Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Founded in 1951 by visionary textile designer Armi Ratia and her husband, Viljo, the Marimekko Corporation in Finland not only sparked a revolution in pattern making but also pioneered a new definition of fashion that embraced the entire home environment. This book, a comprehensive study of Marimekko designs, presents more than 100 examples of the exuberant Marimekko fashions and home furnishings that gave the company a definitive presence on the world design stage. and examines Marimekko's impact on design in Finland and around the world. The company's most important designers, including Maija Isola and Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, their contributions, and their stylistic development are also discussed. In addition, the book examines Marimekko home and office interiors and how they reflected the lifestyle envisioned in Armi Ratia's broad, radical definition of fashion. Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture in November 2003.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Diverse, innovative, and visionary are the words that best describe Marimekko, the international textile design corporation founded in 1951 by Finnish designer Armi Ratia and her husband, Viljo. This fascinating book gives us a 50-plus-year retrospective of the company's history, products, and the creations most notably associated with the pop and mod designs of the 1960s. It is the result of an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts and is a collaborative effort between the Bard Graduate Center and the Design Museum of Finland. Its colorful illustrations and photographs (300 color, 85 b&w) highlight the fashion, home furnishings, and bags of notable Finnish designers who have been associated with Marimekko over the years, all of whose works reflect organic and geometric shapes in bold, festive patterns. Each of the chapters includes brief notes and bibliographic information on the designers and their works. A checklist for the exhibition, a chronology of the company, and brief biographies of major designers conclude the book. This catalog would make a welcome addition to collections focusing on design, decorative arts, and fashion.-Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

The Finnish design house Marimekko has been producing fashion and lifestyle accessories since 1951, and its fresh, high-spirited motifs have influenced designers around the world. This vivid, eye-opening book showcases the firm's history, designers and textile patterns, and examines both Marimekko's international reception and the reasons for its corporate success. Design historian Aav, who directs the Finnish Museum of Art and Design in Helsinki, credits Marimekko's success to visionary leadership and a corporate philosophy based on individual creativity and the connection between design and everyday life. Cheeky and brightly colored, Marimekko designs have been embraced by such paragons of simple design as Crate & Barrel and Terence Conran's popular furniture shop Habitat, and have landed on the covers of fashion magazines worldwide. Aav's selection of essays written by journalists, design historians, architects and professors, along with her selection of full-color photos of various patterns and designs, make this a comprehensive, enlightening study of an important design firm. (Dec. 11) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

CHOICE Review

This exhibition catalog, published in conjunction with an exhibit at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, is the first comprehensive study of the Marimekko Company, a Finnish design innovator during the 1960s and 1970s. Marimekko, which translates as "Mary Dress," was known for its bold and vibrant fabric patterns, fashion designs, and interior decoration. Marimekko was the first company to pioneer the idea of a whole living space composed of fabric, dishes, and fashion of the same designs. Essays by art and cultural historians describe the company's design philosophy and major designers, such as Maija Isola and Annika Rimala, and analyze the company's evolution from clothing to interior design. This work, edited by Marianne Aav, director of Finland's Design Museum, which houses the Marimekko archive, includes extensive illustrations of fabrics, designs, clothing, interior spaces, and advertisements. Also included are designer biographies, an exhibition checklist, and corporate chronology. For libraries collecting in fashion, design, or cultural studies. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. M. Fusich California State University, Fresno