I know this is not necessarily typography related but I just have to share my love for the beautiful textiles of Finnish design company Marimekko. Marimekko was founded in 1951 in Helsinki by Armi and Viljo Ratia. Viljo tapped into his previous experience working at an unsuccessful oilcloth company and recognized the lack of creativity in the textile industry. He enlisted Armi to seek out graphic designers and applied their works to textiles. In order to promote their new high-quality fabrics they designed and produced a well received line of dresses. Marimekko has since grown from its humble beginnings, boasting flagship stores around the world, with clothing lines for men women and children; as well as a ready-made home furnishing collection.













What draws me to Marimekko's aesthetic is the use of bold color palettes and refined patterns. Their textile designs achieve the rare feat of simultaneously being modern and classic, a testimony to this is the iconic Unikko pattern. This pattern was created in 1964 by designer Maija Isola after Armi Ratia announced that no floral fabrics were to be designed at Marimekko due to their connotations with antiquated aesthetics. Isola broke the rules and instead created a design which proves that florals can be bold and modern. Unikko is just as popular today, with countless products available in the pattern.