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Sunday 12 February 2012

Marimekko: Share Your Voice


This is Finnish textile designer Armi Ratia who founded Marimekko with her husband Viljo, in 1951. From Danish drama to Nordic knitwear, I'm a sucker for Scandinavian style, so there's a fair amount of Marimekko at That's Not My Age Mansions.
 


My favourite cup and 'special occasion' glass bowls.

We always have a Marimekko oven glove in the kitchen. Don't look too closely, it needs a wash.

My breakfast: porridge in a lovely bowl.
I bought a square of this world-famous fabric in Helsinki.

At least I'm in good company. In 1960, Jackie Kennedy bought a selection of affordable cotton sun dresses from a Marimekko stockist in Cape Cod. After being criticised for spending too much money on Parisian designer fashion, she was then complemented on her thrift. And JFK went on to win the presidential election:


Cape Cod Chic.

In a simple pink frock on the cover of Sports Illustrated (1960)




Anyhow. To celebrate what would have been Armi Ratia's 100th birthday on 13 July 2012 (sadly she died at the age of 67) Marimekko are running a 'Share Your Voice' competition. All you have to do is tell them your recipe for happiness. This can be a list, a poem/aphorism, or a sentence or two, and you can also take part in a lottery to win a gift certificate worth 500 Euros.

I'm off to pen a few lines, and with any luck I'll soon be dressing like a first lady.




Photos: chicpaint.blogspot.com and Decor Arts Now.
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10 comments:

  1. mermaid gallery12 February 2012 at 18:26

    thanks for the tip!...i just had to enter myself.....fun!

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  2. Young at Heart12 February 2012 at 19:14

    fascining.....100 years old and yet so modern!!

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  3. Ivy Black12 February 2012 at 19:42

    Fabulous design...I love it to bits.x

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  4. Hekku12 February 2012 at 19:45

    Hi,
    as a proud Finn (and a reader of your blog) I just wanted to say thanks for spreading the love :-)

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  5. The Style Crone13 February 2012 at 02:17

    The oven glove is beautiful. It would make me want to cook. Where did you get it?

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  6. Stephanie Loudmouth13 February 2012 at 04:25

    Such pretty pieces!

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  7. mette13 February 2012 at 04:52

    As a Finn myself, I appreciate your PR for Marimekko brand.
    Having lived all my life with Marimekko around, I don´t " see " anything special in it.
    In the 60´s and 70´s, the quality of the fabrics used, was totally different = better.
    During the past decades, I´m no longer favoring the brand.
    It made me happy though, to read your post : )!

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  8. That's Not My Age13 February 2012 at 19:22

    The Style Crone - unfortunately, it doesn't make me want to cook but fortunately we have a Marimekko store in London!

    Metscan - that's interesting. The 60s and 70s prints are beautiful, do you have any vintage Marimekko? Who are your favourite textile brands now, I'd love to hear about any new Scandinavian brands.

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  9. mette14 February 2012 at 16:12

    TNMA, I have thought hard, but can not come up with anything ( ;. Nothing for a more mature taste.
    However, Ivana of Helsinki ( Paula Suhonen ), might have brought something " new ".
    From the design field, I like Harri Koskinen, a multi-designer. We might hear more of him in the future too.

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  10. That's Not My Age14 February 2012 at 20:08

    Thanks Mette, I'll take at look at their work.

    ReplyDelete