Marimekko's Unikko Pieni: The Finnish way of experiencing the joy of colors
Finnair media bank, 2020.
When the winters are long, dark and cold, it's essential to seek everything that can bring even a little drop of color into the repetitive daily routine. For the Finns, the salvation was to be found in the bright colors and joyful patterns, like the Unikko Pieni pattern, created by the local brand Marimekko.
Perhaps, almost everyone in the Western world at least once has seen items, decorated with the famous poppy-pattern by the Finnish brand Marimekko. Its name «Unikko pieni», which translates from Finnish as «a small poppy», became one of the brand's highlights and simultaneously the unofficial national symbol of Finland, as the company designers put the pattern not only on clothes and interior articles, but even decorated the airplanes of the national airlines «Finnair» since 2012 with the flowers. That's why once we see the pattern, it is immediately associated with the land of reindeers, Angry Birds, «Nokia»-phones and Moomins in our mind.
Marimekko mediabank, 2020.
The design of Unikko was invented in 1964 by the company's designer Maija Isola. The interesting fact is, that the director of Marimekko at that time, Armi Ratia, who established the company in the 50s for making utilitarian and affordable textiles for everyday use as the response to the economic void in the country after World War II, first was against the creation of any floral patterns. She was sure that «only nature could create something as beautiful as flowers». But nevertheless, Isola created the flower tracery despite of Ratia's scepticism, and fifty years later the pattern became an incredibly groundbreaking hit and bestseller all over the world.
According to the story, Maija tried to sketch the flower by using only black pigment first. She didn't want to mess the pattern up by adding other colors, which would have distracted her from perfecting the drawing's details. Armi Ratia once said, regarding that fact: «There is no reason to mess up a print with a color unless there is a reason.». This was the way the pattern was invented.
There are several variations of different colors painted on the different items. First of all it is used on tissues, and also in interior design items as curtains, tablecloths, pillowcases, towels and as a pattern for porcelain tea-sets. The original color combination of Unikko was in red, pink, orange and black on a white background, just as poppy flowers really are in nature. Nowadays these combinations are also presented in other color variations, but the original red remains as the brand's «signature».
Unikko pieni is indeed so colorful and joyful as a drawing in itself, that it easily makes you feel happy, even on a cold dark winter evening somewhere in Scandinavia. Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, who is now the company's president, once explained why the phenomenon of the Marimekko Unikko pattern comes exactly from Finland, a Nordic country with a harsh northern climate and tough winter. Since the Finns don't see much sunlight during the dark wintertime, the pattern was created for sourcing the sun and energy from their decorated homes and clothes. Nature is therefore a very important source of inspiration in this case, because it provides the designer with ideas that they can then interpret in their unique way of vision, just as Maija did. By applying the colors and by playing visually with the painting's structure, form and the emotions that a painting can cause aesthetically, one can create not just a pattern, which will bring a success for the company, but which may become a piece of art, a concept in itself, lasting for years and giving the brand a certain reputation not only on local terms, but internationally.
Marimekko mediabank, 2020.
This is exactly the case of Unikko. It is also remarkable how universal the print is, since it is applied on clothes, interior and household items, and even on the airplanes. It is really an inspiring and amazing example on how a fantasy of one painter can be imprinted and materialized on so many and sometimes truly unbelievable objects such as aircrafts, which play a role in creating a certain view on the whole nation. Could Maija Isola imagine back in 1964, that the small poppy flower would later become such a legendary piece of art in 50 years? I am sure, that she would have been really touched and delighted as an artist by such a fact. Thankfully to her, we have Unikko bringing life and colors in our daily routine, what makes us happy, energized and aesthetically inspired for making things and being grateful to the nature, as an essential provider of beauty, colors and happiness.
Kilder:
https://company.marimekko.com/en/about-marimekko/history/
https://www.curbed.com/2017/4/10/15242790/marimekko-finland-history-fashion-unikko-design
https://www.odalisquemagazine.com/the-colors-of-marimekko
https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-05-27/flower-design-your-shower-curtain-it-just-turned-50