Two trailblazers, Marimekko and the Finnish jewelry company Kalevala Koru, have always pushed boundaries at the intersection of fashion, design and art. To celebrate the Unikko pattern’s 60th anniversary, our rich artistic heritages and shared belief in craftsmanship come together in a limited-edition jewelry collection.

Marimekko and Kalevala’s limited-edition collaboration collection includes a wide assortment of Unikko-themed jewelry from rings and necklaces to a statement brooch and a modern ear cuff. The products are made from recycled silver at Kalevala Koru’s factory in Helsinki, Finland and their light weight makes wearing the pieces pleasant throughout the day.  

“Our collaboration with Kalevala has been a very inspiring experience. Unikko is an iconic pattern, and it has been in many different forms and different places throughout the years. So, it was a joy to discover how unique, surprising, and even sculptural Unikko became through Kalevala’s design language and craftsmanship. I believe that our customers will be excited about the versatile assortment and will find their own favorites,” says Emmakaisa Kirves, Design Director, Ready-to-Wear and Bags & Accessories at Marimekko.

The Kalevala x Marimekko limited-edition collaboration collection is available at selected Marimekko stores and online store, Kalevala’s stores and online store as well as Kalevala’s retailers starting from 1 October, 2024.

Marimekko has a long tradition of inviting artists and creatives from all walks of life to create bold and colorful prints to bring joy to the everyday lives of people. To celebrate Pride Month 2024, it felt only natural to continue this tradition with visual artists from the LGBTQIA+ community. Our store windows in New York City and Helsinki will feature installations by local creators, serving as a powerful reminder to all visitors, friends and passersby of Marimekko founder Armi Ratia’s enduring message “There is only one strength—love.”

This Pride Month, the words of Armi will be vividly reimagined through art installations by Emma Thomas and Zander Schlacter.

Meet the artists

Emma Thomas

Emma Thomas is a Finnish-American visual artist. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts in 2019 and has since been living and working in Helsinki. Her main focus is painting and drawing on paper, but during the pandemic, she began experimenting with textiles. The themes in her work are heavily influenced by Renaissance art, mythology and art history. Using classic themes and motifs, she portrays her own reality as a woman dealing with grief, anger, joy and sexuality in our modern age.​

Discover Emma’s artwork for Pride Month 2024 at Marimekko Aleksinkulma, Aleksanterinkatu 50, Helsinki.

Helsinki Pride parade takes place on Saturday 29 June 2024.

Zander Schlacter

An artist and designer based in Brooklyn, NYC, Zander Schlacter, works primarily within the medium of textiles. His work is characterized by eccentric surface designs and complex repeat pattern geometry, rendered in bold, adventurous color combinations. The ornamentation in Zander’s work draws from sources throughout histories of craft, design and queer aesthetics, which are remixed and synthesized into a playful and zany vibration for the present day. His artwork and textile prints have been applied to sculpture, home decor accessories, bedding, wallpaper, apparel, books and ceramic tiles.​

Find Zander’s artwork for Pride Month 2024 at Marimekko New York, 97 Wooster St., NYC.

New York Pride parade takes place on Sunday 30 June 2024.

Marimekko has been an official partner of Helsinki Pride since 2018.

Traditionally, a designer’s vision of a product, such as a piece of clothing, bag or dish, is first expressed in the form of a two-dimensional image. This image is then sent to the factory, where a sample of the product is made. After seeing the physical sample, the designer usually further modifies the design. This process is important in order to see how a piece of clothing fits or how the product or material works, for example. The traditional process may involve several sample rounds before the product actually goes into production.

3D technology has revolutionized the product design process: it speeds up work significantly and helps reduce emissions in the product value chain.

“At Marimekko, we have started increasingly using 3D tools in our design and product development processes over the past few years. We work on physical items, and 3D technology enables us to sketch them directly in three dimensions and, consequently, process and examine them immediately in a similar manner to concrete products on the right scale. This reduces the need to send samples back and forth between the designer and factory, which, in turn, reduces their environmental impacts and at the same time enhance the product development process,” explains Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Marimekko’s Design Director, Home & Print Design.

