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.

Congratulations to Sirpa T. (Berkeley, CA) and Judy T. (Cloquet, MN) who each won a
glass bird by Iittala in a drawing held at the FinnStyle booth at FinnFest. There were over 700 entries in the drawing for chance to win either a Common Redpoll glass bird by Oiva Toikka or a Cotton Candy glass bird by Anu Penttinen. The Common Redpoll was Toikka’s official bird for FinnFest 2008. The Anu Penttinen collection was released this year by Iittala.

Our FinnStyle booth at FinnFest 2008 in Duluth, MN.

Beatrice Ojakangas is a well-known chef and author of over 25 Finnish/Scandinavian cookbooks.

Osmo Vänskä is an acclaimed conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

David Salmela is an accomplished architect whose original designs and buildings have won multiple industry awards.

The iconic Moomin cartoon characters by Tove and Lars Jansson continue to be alive and full of energy today as Iittala’s Arabia has added two new character drawings to its Moomin dish collection. The new porcelain mugs and bowls feature classic Moomin characters, Little My and Mymble (also known as The Mymble’s Daughter). In the famous book and comic strip series, Mymble is the oldest daughter in the Mymble family and considers it her duty to watch after young Little My, who is a very determined and brash little girl. These fun and cute mugs, as well as the rest of the Moomin collection, are available at FinnishGifts.

FinnFest 2008 has come and gone and what a time it was. The excitement started last Wednesday and ended last night with an estimated 7,000 people taking part in the Finnish celebration. FinnFest definitely offered a chance to “learn, celebrate and grow” Finland as there was something for everyone. The five day festival in Duluth (Minnesota) was filled with a variety of renowned speakers, talented music acts, delicious Finnish food, even a fashion show and of course plenty of booths to shop for your favorite Finnish merchandise (i.e. Marimekko accessories, Aalto vases, Iittala glassware). The festival was highlighted by an unforgettable ceremony with the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, speaking and receiving an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Our friend Angela (at frozenreindeer.com) has posted a great recap of her FinnFest trip, complete with many photos and video clips! To read and see more of the sights and sounds of FinnFest 2008, please visit FinnFest 2008, Flickr, Duluth News Tribune and the Frozen-Reindeer blog.

(pictures courtesy of Angela @ frozenreindeer.com)

For over 70 years, the Alvar Aalto Savoy vase has withstood the test of time and continues to be a shinning icon in the world of modern design. Alvar Aalto’s famous vase has recently inspired Czech designer, Jan Ctvrtnik. Ctvrtnik recently won the Climate Competition put on by Dutch design company, Droog.

The competition was open to anyone with interesting and challenging design ideas. The design could take on any form but had to incorporate some type of climate theme.

The original influence behind Aalto’s classic Savoy shape has always been under speculation but many people believe that he modeled it after an outline of a lake in Finland. The word ‘droog’ is a Dutch word that means ‘dry’ and Ctvrtnik’s Aalto inspired vase literally incorporated ‘dry’ into the climate theme. Ctvrtnik’s simple modification suggests how the lake’s shape could change due to global warming. For more pictures of the Aalto inspired vase, visit Droog’s website.