Finnish Design Blog

I came across a great article by Laura Stadler-Jensen in the Copenhagen Exclusive about where Scandinavian design is headed in the future. So much is talked about the classic designs influenced by the greats like Alvar Aalto and Ovia Toikka, but where is Scandinavian design headed and who will be the next acclaimed designer? This article starts to address this issue.

Photos by Laura Stadler-Jensen

This is a quick follow up to the Marimekko fashion show post I wrote last week, but I wanted to share some runway photos from the show that I found posted on Flickr. The two pictures above are of dresses produced from the Marimekko Juhannustaika design, which is also available in these products: tea towels, serving tray, tablecloth and fabric. Laura Stadler-Jensen took these photos and was kind enough to let me share them. I urge you to view all the photos she snapped at the show. There are a lot of fun designs and patterns that will be available in Spring/Summer 2009. You can also read her recap of Copenhagen Fashion Week.

An easy way to change the mood of any room is with color, and throw pillows create a lot of bang for the buck. Throw pillows are a simple way to provide a splash of color to any kind of room – from a living room couch, on a bed or on a chair in an office. Marimekko offers a variety of designs and patterns that can provide the look and feel of whatever it is you’re looking for. Marimekko fabrics are a great source of different designs if you prefer to make your own pillows. Whether a classic pattern like Unikko, the modern look of Bottna or the fun design of Savannin Kaunotar, I assure you that you’ll find one to fit your personality!

(Pictured from left to right: Back Row - Bottna, Kirsikka, Black Unikko; Middle Row - Red Unikko, Ginkgo; Front Row - Savannin Kaunotar, Biloba)

Fall is approaching and so the sunny warm days of summer are soon to be leaving us. The bright and pastel colors of spring and summer will give way to the bold and rich colors of more earthy tones - browns, oranges, greens, etc. Marimekko follows suit as it has several new hand and shoulder bags available with the fall color scheme intact. Pictured above are three of the new vogue bags available at FinnishGifts.com (from top to bottom): the Marimekko Rosie Bag, the Marimekko Vissy Bag, and the Marimekko Viola handbag.

Iittala’s Ultima Thule glassware collection continues to maintain its timeless popularity. The widely collected glassware was originally produced by Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) in the 1960’s at the Iittala glassworks factory in Finland.

According to multiple ancient mythologies, Ultima Thule is a land believed to be the northernmost land in the world. Wirkkala created the texture on the glass to resemble the icy cold terrain of Scandinavia. The creation of these uniquely textured mold-blown pieces took hours to perfect but the outcome is definitely worth the wait. The Ultima Thule collection includes 14 pieces from wine glasses to serving bowls. Check out this extensive and timeless collection.

Photos from Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

The Grundstroms’ 1956 rambler home underwent an ‘minimalist’ makeover that is getting a lot of respect in the design world. Instead of knocking down walls and completely rebuilding the structure, the Grundstroms’ decided to go with a stylish retro decor overhaul instead. The house has appeared on HGTV’s “Decorating Cents”, made the cover of Architecture Minnesota magazine and recently won a 2008 Heritage Preservation Award from the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission. A couple of the simple eye catching projects they did was use Marimekko fabrics (red Unikko pattern shown above and the Ystävät design pictured below) to create accenting throw pillows and fun wall hangings (learn how to make your own wall hanging). Click to read the entire article and see more photos.

I came across this spectacular image of a wall created out of Aalto stools. I was trying to figure out if it was some kind of artistic display but found that it was actually Artek’s booth at the Milan International Furniture Fair back in April.

Architect Stefano Tagliacarne designed Artek’s booth using 750 of the company’s stools stacked and formed into two large “C” shaped walls. Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (also notably known for his famous glass vases), designed the Stool 60 used to create the booth.

This unique glass sculpture was one of the prized pieces auctioned off on Saturday at the Modern Design Sale at TW Gaze in Diss, UK. The sculpture was a piece originally designed by Oiva Toikka in the late 1960s and was the one of the first Lollipop pieces produced by the famous glassblower. It was originally purchased by the vendor (prior to being Iittala) directory from the glassworks factory.

The Lollipop piece stands 13 inches tall and is an impressive piece of cased glass which was eventually used as a part of the larger more famous Lollipop Aisle piece. Iittala has recently re-issued some of the designs but in very limited numbers. This piece was estimated to sell for around $1,000 USD, although I couldn’t find out what it eventually sold for – I’ll update this post if I find out more. (read original article.)

The Marimekko brand will be in the spotlight on Thursday (August 7th) as the company debuts its new designs for 2009 at the Gallery International Fashion Fair in Copenhagen, Denmark. The new line is expected to continue Marimekko’s nature-inspired, colorful and joyful themes.

Here’s a peek at some of the new fall Marimekko fabric designs and patterns now available at FinnishGifts:

Pictured top left to right:

• Marimekko Joiku - An abstract design by Aino-Maija Metsola that features soothing waves of blue, white and orange.
• Marimekko Vahva - An orange and brown pattern by Harri Koskinen that’s perfect for the fall season.
• Marimekko Metsänväki - A pattern by Kristina Isola that portrays fun cartoonish trees and bushes.

Pictured bottom left to right:

• Marimekko Purnukka - This pattern features rows of brightly colored canned jars of fruits and vegetables. A black background and use of bright colors, makes this design by by Iiro A. Ahokas a very eye catching one.
• Marimekko Joiku - Another variation of an abstract design by Aino-Maija Metsola that features waves of greys, brown, white and blue.
• Marimekko Terttu - A very organic design by Aino Maija-Metsola that features a cluster of berries and lively green leaves.