Flower Power

Instantly recognisable by its cheery, outsized floral prints, Finnish lifestyle brand Marimekko has returned to our shores with a new partner. CEO Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko shares what's next.

- LYNETTE KOH

In 2024, Finnish fashion and lifestyle brand Marimekko will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its iconic Unikko print, which features large-scale, asymmetrical poppies, originally rendered in red and in blue. But it’s a print that might not have existed if not for the daring of one of the company’s textile designers, says Marimekko CEO Tiina AlahuhtaKasko, speaking to The Peak at the brand’s new store at Ion Orchard.

Speaking rapidly and energetically, the 42-year-old Finn shares, “Our founder, Armi Ratia, had actually forbidden Marimekko designers from creating floral prints, because she felt that flowers would always be more beautiful in nature. But this famous Marimekko designer, Maija Isola, felt strongly about creating something inspired by flowers, and she did something completely different from the small, romantic flower prints that everybody else was doing then. She created Unikko, an avant-garde, simplified expression of a flower. And that completely changed our founder’s mind.”

Just like Isola and Ratia (who founded Marimekko in 1951) before her, Alahuhta-Kasko is a strong-willed female who is taking the company to greater heights. After becoming CEO eight years ago, her focus has been on modernising the company and its offerings, as well as growing its overseas presence. Revenues have steadily grown, with an operating profit of 30.2 million euros ($44.2 million) last year, up from 5.2 million euros when she took over in 2016. Here, the dynamo tells us about why Marimekko has such personal meaning for her, heading “one of the world’s first real lifestyle brands”, and returning to our shores.

Is there anything about the new Marimekko store that is unique to Singapore?