Marimekko to Celebrate 70th Anniversary With Virtual Event
CAST OF COLORS: Seventy years is a real milestone in the world of fashion, and Marimekko will be marking the occasion with a virtual summer market.
All are welcome at the 12-hour digital fashion party that gets underway Friday. The celebration, which is being flagged as “The Marimekko Summer Market,” will be hosted on a dedicated, interactive website. Fans of the brand will be able to virtually try on looks from Marimekko’s spring-summer collection.
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There will also be games, chats and music among other draws. The Finnish company is offering a new twist on the festival experience while keeping all attendees safe and socially distanced.
In the spirit of inclusivity, participants will be encouraged to share their party looks with others via a digital photo booth. The virtual clothes have also been designed with all body types in mind to relay a sense of body positivity.
The Marimekko Summer Market kicks off on Friday at 12 p.m. Eastern European Summer Time on marimekko.party and the site will remain open for seven days after the initial streaming.
The summer market is a new way to experience the company’s art of printmaking through a visual space and virtual clothes, according to chief marketing officer Sanna-Kaisa Niikko.
“Our purpose at Marimekko is to bring joy to people’s everyday lives, and in celebration of our 70th anniversary, it felt paramount for us to express our company’s positive and inclusive lifestyle philosophy with something warm, communal, joyful and full of optimism.” Niikko said.
After the first Marimekko fashion show was held in 1951 at the Kalastajatorppa hotel in Helsinki, the colorful clothes were practically sold off the models backs. A few days later Marimekko was registered as an official company. The company’s first store opened In Helsinki the following year.
This year would have also been the 30th anniversary of Marimekko’s annual summer fashion event that has attracted thousands to Esplanadi Park in its home city of Helsinki. Last year the company gave the summer show the digital treatment due to the coronavirus crisis. Marimekko’s digital fashion event on Instagram reeled in participants from 10 different countries.
In other company news, Jussi Siitonen has stepped down from Marimekko’s board. Earlier this month Siitonen was named chief financial officer of Fiskars starting in November. That appointment created a conflict of interest with his duties as a board member.
And Uniqlo and Marimekko unveiled their latest spring-summer capsule collection Thursday. True to form, it is inspired by the joy and optimism of Nordic midsummer and features apparel and accessories for women and children. There are summery patterns by Fujiwo Ishimoto, Maija Isola, Maija Louekari and Annika Rimala.
Marimekko appears to have reason for a sunny forecast. The Finnish company also recently raised its earnings guidance for this year due to a strong yearlong outlook and improved first-quarter sales. Its comparable operating profit margin is estimated to be on par or higher than last year’s of 16.3 percent.
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