Even if you don’t know its name, who designed it, or actually anything about it at all, I would bet quite a lot of money that you would at least recognise this bold, graphic floral pattern.
Unikko, by Finnish textile and clothing design house Marimekko (who we wrote about here), celebrates its 50th birthday this year and is regarded by many as one of the best-known textile designs in the world. Which is pretty good going when you consider that the design was produced shortly after Marimekko’s founder, Armi Ratia, made the pronouncement that the company would never print a floral pattern. Definitely a case of never say never.
Unikko (which means poppy) was born out of an act of creative disobedience by one of the company’s most influential designers, Maija Isola. In the spirit of defiance, Isola created the bold and bright pattern (along with a whole collection of other florals) in protest at this decree. But it was Unikko that went on to become an international design icon and is as popular now as it was when it was first launched in 1964. Over the last 50 years the pattern has been produced in a host of dazzling of colourways and applied to a whole range of products from tableware to cushions, and tea towels to handbags.
To mark the 50th birthday of their most iconic print, Marimekko have brought out a limited edition range of products in a special anniversary black and white colourway. The 2014 spring and summer interior collection features a capsule line of Unikko products, “created to highlight the bold and joyful attitude of the pattern” including a fabric showing gigantic single Unikko flowers on top of each other, and a limited edition of Unikko-patterned Oiva ceramic tableware stamped with a special anniversary mark.
Unikko’s 50th birthday is being celebrated by design lovers at events all over the world, and here in London there will be a special evening hosted by Aria (an independent design shop in Islington N1) in conjuction with the Finnish- British Chamber of Commerce and Marimekko. The birthday party takes place in Aria’s store, which occupies the beautiful old Barnsbury Hall building, on Thursday 15 May between 6 – 8 pm.
Celebrations will include a special guest, design historian and writer Dominic Lutyens, who will be giving a talk and answering questions on the history of the Unikko pattern. In addition, there’ll be a prize draw to win Marimekko products, and if you want to make sure you don’t go home without a birthday memento, there’ll also be 10% off all Marimekko products.
So if you fancy being part of the global birthday celebrations for this iconic designs, you can get tickets for the event from Aria or The Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce. Happy birthday Unikko – bold, bright and beautiful, still going strong and totally fabulous at fifty.
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