In clothing and textile design, 3D technology helps with pattern making, among other things: you can model the piece of clothing directly on a person and see how it fits and how the fabric’s prints are placed. Hard products, such as dishes, can be printed out in their final form using a 3D printer.

“A good example of the benefits of 3D technology in design is the Unikko plate created for the Unikko print’s 60th anniversary, shaped in the form of the Unikko flower. 3D technology was used in the product design from the very beginning: we modeled and printed the plate in 3D at the Marimekko House in Helsinki and were able to send the actual product as a 3D sample to the factory. At that point, we were already able to see at our own design studio whether the product was functional. 3D technology helps to concretize and visualize ideas, which speeds up decision-making. The use of technology has improved our processes and clearly reduced the transport of product samples between our designers and the factories,” Minna Kemeli-Kutvonen says. 

Marimekko is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity throughout its value chain. We are committed to continuously driving innovation in technologies, materials and business models through collaborations to lead the industry forward by our example. Marimekko’s long-term ambition is to leave no burden for the coming generations.

In 2022, Marimekko committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to set science-based emissions reduction targets. Marimekko aims to deliver its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for SBTi for validation by August 2024 at the latest, as planned. The publication of these targets will follow STBi’s review and approval process.

Marimekko published ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions in 2020. With the commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative, the company will establish even more determined targets for emission reductions throughout its value chain, aligning with the UN Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Climate Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Science-based emission reduction targets are an important tool in reaching our long-term ambition of leaving no burden for the coming generations,” tells Riika Wikberg, Chief Business Development Officer at Marimekko.

Emission calculation helps in targeting reduction measures

Since 2019, Marimekko has been calculating its carbon footprint to identify the most significant emission sources in its value chain. The calculation has now been refined in alignment with the requirements of the Science Based Targets initiative. Marimekko has calculated, for example, its value chain’s land-use-related emissions according to the new guidance of the GHG Protocol.

“The more accurately we identify emission sources, the more effectively we can reduce our emissions. Based on emission calculations, we have modeled the future development of our emissions and constructed a roadmap that includes the emission reduction measures we have identified. Over the past few years, we have worked to enhance the use of organic and recycled materials in our products, while also promoting processes and services in line with the principles of the circular economy,” Wikberg continues.

Marimekko’s design philosophy and operations have always been based on sustainable thinking and continuously improving sustainability has been part of Marimekko employees’ daily work for years. During the current strategy period of 2023–2027, sustainability is one of the five strategic success factors: Marimekko believes that determined sustainability efforts strongly support Marimekko’s long-term success.

The Science Based Target Initiative is a collaboration between WWF (the World Wide Fund for Nature), CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), WRI (World Resources Institute) and United Nations Global Compact. The aim of the initiative is for science-based emissions reductions to become a guiding principle for business activities.

For us at Marimekko, longevity means the combination of timeless esthetics and high quality. In 2023, the percentage of products subject to claims was 0.4 percent.

One of the key factors behind ensuring the high quality is Marimekko’s own textile laboratory, where over 5,000 tests are performed each year on different materials. In practice, this means numerous tests for each material and product. Materials can be tested for shrinkage, color fastness, abrasion resistance, and pilling, among other things.

Our textile laboratory works in close collaboration with our printing factory. Both the textile printing factory and the textile laboratory are located in Helsinki, Finland, in connection to our headquarters. This allows a seamless collaboration between different units.

All base fabrics are tested before being introduced into production and accepted into collections. In addition to material testing, we also test new products through everyday use before they are incorporated into our collections. This ensures that the products can bring joy from one consumer to the next.

Also new material innovations must meet our high quality standards

Material choices play an important role in minimizing a products’ environmental impact. The results of our new material strategy have started to become visible in our collections during the past few years when, for example, the share of recycled and organic materials has increased.

“The goal of our material strategy is to ensure the transition toward organic and recycled materials, for instance, while maintaining timeless design and longevity, which always has been in Marimekko’s DNA. High quality is at the heart of this. New materials need to meet the same high quality standards as all Marimekko materials and products,” says Marimekko’s Quality Manager Hanna Raatikka.

