Helsinki and Toronto are separated by thousands of miles, but when it comes to design, the two cities are more closely connected than one might imagine. “Marimekko, With Love,” the latest exhibit at the Textile Museum of Canada, takes a closer look at the history of Marimekko, an iconic Finnish textiles company with close ties to Toronto.
[pullquote]“I don’t really sell clothes, I sell a way of life… I sell an idea rather than dresses.”[/pullquote]
—Armi Ratia
Founder of Marimekko
Armi Ratia and her husband Viljo established Marimekko in 1951. The company’s bright prints burst onto the market during the post-World War II years, a time when fashion and design were relatively reserved. Soon after its establishment, Karelia, a Toronto-based design studio, became the exclusive distributor of Marimekko prints, thus introducing avant-garde Finnish design to Toronto tastes.
While “Marimekko, With Love” highlights Marimekko’s Canadian connection, the exhibit offers much more than a survey of the company’s early beginnings in Toronto.
“Marimekko, With Love” provides a glimpse into the mind of Armi Ratia and a crash course on the Marimekko way of life.
There are large samples of Marimekko prints and dresses on display in the gallery. The prints are mesmerizing and it’s hard to resist the temptation of reaching out and running your fingers through the cotton samples. Most of the prints in the exhibit were made during Marimekko’s early years, the ’60s and ’70s, but it would be a mistake to peg these designs as outdated. Marimekko’s designs still seem fresh and innovative to a modern viewer.
Floral prints can be found all over the exhibit, as nature is one of the driving influences behind the Marimekko aesthetic. Each designer at Marimekko puts his or her own personal spin on floral patterns. Maija Isola’s poppies are vivid and bold, whereas Fujiwo Ishito’s “Rimpi” print — which has been described as a “flowering rush” pattern — is much more subdued and minimalistic.
Marimekko’s design philosophy is more about simplicity and functionality than anything else. Ratia believed that fashion design should infiltrate all aspects of everyday life, and with that in mind, should not be fussy. The cotton fabrics and simple cuts that are on display at the Textile Museum testify to the simple, yet vibrant lifestyle that Ratia espoused. As the designer herself once explained, “I don’t really sell clothes, I sell a way of life… I sell an idea rather than dresses.”
To bring home the idea that Marimekko is a way of life, rather than a mere aesthetic trend, the gallery provides an assortment of photographs, fabric swatches, telegrams, notes, and other relics of Ratia’s history. In order to highlight the versatility of Marimekko’s designs, a projector in the exhibit plays footage of individuals wearing Marimekko while they go about their daily lives and participate in leisure activities.
It is impossible not to be captivated by the plethora of prints on display in the gallery, but there is more to “Marimekko, With Love” than beautiful fabrics. The exhibit is an homage to Armi Ratia, who built a company based upon the simple yet timeless belief that design should be a part of everyday life.
“Marimekko, With Love” runs at the Textile Museum of Canada until April 21, 2013
