Few brands embody the spirit of Finnish creativity and lifestyle as vividly as Marimekko. Founded in 1951, the company transformed from a small Helsinki textile house into one of the world’s first true lifestyle brands, recognized globally for its bold prints, vibrant colors, and timeless design philosophy. From Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic choice of Marimekko dresses in the 1960s to today’s collaborations with brands like Uniqlo, adidas, and Crocs, Marimekko has consistently redefined how fashion and design can bring joy to everyday life.
As the brand approaches its 75th anniversary in 2026, Marimekko continues to inspire across generations – honoring its rich heritage while expanding its footprint in global markets such as Japan, where design, craftsmanship, and minimalism meet a natural affinity with Marimekko’s ethos.
Under the leadership of Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, President and CEO, the company has embraced both its legacy and a renewed cultural relevance, ensuring that Marimekko remains not only a Finnish icon but also a worldwide design phenomenon.
In this exclusive Bridges Q&A, Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko reflects on Marimekko’s enduring philosophy, its journey to becoming a global household name, and how the company is shaping the future of joyful, timeless design.
Bridges: Marimekko’s identity is deeply rooted in bold colors and striking prints, yet its aesthetic remains elegantly simple. How do you describe the philosophy behind this distinctive visual language, and how has it evolved since the brand’s founding?
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko: Since the company’s founding in 1951, our mission has been to bring joy to people’s everyday lives through our bold prints and colors. We have always wanted to do that by creating timeless design that stands the test of time and that people will not want to throw away. Joyful, original and timeless aesthetics have always sat at the heart of our design philosophy.
We take pride in being a thought leader in art of printmaking with our archive of over 3,500 prints. Each season is a marriage of classics from the archive paired with entirely new designs, pushing the boundaries of what the art of printmaking can be, today and tomorrow. Our ambition is to translate our legacy into each collection in a way that feels relevant to our ever-growing global audience.
Marimekko has long transcended fashion. Its influence spans lifestyle, homeware, and even pop culture. What do you consider the key milestones that helped shape Marimekko into a household name, both in Finland and internationally?
The story of Marimekko began in 1951, when Armi Ratia invited young artists to create bold prints for her husband’s textile factory. Her vision was to bring joy and fresh energy into everyday life. The avant-garde textiles were widely admired by Finns, and to show how the textiles could be worn, she organized a fashion show. The intent of the show was just to inspire, but the audience members bought the clothes straight off the models. This led to Marimekko, meaning “Mari’s dress,” being born as one of the world’s first lifestyle brands.
From the beginning, our creative philosophy has been based on the idea of a creative community. Armi Ratia believed that collaboration across art, architecture, fashion and design leads to the most interesting ideas. Today, this spirit continues strong at Marimekko. At our Helsinki headquarters and textile printing factory—built in 1973— artists, designers and printing specialists work side by side.
Brand collaborations are a natural extension of this philosophy. We have partnered with global names like Uniqlo, adidas, and Crocs as well as introduced collaborations with artists into our own collections and done smaller-scale regional and local brand collaborations. All of them help us bring joy to an even wider global audience and introduce our brand to new customers.
Marimekko’s international expansion started early, already in the 1950’s. In 1960, Jacqueline Kennedy purchased several Marimekko dresses to wear amidst the presidential campaign, drawing global attention and putting Marimekko on the global fashion map overnight. In early 2010s, we took many important steps on our international journey with, for example, new markets opened in Asia. This groundwork, together with our consistent brand and collection modernization, has been essential for Marimekko’s global expansion.
Looking ahead, we will continue to grow and nurture the global Marimekko brand phenomenon also by creating exceptional brand experiences that speak to our ever-growing community.
Next year marks Marimekko’s 75th anniversary. How is the company planning to celebrate this significant milestone, and what can Marimekko’s global community of customers and fans look forward to in 2026?
At Marimekko, our heritage is a continuous source of inspiration that we want to express always in a fresh and modern way. Throughout last year, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of our perhaps most iconic print, Maija Isola’s Unikko, with activations and events that brought joy to our community across the world, and in 2021, we celebrated Marimekko’s 70th anniversary.
Next year, we pay tribute to our rich and versatile tradition of the art of printmaking, and especially the 70th anniversary of our Jokapoika shirt – a true classic that features bold Piccolo stripe pattern, both designed by Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi. Our community can expect many surprising and joyful moments centered around the Jokapoika shirt and the Piccolo pattern next year.
At Marimekko, our heritage is a continuous source of inspiration that we want to express always in a fresh and modern way.
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marimekko
Marimekko enjoys a particularly strong resonance in Japan, a market known for its appreciation of design, minimalism, and craftsmanship. What do you think makes Marimekko’s brand and aesthetic so aligned with Japanese sensibilities, and how important is Japan to your overall brand strategy?
Japan is an important market for Marimekko, and in fact, it is the market with the largest number of Marimekko stores after our home market Finland. Over the years, Marimekko has had many ties with Japan starting with our collaboration with Japanese print designers Fujiwo Ishimoto and Katsuji Wakisaka, who created an impressive array of prints for Marimekko during the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The first Marimekko store in Japan opened in 2006, and there are currently over 40 Marimekko stores in the country.
You’ve led Marimekko during a period of global expansion and renewed cultural relevance. As President and CEO, what continues to inspire you personally in guiding such an iconic brand, and how do you balance honoring heritage while pushing for innovation?
To me, what’s most interesting in the balance between heritage and innovation is the idea of demonstrating how timelessness can feel extremely relevant in today’s world. The Jokapoika shirt is a great example of design that continues to stand the test of time. The shirt was originally designed in 1956 by Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi and it remains our longest standing product that has continuously stayed in production since it was first introduced. In 2026, this iconic shirt turns 70 and as part of this special year, we celebrate the original shirt and introduce new Jokapoika-inspired products to demonstrate the many ways of how a classic shirt can be styled in new and contemporary ways. I feel very lucky to be part of our Marimekko team and have the chance to work with such inspiring people to grow the Marimekko phenomenon around the world.
