs. Love the way you displayed the fabrics in your courtyard, Deb, also the scrumptious-looking mandarin tart. Bet it tasted just as good!
By: Sandra H on September 18, 2011
at 8:17 am
The mandarin tart was indeed delicious.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:28 am
I love Marimekko too – they have fantastic designs! Your Marimekko outdoor design looks beautiful! A bit like many homes and summer places in Finland!
By: Minna on September 18, 2011
at 9:02 am
I have a bit of a collection of Marimekko fabric waiting to be turned into something.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 9:18 am
Love the fabrics and love the tart.
By: Liz Golding on September 18, 2011
at 10:10 am
I’ll have to make one for you one day.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 10:35 am
I had Marrimekko curtains in my nursery when I was a baby circa 1959 – they reissued the print a couple of years ago but I can’t see it on their site today. It is imprinted on my psyche as only your nursery curtains can be. It has a little girl with apple shaped cheeks in a stripey dress on it amongst other things. My mother wore clothes by Marrimekko too. There’s a big revival of Scandi style going on here at the moment, the magazines are full of it. As for that tart, mmmmmm!!!!
By: Joanna on September 18, 2011
at 10:24 am
I love that some of the prints have been around for decades. My favourite is the stylised flower print. I may go a bit Marimekko in the Vergemoli house. The tart was excellent.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 10:35 am
Marimekko prints will never go out of fashion as they are excellent designs which do not date.
The tart looks delicious!!!!
By: Mulino Dominillo on September 18, 2011
at 11:22 am
Marimekko is very popular all over the world right now and has had a bit of a resurgence in Finland as well. There are Marimekko shops all over Finland.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 11:55 am
Wonderful I loved the colours… amazing. Thank you for sharing with us, with my love, nia
By: niasunset on September 18, 2011
at 11:38 am
Marimekko is a lot of fun.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 11:54 am
The Marimekko shop looks amazing. There was a shop here now sadly closed that sold some Marimekko, I bought a bedspread there which is strewn with large flower like the ones on the green cushions on your bench except the flowers on my bedspread are red, just looking at it cheers me up. Your outdoor eating area looks fab and the tart looks delicious.
By: Just Add Attitude on September 18, 2011
at 11:56 am
I see a bit of Marimekko in Italy, not the fabric, but some of the accessories and some homewares. That flower print is one of my all time favourites. I think D & G used it last summer.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 12:00 pm
Finland has some really great designers. I do love Scandinavian design in general but Finnish design is something lovely indeed 🙂
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on September 18, 2011
at 12:15 pm
Helsinki is the design capital for 2012. I need to find out a bit more about this. I’ll be there soon.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 12:20 pm
Oh those prints are really gorgeous, i love big bold colours like that and your table looks wonderful.. I am not really UP on what is fashionable now that i live out here in the midwest and so am very envious of your shopping! c
By: ceciliag on September 18, 2011
at 12:31 pm
Marimekko is always around. The designs and colours are fun and happy and I think this is why it is popular. It is almost beyond fashion.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:50 pm
Marimekko have always had amazing colours and prints. I remember visiting their Sydney shop in Queen St a lot in the 70’s. That’s aging isn’t it!
By: Jenny@A Taste of Travel on September 18, 2011
at 12:53 pm
There is nothing wrong with remembering the 70s.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:52 pm
Thank you for this. I am a huge fan of Marimekko.
By: Charlotte on September 18, 2011
at 1:10 pm
Their prints are so cheerful, how could you not love them?
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:52 pm
Beautiful!
By: ElenaSC on September 18, 2011
at 1:51 pm
She is beautiful.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:53 pm
I do believe I had a Marimekko sun-dress made for me by my mother in the 70s – it’s bringing back some lovely memories 🙂
Just located a store in Edinburgh that sells Marimekko products. I do believe that I shall be raiding it sometime after next week 😉
Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
By: Lu on September 18, 2011
at 1:53 pm
They possible have the same print as you wore then.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:53 pm
The company where I for years was one of the first in the US to carry Marimekko. I have lots of their fabric that I use as tablecloths and I just unearthed a whole box filled with various Mekko wallpaper!
By: paninigirl on September 18, 2011
at 2:05 pm
Lucky you!!
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:54 pm
Interesting designs!
Certainly they have been doing something right after 60 years.
The tart looks sooo good!
By: maru on September 18, 2011
at 2:48 pm
The tart was very good.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:54 pm
The prints are nice & colorful! It’s amazing how you can just plan a trip to Helsinki just to shop. I’m so jealous, hope I’ll live in Europe someday too. I’m so in love with it 🙂
By: Shivya on September 18, 2011
at 4:13 pm
I travel between Australia and Italy twice a year. I usually fly Finnair. I really like the airline and a bonus is that I get to stop in Helsinki along the way. Australia is far from everything so spending 5 – 6 months a year in Europe is wonderful. Italy is quite central in Europe so it is not too far to so many amazing things.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 8:58 pm
What gorgeous fabrics! I love that you’ve been supporting them for 2/3 of their life, Deb! 🙂
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on September 18, 2011
at 10:13 pm
I love the fabrics. I will have to find some way of using my collection.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 11:05 pm
Gorgeous prints. I just had a look at their clothing range for kids and women too. Very nice!
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on September 18, 2011
at 10:26 pm
Marimekko is quite expensive in Australia, but much more reasonable in Finland.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 11:06 pm
Gosh, I adore this fabric! How sweet and bright and colorful. Hope you had a great weekend, Deb!
By: Kathryn McCullough on September 18, 2011
at 11:38 pm
I did have a good weekend. I hope yours was fun too.
By: bagnidilucca on September 18, 2011
at 11:50 pm
I made bedroom curtains for our girls when we lived in North Qld with Marimekko fabric: lime green background, red and white spotted cows, red and yellow spotted giraffes, yellow lions with face-surrounding red manes and sweet little blue houses and apple dotted trees. When we moved and the girls were bigger the curtains became a large, three-person bean bag ideal for squashing into to read stories. I remember reading Roald Dahl’s the BFG with them in that cheerful bag and we laughed ’til we had to stop reading. Then, when they were beyond my story reading, Robin turned the bag into a pair of fisherman-style pants and still has them. Marimekko gave us good memories. Now, to that sumptious lunch and that wonderful tart – gimme ‘structions and I’ll get my ‘quipment ready:)
By: Jan on September 19, 2011
at 11:06 am
I have good memories of Marimekko too. Go to Delicious for the instructions – it is mighty fine.
By: bagnidilucca on September 19, 2011
at 11:35 am
Oh, I have always LOVED Marimekko fabrics! Aren’t they beautiful? So simple and stunning. They are gorgeous for curtains or anything around the house. Thank you for posting this!
By: Anna Harrison on September 20, 2011
at 11:47 pm
I think Marimekko fabrics would brighten any house.
By: bagnidilucca on September 21, 2011
at 12:28 am
[…] here to see another post on Marimekko, and here to see Marimekko’s 60th birthday celebrations in the […]
By: The new Marimekko shop « Beautiful Helsinki on December 12, 2012
at 6:49 am