Posted in Patterns, Scandinavian Design, Textiles, tagged accessories, bags, color, colour, fashion, maija isola, marimekko, pattern design, scandinavian design, spring 2013, style, textile design on March 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Marimekko Spring 2013 – full catalog here.
It’s (almost) that time of year again, SPRING! To celebrate, I’m sharing new images from Marimekko‘s Spring 2013 campaign, “Colour for a reason.” Aren’t these colors and textiles like a breath of fresh air?? Be sure to drop by one of their stores, or check out their new collections online here.
Spring 2013 at Marimekko – Colour for a reason. Get into it!
Maija Isola pattern from 1961, today in 2013. How great is that?
Posted in Life Rants, Scandinavian Design, Textiles, tagged architecture, arts, dcwdesign, design, freelance design, graphic design, illustration, life, marimekko, scandinavian design, travel on August 28, 2012 | 2 Comments »
It’s been a while since my last post but a lot has happened in the last few months! No longer am I an unattached freelance designer, free to design for any client of my choosing. I’ve entered into an exclusive long-term (design) relationship with …. Moroccanoil! In a few days I’ll have been there 2 months. Time really does fly. While adjusting to a full-time work schedule, I’ve tried to blog here and there but I haven’t been able to get back into my grove, but I plan on changing that soon. I have a huge list of artists, designers, illustrators and photographers I’d like to share, and hopefully some new work of my own too.
I also want to celebrate that for the past FOUR consecutive months, I’ve hit 2,000 page views. While that pales in comparison to many design blogs out there, it’s miles away from the 17 views a months I had back in May 2010. This blog has been a great outlet for me to share inspiration and put into words my goals and passions, especially when it comes to design during my two years at Pratt Institute. Blogging turned into cheap therapy for a grad student that never felt at home in an MFA program. Good bad and ugly, it’s all here. And some really GREAT things have come from this blog too!
While studying abroad, I blogged about Scandinavian Textile Design and was featured on a few blogs about my travels through Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Blogging about the artists we saw and the showrooms we visited ignited my interest in learning more about textile design and writing about design in general. It also gave my blog a particular focus. Last summer I was completely shocked when I was invited to interview with a creative director that has and continues to make work I greatly admire. Last month my thoughts on resume design and interviewing were featured on another blog, also to my surprise. So while this remains a side hobby, no matter how small, your hobbies and interests can open doors! So here’s to opening new doors in the coming months and sharing more stories.
-Daniel
See more of my pin’d type quotes (here) on my pinterest.
Lastly, a quote from one of my favorite posts, and read more about Marimekko here.
Posted in Fashion, Patterns, Textiles, tagged dcwdesign, fashion, maija isola, marimekko, marimekko flagship, scandinavian design, textiles on December 18, 2011 | 1 Comment »
This weekend I finally made it to the new Marimekko NYC Flagship store just across from the Flatiron Building in NYC. I was curious to see how the design of the store might differ from the shops I saw in Helsinki and Copenhagen during my summer abroad. The NY store was pretty big and had lots of stuff in it! There are different sections for home products, bedding, kids stuff and women and MENS! fashion. I had no idea they were making men’s fashion items – but I’m glad they are. It’s worth stopping by to see all the beautiful printed textiles on the rolls and see how the designers apply these prints for different uses. You can notice how the scale of the pattern shifts for use on a pillow vs. a dress vs. a shower curtain or a coffee mug. It’s really inspiring to see all these beautiful prints housed together in one place and step into their colourful world.
I was also happy to find another copy of their Fall/Autumn mailer. I’d found a copy in the Copenhagen store and I really loved all the dark colors and reds they used together in that campaign. You can tell they’re making a push to enter the high fashion market and diversify beyond home goods. I think they’re off to the right track! Here are a few images below for your viewing pleasure.
I love the contrast between B&W and pops of red, so bold and graphic. Much more my style and taste .. too bad there is not a men’s version of this.
They also have a lot of pieces inspired by the beautiful birch trees found throughout most of Scandinavia.
I love the textile hanging at the bottom. Not sure how to use it on clothes, since it’s such a huge repeat. But it would look BEAUTIFUL framed/hung on a wall.
Here’s a look that pairs well with the pattern behind – but you can see they didn’t apply it directly to any pieces. It would have to be used very abstractly.