“The fact that we have a textile laboratory right here at our headquarters in Herttoniemi, Helsinki, ensures close collaboration with different functions. Many innovations, such as new textile materials and plant-based dyes, require close collaboration with our own printing factory, product development, design, sustainability team, quality team, and textile laboratory”, Raatikka continues.

Marimekko presented its new product category, Marimekko Maridenim, as part of the Fall/Winter 2024 show at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Marimekko’s high-quality denim is available in three fits: straight, wide, and barrel leg, and includes two complete looks featuring the beloved Unikko print.

Marimekko Maridenim was designed by following The Jeans Redesign guidelines by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which are made publicly available for the fashion industry to use. Based on the principles of a circular economy, The Jeans Redesign guidelines were developed with input from 80 experts across industry, academia, and NGOs to encourage leading brands, mills, and manufacturers to transform the way jeans are designed and made so that they are used more, made to be made again, and crafted from safe and recycled or renewable inputs.

The Marimekko Maridenim collection follows The Jeans Redesign guidelines by working with monomaterial cotton with no stretch, of which 80 percent is organic cotton and 20 percent recycled cotton. Marimekko Maridenim is made with minimal use of hardware, including the use of removable buttons and no rivets. The hardware is not finished with electroplating, as per the recommendations by The Jeans Redesign guidelines. Both the wash, finish and chemical use of the garments follow the guidelines, including abstaining from stone washing or the use of Potassium permanganate.

“For the Fall/Winter 2024 season, we create a captivating play between opposites: past and present, concrete and delicate, and the idea of dressing up and dressing down. The highlight of the show, in addition to celebrating the 60^th anniversary of Unikko, is the upcoming launch of Marimekko Maridenim, which feels like the most natural continuity to Marimekko’s lifestyle offering. Throughout the year 2024, we continue to feature Unikko in dialogue with ideas and visual cues that are unexpected and even surprising”, says Rebekka Bay, Creative Director at Marimekko.

The Marimekko Maridenim will be in stores in August 2024.

Photo: James Cochrane

In 2024, Marimekko celebrates the 60th anniversary of its most globally recognized print Unikko. To mark the beginning of a year filled with joyful Unikko-inspired activations taking place around the world, Marimekko presents Unikko at La Louviére – a unique artwork of light projected onto the façade of Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland. Unikko at La Louviére is a tribute to colors, the joy of life, and Finnish design and visual arts. The artwork will be presented in conjunction with Lux Helsinki – an annual light festival in Helsinki that seeks to inspire both locals and visitors by presenting a diverse range of light installations during the darkest period of the year.

Unikko was designed by Maija Isola in 1964, and it is not only one of the most recognized Marimekko print designs in the world of art and fashion, but also a historical connection between Marimekko and Ateneum. From 1848 to 1982, the Ateneum Art Museum housed The University of Art and Design of Helsinki. It was this building in which Maija Isola studied from 1946 to 1949, and where Marimekko founder Armi Ratia would first discover her talents. This encounter would mark the beginning of Maija Isola’s remarkable career working as a print designer for Marimekko and creating over 500 unique designs over the period of 38 years. Now, Isola’s most notable print returns to Ateneum as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

“We are excited to present the first Unikko-inspired community activation in a series of many across the globe during the year. It feels natural to begin the celebrations of our very special year 2024 in the hometown of Unikko at Lux Helsinki and transforming Unikko into an artwork of light. Projecting the artworkinto the façade of Ateneum creates the perfect dialogue between the heritage and future of the print. Unikko at La Louviére is a tribute to colors, the joy of life, and Finnish design and visual arts”, says Sanna-Kaisa Niikko, Chief Marketing Officer at Marimekko.

Unikko at La Louviére was created by Helsinki-based artist and visual designer Katri Tikkanen and Finnish composer, sound designer, music producer, and artist Matti Ahopelto. The installation features the 60^th anniversary colorway of the Unikko print and was partly inspired by the current “Color & Light – The Legacy of Impressionism” exhibition at Ateneum. As a result, a masterpiece of Finnish impressionism, Alfred William Finch’s pointillist painting “Orchard at La Louvière” meets the joyful and ever-optimistic Unikko pattern in an artwork of light created using the pointillism technique.

