Presentation and Annotated Bibliography Brief

Marimekko

I decided to base my presentation for Contextual Studies on the Finnish company Marimekko, who, for the last 60 years have been famous for their printed designs produced for fashion and homewares.

Their most famous print, still in production after 50 years, is Unikko:

This print has been used on everything from clothing,  to dinner plates, to tube train interiors, to airplanes.

I want to research what makes the company and their designs so enduring, in this fast fashion world that we now live in. What it is about the ethics of this company that makes it so successful? How does this fit in with the broader Scandinavian ethos to work and design equality?

I really want to find out more about Marimekko's patterns as I have discovered that I have developed a strong interest in surface pattern design.