Marimekko Corporation, Press Release, 3 October 2011 at 2 PM
MARIMEKKO SPRING AND SUMMER 2012 FASHION SHOW PREMIERES IN TOKYO ON 14 OCTOBER 2011
The celebration of Marimekko’s 60th anniversary continues on Friday 14 October when, for the first time in its history, Marimekko premieres its new clothing collection in Tokyo, in conjunction with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Designed by Noora Niinikoski, Mika Piirainen, Tuula Pöyhönen, Mai Ohta, Nina Pirhonen, Piia Rinne and Satu Maaranen, the spring and summer 2012 collection – Moments of Life in Helsinki – will be presented to media and industry professionals at Tabloid, an eclectic gallery, office and event space in the heart of Tokyo. The creative team behind the fashion show led by Noora Niinikoski, Head of Fashion Design of Marimekko, includes Finnish artist Tuomas Aleksander Laitinen, stylist Teri Niitti as well as fashion show producer Shige Kaneko and interior stylist Masayo Motegi in addition to the Marimekko teams in Finland and in Japan.
“Within the last five years, as many as 21 Marimekko stores have opened in Japan with great success. In the beginning, the product assortment focused on interior decoration and bags. Recently, demand for Marimekko clothing has increased significantly, and we want to further strengthen our position as a fashion house in Japan and Asia overall. This is why we chose Tokyo as the first city to see our original spring and summer fashion show. With this show, we also strive to garner visibility in China and elsewhere in East Asia, where people look more and more to Tokyo – rather than only to Europe or New York – for fashion trends,” says Mika Ihamuotila, CEO of Marimekko.
“We want the fashion show to communicate the stories of our spring and summer 2012 collection to our friends in Japan. These stories are about moments in Helsinki, the home of the 60-year-old Marimekko, where urban life and nature come together, in a rocky seashore landscape under the midnight sun. It is our intention to bring our fashion shows to the world’s fashion capitals on a more frequent basis, and we are delighted to start in Tokyo where the crowd of Marimekko friends has been growing and growing over the years,” says Noora Niinikoski, Head of Fashion Design of Marimekko.
The world of Marimekko design is also brought to life in the Tabloid space in the form of an installation of creative objects made of Marimekko fabric as featured in the book Surrur – Make your own Marimekko by Mari Savio and Kati Rapia.
Further information:
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, Acting Marketing Director, tel. +358 9 758 7328, tiina.alahuhta-kasko@marimekko.fi
Piia Pakarinen, Communications Manager, tel. +358 9 758 7293, piia.pakarinen@marimekko.fi
MARIMEKKO CORPORATION
Marketing Communications
Maarit Heikkilä
PR Manager
Tel. +358 9 758 7321
maarit.heikkila@marimekko.fi
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Marimekko is a Finnish textile and clothing design company renowned for its original prints and colours. The company designs and manufactures high-quality interior decoration items ranging from furnishing fabrics to tableware as well as clothing, bags and other accessories. When Marimekko was founded in 1951, its unparalleled printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. Marimekko products are sold in approximately 40 countries. In 2010, brand sales of Marimekko products worldwide amounted to approximately EUR 150 million and the company's net sales were EUR 73 million. The number of Marimekko stores totalled 84 at the year end. The key markets in 2011 are North America, Northern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group employs around 390 people. The company’s share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.marimekko.com