Fabricness

The fabricn and design continue. I'm sorry: if you're NOT into Design then please feel free to go to Youtube and watch this. (Monkeys outsmarting tigers - always a hoot.)

Ah there you are! You are still with us bless you - good on you.

Today my dear readerettes I give you the good and famous Marimekko.

The new designs by Marimekko spring 2009. In case you thought they sound like a whimsical winemaker brand, alas no, it's a fabric manufacturer instead. The best Finnish one on the planet and they have been around since 1951.

Below are some of the designs they are renowned for the world over. So who the heck are these guys?


Marimekko Corporation is a leading Finnish textile and clothing design company that was established in 1951. The company designs, manufactures and markets high-quality clothing, interior decoration textiles, bags and other accessories under the Marimekko brand, both in Finland and abroad. They have developed fabric for Ikea as well (below).

Most of their designs are very bold, big swooping clear lines and bright colours. I have found a few more deinty ones among them.

Sanna Annuka is one of the designers for Marimekko.

I mean.... that's awesomeness right there.

She says about her work:

" I’m an illustrator and print maker with a love for nature and folklore. I’m half Finnish and half English. I spent many summers throughout my childhood in Paltaniemi, a village in Finland, swimming and fishing in Oulujarvi and exploring the forests. I also travelled to Lapland, camping by arctic rivers enjoying the midnight sun. The forests, lakes and wildlife of where I grew up heavily inspire my work. Lapland is one of my favourite places on earth.

Another major influence is Finland’s national epic known as The Kalevala, a collection of folklore songs that are quite simply magical. My Spring/Summer 09 collection for Marimekko depicts some of my favourite parts of the Kalevala.

I graduated with a BA Hons in Illustration from the University of Brighton in July 2005. My speciality during the final year of university became silkscreen printing. During this time I created a range of limited edition silkscreen prints of my ‘Maiden’ designs (now every year two new ‘Maiden’ characters will get printed as an ongoing range).

I started selling prints at a design shop called Hygge in Islington, London. From one lucky sale to a friend of British band Keane led me to my very first commission which was to illustrate Keane’s second album ‘Under the Iron Sea.’

I have since joined creative agency Big Active and set up my own company printing limited edition silkscreen prints of my artwork. Over the coming years I will look to expand my product range from fine art prints to other printed goods such as fabric wall hangings, other textiles (including clothing), wallpaper and stationery. I’m also working on my first picture book."

Obviously we are looking at the works of a multi talented lady.

The bag...... Ok : I'm going to keel over now with admiration. Beautiful work.

So there you go: fabricness fabs!