Also while you’re there, pick up their Holiday 2011 catalog.
I love the graphic design of all the Marimekko stuff- lots of big type.
Holiday Prints!
Looks like a party right? These dresses are pretty cool, with the black tights and shoes.
The store is located at 200 5th Ave in NYC – check it out!
Posted in Fashion, Illustration, Patterns, Scandinavian Design, Textiles, tagged finland, joy, maija loukari, marimekko, scandinavian design, textile design on July 27, 2011 | 2 Comments »
So I couldn’t pick just 7 designers in seven days! I came across Maija Loukari and her work for Marimekko and immediately fell in love. Along with Maija Isola, I think Maija Loukari is one of my favorite designers currently working for the company. I really like her illustration style with simple shapes, bold outlines, and pops of color. Her website is also pretty cool with a wider selection of her illustration and textile work beyond Marimekko.
I found this video (above) by Marimekko from their 60th Anniversary show in Helsinki, Finland. Marimekko is really stepping up their branding in addition to the products they sell with their signature textiles. In Helsinki I got to visit one of their concept stores with new product ideas and store layouts. There’s another concept store here in Copenhagen I need to visit. I’m hoping for my final pattern design to create something with a vintage feel, in color and form, with a modern twist. I think Loukari has a natural skill for illustrating in this way.
Marimekko just opened their online store in the US – so I predict they’re looking to expand more in the states. So far the only store I’ve seen is their pop up store in Soho’s Crate & Barrel. So if you’re in NYC, or lucky enough to be in a place with a Marimekko store, be sure to check out their colorful world of beautiful patterns. Here’s more examples of their work and another GREAT video from their youtube channel.
Maija Louekari coasters for Marimekko. Love her B&W images with pops of color.
A selection of Marimekko pillows.
Louekari textile print, from her website.
I love how this Louekari print is paired with matching dishes that look like they’re part of the print.
Check out the Secret of Marimekko video – so well done and inspiring!
A little more about the company:
“Marimekko is a Finnish textile and clothing design house renowned for its original prints and colors. The company designs and manufactures high-quality interior decoration items ranging from furnishing fabrics to tableware as well as clothing, bags and other accessories.
When Marimekko was founded in 1951, its unparalleled printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. Marimekko products are sold in approximately 40 countries. In 2010, the brand sales of Marimekko products worldwide were around EUR 150 million and the net sales amounted to EUR 73 million. The number of Marimekko stores totalled 84 at the year end. The key markets in 2011 are North America, Northern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group employs around 390 people.”
Posted in Illustration, Interior Design, Patterns, Scandinavian Design, Textiles, tagged maija isola, marimekko, scandinavian design, textile design, textiles on July 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Maija Isola (1927–2001) worked as head designer of Marimekko’s interior fabrics until 1987. She also had an illustrious career as a visual artist. Unikko (above) from 1964 is the most widely known among her extremely popular fabric designs.
Maija Isola was a tremendously versatile and bold artist. She interpreted the events of her era from her own unique perspective and foresaw future trends. Her body of work includes over 500 prints – a brilliant selection of patterns representing different themes and techniques. She drew inspiration from traditional folk art, modern visual art, nature and her countless trips around the world. In 1970, Maija Isola wrote to her daughter from Paris: “Bon soir children. I’m having a wonderful time these days. I’ve started working. Once again, I feel as if I’ll never find the time to do even a fraction of all the things I want to do. – – I had a huge floral still-life of sorts spread out wet on the floor, waiting to be rolled up … paints in yoghurt pots, and newspaper everywhere, and flowers in vases on the floorboards. I bought those to paint from on Pentecost. Large deep-red roses, small and fragrant, curiously furry pink roses, yellow, orange and white poppies, cowslips in various shades of purple, black tulips and tiny carmine flowers whose name I don’t know.”
I particularly enjoyed the stories of her and all her menz. Apparently she had many artist boyfriends with which she regularly traveled around the world. Sounds like an interesting life. I have the book from her recent retrospective, but it’s in Finnish – so sadly I can’t read it. In this post are just a few of the MANY patterns she designed for Marimekko.
Maija Isola’s contributions are enormous. Below are just a few of the 100′s of prints she designed:
Many prints were turned into wallpaper – and mixed with other textiles.
Many of the textiles were also used for Fashion, in the 1970s and today.
