Things I learned from this profile of Marimekko:

• Marimekko is Finnish for “Mary’s Dress.”
• The company is 94% female!
• Their factory in Helsinki has a shop next door that sells discounted seconds with printing errors. 😳
• As part of the company’s turnaround in the 90’s, the new CEO gave individual designers profit responsibility on their designs. Giving decision-making authority to the people doing the work seems to pay off whether in tech or in textiles!
• “Early on, when Isola was making many of the company’s famous patterns by transferring her paintings to fabric, she would test them out in black and white before thinking about colors.” Good tip to keep in mind for my next sewing/knitting projects.

“When you see a colorway, you just know whether it’s Marimekko or not.” – Yep. I was lucky enough to score a pair of Marimekko Converse when I was in the US a few years back. They always draw compliments!