Happy prints
Storied Finnish lifestyle store Marimekko marks its foray into Asia with its first store in Capitol Piazza, featuring ready-to-wear fashion, accessories and homeware.
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WHEN former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton visited Marimekko in 2012, she would never have thought that an off-the-cuff remark she made, "Breathe happiness", would become a slogan for the iconic fashion and lifestyle company. In just two words, she summed up what founder Armi Ratia set out to do, which was "to bring joy and positivity to the everyday lives of people through the bold prints and colours of printmaking", explains Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, president of the Finnish brand.
Like Pharrell Williams' hit song Happy, it seems that that's what you need to build a company. Over the decades, Marimekko's bright, colourful and simple loud prints have done the trick - whether on its women's ready-to-wear and accessories, a variety of home products, and textiles. It's easy to identify Marimekko fans - they're wearing the clothes, eating out of their plates, sleeping on their sheets and decorating their homes with framed colourful pictures.
As Marimekko tries to sell the sunny side of life to the world, its own evolution from a cloth factory to a global brand with diversified lifestyle products has been shaped by a series of mostly happy coincidences.
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