Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture

Maija Isola. Printed cotton fabric with "Kaivo" pattern, 1965.

Do you remember the colorful textiles printed with big bold, simple designs that were popular in the 1960s through the 1980s? That trend was set by the maverick Finnish designer Armi Ratia - known to many of us Marimekko! While we know her as a textile maven, her work was both widespread and diverse. Her many talents are the current focus of an in-depth exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City.

Marimekko is, without doubt, one of the great success stories in the history of 20th-century design. Founded in 1951 by the visionary textile designer Armi Ratia and her husband, Viljo, the company grew from a small textile-printing firm into an international phenomenon and gave Finland a definitive presence on the world fashion stage. The exuberant colors and accessible cuts of Marimekko clothing as well as bold patterns of their printed textiles became a national symbol of a new optimism and equality in post-war Finland, and introduced a highly original vocabulary to the fields of fashion and home design. Even more than sparking a revolution in printed textiles, Marimekko also introduced a groundbreaking marketing concept, which embraced the entire home environment and set the precedent for a lifestyle brand.

Marimekko grew out of a small company called Printex, which was acquired by Viljo Ratia in 1949. It was his wife, Armi (1912-79), who built Marimekko into a purveyor and advocate of a highly distinct and fashionable lifestyle concept. Armi hired young artists with a fresh vision and gave them a free hand to respond to new artistic and social currents.

The results were spirited, non-traditional patterns with vivid colors that expressed an informal, contemporary, accessible way of life. Marimekko's clothing, with its clean, unisex lines and free, loose-fitting style, conveyed a utopian feel of sexual equality that evoked the character of the 1960s. Marimekko was the first ready-to-wear fashion house that created a fashion sensation comparable to the renowned European haute couture houses.

In the early 1960s, Ratia hired architect Aarno Ruusuvuori, to collaborate on various architectural projects. The Marimekko utopian community scheme was

Annika Rimala. Dress "Saniainen" in printed cotton fabric with "Pilvi" pattern, 1966.	Vuokko Nurmesniemi. Printed cotton fabric with "Tiibet" pattern, 1953.

Comprising more than 150 examples of fabrics, fashion clothing, accessories, and architecture, the Marimekko exhibition conveys the unique modern vision of the company's founder and artistic director, Armi Ratia, and illuminates the work of Marimekko's outstanding designers and how they revolutionized modern printed fabrics and fashion.

A fully illustrated catalogue published by the Bard Graduate Center in collaboration with Yale University Press accompanies the exhibition.

Maija Isola. Printed cotton fabric with "Unikko" pattern, 1965.	Fujiwo Ishimoto. Printed cotton fabric with "Maisema" pattern, 1982.

conceived as a village for 3,500 inhabitants, including Marimekko employees. The ambitious scheme was never realized, due largely to economic factors and to the reluctance of employees to move permanently out of Helsinki to the countryside.

Ruusuvuori also designed an experimental sauna for Marimekko that was intended for the international market. The sauna, photographed overlooking the sea, became one of the iconic images of Finnish architecture. Ruusuvuori's sauna was another Marimekko idea that made a great impact when it was initiated, but never got beyond the prototype stage.

From November 21, 2003, through February 15, 2004, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies is presenting Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture. This exhibition examines the company's remarkable history from its early years, through the height of its international success and up to today.

Annika Rimala. Dress "Linjaviitta," 1967, in printed cotton fabric with "Galleria" pattern by Vuokko Nurmesniemi, 1957.	Aamo Ruusuvuori. Sketch of Marisaunas; interior. 1968.