Weekend Read: Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking, Laird Borrelli-Persson
There are few design houses whose visual language is as instantly recognisable as that of Marimekko. Bright, unapologetically graphic, and full of optimism, its prints have shaped the way many of us think about pattern in everyday life. Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking celebrates seventy years of this Finnish design institution, tracing a story in which colour, cloth and creativity are inseparable.
Founded in 1951 by Armi Ratia, Marimekko emerged with a radical idea: that design could transform daily life. Ratia’s vision was for clothing and interiors that brought joy and artistic freedom into the everyday. That same year the brand staged its first fashion show in Helsinki, presenting relaxed silhouettes made from boldly printed fabrics—an aesthetic that felt refreshingly modern in the post-war era.
Book cover for Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking, Laird Borrelli-Persson.
Among the many patterns that followed, none has become more iconic than Unikko, the exuberant poppy motif designed in 1964 by Maija Isola. The story behind it has become part of Marimekko folklore. Ratia had reportedly declared that the company would not produce floral prints. Isola responded with a stylised poppy so bold and abstract that it felt less like a botanical study and more like a graphic statement. The result became one of the most recognisable textile patterns in the world, appearing on dresses, tableware, bedding and bags, and continuing to bloom in new colour-ways decades later.
Pattern inspiration in Inside Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking, published by Thames and Hudson.
Written by Laird Borrelli-Persson, Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking is organised into four sections—philosophy and lifestyle, the factory, a sourcebook of patterns, and the future—it offers a layered portrait of how the brand works and why its designs endure.
Inside the Marimekko Herttoniemi printing factory in Helsinki.
Four screens are required to make Unikko in its classic colour way. The dark stems are printed first, followed by the long red petals, the smaller pink ones, and finally, the orange centres, which overlap with the petal colour, adding depth to the print.
One of the most compelling chapters takes readers inside the Herttoniemi printing factory in Helsinki, where much of Marimekko’s textile production still takes place. Here, the process begins with hand-drawn sketches that are separated into individual colour layers for silk screens. Some patterns require as many as a dozen screens, each applying pigment with meticulous precision. After printing, fabrics are dried, washed and tested to ensure colour fastness and durability. It is a process that blends traditional craft with modern efficiency, preserving the expressive quality of the original artwork.
Pattern inspiration in Inside Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking, published by Thames and Hudson.
The book’s extensive pattern catalogue showcases more than a hundred designs drawn from the brand’s archive of over 3,500 prints. Archival photographs, vintage advertisements and early fashion imagery reveal how these textiles moved from studio to street, becoming symbols of creative freedom. By 1960, the brand’s distinctive look had reached an international audience when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis appeared wearing Marimekko on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Pattern source material in Inside Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking, published by Thames and Hudson.
What emerges from these pages is not only a design history but a philosophy: that print has the power to shape mood, identity and space. As Marimekko continues to experiment with sustainable materials, new collaborations and evolving techniques, its patterns remain a reminder that fabric can carry both heritage and imagination.
For lovers of textiles, Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking is an invitation to look closely at the life of pattern—and to see how joy can be printed into everyday things.
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Further Information:
Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking by Laird Borrelli-Persson is published by Thames & Hudson, and is available now in the Selvedge Bookshop.
Read more about Marimekko in Selvedge Issue 127, Aurora
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Image Credits:
Lead: Unikko, the poppy motif designed in 1964 by Maija Isola. © Mariekko
All further images as credited in photo captions.