Lux Helsinki takes place from 3 January to 7 January 2024.

Photo: Jere Viinikainen

Marimekko’s own printing factory in Helsinki provides us unique possibilities to participate in various development projects. In 2022, we started with Rester a collaboration, where the cutting waste and other leftover materials generated in the Marimekko’s printing factory will be recycled into new textile fibers. Rester is a Finnish company that enables the recovery of business textiles into new fiber and high-quality raw materials. Business textiles are, e.g., end-of-life workwear, hotel and hospital textiles, or like in Marimekko’s case, side streams of textile production.

At Marimekko, we have set ambitious sustainability targets for our own operations and, for example, to textile materials we use. Material choices play an important role in our aim to reduce our environmental impact and improve transparency in our value chain, among others. According to our material strategy, we are, e.g., reducing our use of conventional materials and shifting to alternatives that are less-emission intensive and use less water, chemicals, and fossil resources.

In December, we are thrilled to present the first products from this collaboration with Rester: t-shirts made partly from textiles recovered directly from Marimekko’s leftover fabric and cutting waste at our textile printing factory and sewing shop. The main material of the Embla T-shirt, part of our pre-spring ’24 collection, contains at least 25% recycled cotton-linen fibers regenerated from production waste. In addition, the product contains 75% organic cotton. These pieces showcase our latest steps towards one of our goals: to continuously reduce the amount of waste Marimekko generates and contribute to the circular economy through new processes and services.

Why it’s important to keep the fibers circulating?

By using 1,000 kg of recovered cotton fiber, Marimekko can save, on average, 1,5 million liters of water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 kg compared to using virgin material. In other words, not only does this recycling process lead waste away from landfills and incinerators, but also helps to conserve existing natural resources by reducing the need for growing and processing new raw materials.

We are proud that almost 100% of the waste generated at our factory and headquarters is repurposed for energy production or as recycled material for various uses. However, it is not only about repurposing but also putting effort into reducing waste at all points in the process. We are, for example, continually adjusting our design process to further increase our products’ longevity and reduce the amount of pre-consumer fabric scraps and yarn waste. Every small step counts.

Learn more about our material strategy.

We at Marimekko follow the principles of responsible sourcing. All partner suppliers commit to following our Supplier Code of Conduct. To support the responsible material sourcing, we have defined Product Policy that includes sustainability requirements for different materials and their production. This policy is binding on all our partner suppliers.   

Our Product Policy also includes the principles of responsible sourcing of animal derived materials and our requirements for wool, leather and down, among others.

Marimekko a member of Leather Working Group

Marimekko’s product assortment includes leather products, such as leather bags. In the spring 2023, we joined Leather Working Group initiative that is committed to building a more sustainable supply chain for leather. The community includes actors from all parts of the leather supply chain, representing all industries where leather is used.

Leather is a long-lasting material, when cared for correctly. The leather used in Marimekko’s products is always a by-product of meat production as we only accept leather from animals that have been bred for food production. We do not accept leather from regions where the farmland has been acquired through deforestation of forests with high conservation values, as from the Amazon region.

We continuously aim to increase the share of certified and traceable leather in our products. In the autumn 2023, we piloted a new way of working in leather material traceability and introduced the Imprint leather bag series. The bags in the series are made of traceable Scandinavian leather and every single piece of leather can be tracked down to an individual farm.

Responsible sourcing also the key in other animal derived materials

In line with our Product Policy, we give preference to certified materials, which improves supply chain transparency by enhancing chain of custody.

We continuously increase, for example, the share of certified wool in our products – in 2022 the share of certified and responsibly produced wool was 57 percent of all wool used, including recycled wool. According to our Product Policy we only accept merino wool from suppliers that do not use mulesing as part of their animal husbandry practices.

Our product assortment includes also down products. In accordance with our Product Policy, all down used in our products must be recycled or certified. In addition, we only accept down and feathers from birds bred for food production. In 2023, there are less than ten down products in the collections, mainly jackets.

We do not accept fur, angora or non-certified mohair/alpaca in Marimekko’s products.

Learn more about our guiding principles.

Read more about our Imprint leather bag series.