And no, it's not the opiatic kind, but the Marimekko kind. You should know that I dig many Marimekko things quite a bit, but the way Finland has been drowned in the Unikko (Poppy) pattern is Too Much.
This is an Unikko curtain. And me recovering from an eye operation in 1976. I agree Unikko is nostalgic... It used to be something new and creative. But that was decades ago.
Unikko came about in 1964 after Armi Ratia had announced in public that no floral fabrics are designed at Marimekko. Maija Isola did not accept rules or restrictions and designed in protest a complete collection of bold floral patterns.
From the Marimekko site
Now that the Unikko pattern is on cars, televisions, Nordic walking sticks, and computer mouses (those just off the top of my head), the only word I can come up with to describe this is overexploitation. Which completely waters down the original rebellious character of Unikko, commercializes the pattern and as a results makes it seem inane. And what an irony that nowadays it is the best known Marimekko pattern, which they have no problem taking full advantage of. I understand they'll produce what they can sell,
and Unikko is selling. Yet I think it is a shame to do this to a pattern that could be described as a design classic. But the overexploitation is not ending; it is taking new forms. Soon people in London and New York will be able to buy Manolo Blahnik shoes with Unikko pattern.
If this was the first product with Unikko I've seen since the hospital curtains, I might get excited. After all Unikko and Blahnik are a world apart design-wise, so a combination of them could produce something new. But that possibility was lost long ago. Well, perhaps the Unikko shoe will be seen differently in other parts of the world where it is still not that overexploited?
But there's other Marimekko patterns, and those will soon be seen in new places, too. The Blahnik collection also includes shoes with pattern Bonbon (designed by Erja Hirvi in 2003). And hear hear! Marimekko and H&M are joining forces. Read about it here. A quote:
I believe that [the cooperation] will enhance Marimekko's international recognition among young and fashion-conscious consumers," says Kirsti Paakkanen, President of Marimekko.
Well, I believe that this cooperation helps them (Marimekko) gain some of the money they have been losing when mass retail chains have been ripping off their patterns. And H&M is obviously gaining from the Marimekko reputation.
What do you think?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Poppy overdose!
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5 comments:
i had no idea that the unikko pattern was that popular in finland and (overused) to that degree. it's harder to find here in the states, for sure, but it's the most popular print to find in stores that *do* carry marimekko...and one of my favorite prints. i have it in both of my bathroom shower curtains and my wallet. haha! knowing it means "poppy" actually makes me love it all the more.
the business venture with H&M is interesting...i do hope they market it in such a way that emphasizes the origin of the fabrics used in the clothing (as being from marimekko). i think a certain set of fashion-conscious consumers already know about marimekko...but perhaps this will introduce some to it that had no idea where the recently popular pop-y prints had their true origin. but will they care? it remains to be seen.
hopefully the marimekko line will be sold in the states...i'd love to get a look at it, being the huge marimekko fan that i am. :)
I think exactly the same.
And I have to say, that using the unikko pattern is not a right choice (because the overexplotation, and because I have it at home hanging in the living room, why would I like to have it in my shoes???ejem, because they´re Manolos... :-)
i didn't even know marimekko and this pattern until i read about it on your flickr/blog, so i can't really tell you what i feel about the overusage.
i personally think it's great that h&m and marimekko work together, so i can might snap up a piece with one of those great patterns (since there are no marimekko-stores where i live). however, the negative side is that there will be many people wearing these things then.
Thanks for the comments. I think people abroad probably see Marimekko differently from us, and many (the majority) of course don't even know it at all. My understanding is that Marimekko has quite a bit of control about the production and marketing of the H&M clothes. So maybe the result will be more Marimekko-awareness, who knows.
Mer, I agree that Unikko simply looks best as curtains or wall hangings and the like because it's such a bold pattern... The computer mouses etc are just silliness :P
Since I've heard of the H&M and Marimekko co-operation, I've also tried to make up my mind whether I think it's a good or bad thing. I'm really not so sure. In my opinion it's a brilliant thing for the prestige of the company to be associated with Mr. Blahinik's designs, but I'm afraid that the H&M version of Marimekko could just cheapen their image. It would make the name better known, perhaps, but would people understand the value of a Marimekko product when confronted with a much cheaper H&M version?
Marimekko is all about design AND quality. The colours in the fabrics, the fabrics themselves, the execution of the designs. I'm afraid that H&M is going to "pull Marimekko down to its level". I'm not saying H&M is totally bad, but everybody knows they have quality issues. And since, as you said, companies like H&M and Ikea have been exploiting the Marimekko aesthetics for quite some time, I'm just afraid that people "won't get it". Let's just hope Marimekko makes sure that they get the right message across!
I've been living in Finland for 2 years now, and I have to say that I'm also already over the Unikko pattern. I have some stationery with it, and I like it a lot as a design, but as you can see it in every second window here and, as you say, everywhere else from baby bottles to keyrings, I'm quite fed up with it, too. On the other hand, it's become a kind of recognizable icon for Marimekko, which can't be totally bad.
Just one last thing to add to this endless ramble: Since I've come to Finland I've understood how much companies like Marimekko and Iittala have been ripped off by other firms who take a valuable and innovative design executed in great quality and make it into a mass-produced and cheap product (with all the pros and cons of that). I have to admit that while I still have fun looking at things in H&M and Ikea, for instance, the wares there sometimes fill me with resentment towards the dilution and exploitation of quality design so frequently executed there.
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