Marimekko Corporation, Press Release, 12 November 2015, 9:00 a.m.
Tomorrow, 13 November, Marimekko will open its revamped Helsinki flagship store on Mikonkatu in the Galleria Esplanad mall. The one-floor store unveils Marimekko's new store concept, the aim of which is to offer better service and to be an ensemble that is even more inspiring for customers. Alongside the store concept update, Marimekko is developing its digital service and seeks to create a more seamless customer experience between online shopping and bricks-and-mortar stores. The updated concept supports the clarification of Marimekko's collections and visual image, and it will gradually spread to other Marimekko stores in Finland and abroad as new stores are opened and existing ones are revamped.
The central idea of the store concept is a Marimekko home with a variety of worlds and atmospheres. The flagship store displays the most diverse range of Marimekko fashion, home products, bags and accessories, grouped according to different home areas. The force behind the concept is the international Pentagram design agency, which has designed stores for clients including Margaret Howell, COS, Christian Louboutin and Alexander McQueen.
"The starting point for our new store concept is the cheerful and colourful Marimekko home. We wanted to build an inviting and homey ambience in which the Marimekko lifestyle opens up its full panoply. The store transports the customer into different home spaces and worlds, and gives them ideas for their everyday moments and needs. The store architecture strongly reflects Finnish aesthetics and design traditions as well as the timeless and enduring values behind these, which increasingly appeal also to our international customers. We hope that our Helsinki flagship store will become a new kind of meeting place for people interested in beautiful everyday design," says Marimekko President Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko.
In the new store, the Finnish design philosophy is also evident in furnishing choices and the materials used. "We wanted to introduce a dialogue between Marimekko and other Finnish designers. Natural materials, such as wood and stone, reflect the significance of Finnish nature as a source of inspiration for our designers and make an excellent background for Marimekko products," Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko adds. The new store space and lighting were designed to be flexibly adaptable to many different situations and atmospheres for which Marimekko is noted as a strong builder.
The new flagship store reinforces Marimekko's presence in Helsinki. The previous flagship store in the Galleria Esplanad mall closed in September for the period of the relocation. Marimekko now has a total of 15 stores in the Helsinki metropolitan area, and in all there are some 150 Marimekko stores worldwide.
Photos of the store http://mediabank.marimekko.fi/?cart=11023-dbdbadkmad&l=EN
Further information
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, President
+358 9 758 71
tiina.alahuhta-kasko@marimekko.com
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Marimekko is a Finnish design company renowned for its original prints and colours. The company’s product portfolio includes high-quality clothing, bags and accessories as well as home décor items ranging from textiles to tableware. When Marimekko was founded in 1951, its unparalleled printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. Marimekko products are sold in about 40 countries. In 2014, brand sales of the products worldwide amounted to EUR 187 million and the company's net sales were EUR 94 million. More than 140 Marimekko stores serve customers around the globe. The key markets are Northern Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group employs about 500 people. The company’s share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.marimekko.com