In Shanghai this week, Finland’s national carrier announced an inspired, strategic partnership with fellow Finnish export brand Marimekko
November 1st, 2012
Not content with playing host country for the 2012 World Design Capital, Finland this week reinforced their commitment to “Embedding Design in Life” – extending the Finnish affinity for design into 2013 and beyond.
With Helsinki currently the world’s design epicentre; abuzz with creative programs and displays of smart design thinking, the announcement that Marimekko one of the worlds most famous textile and fashion design houses has joined forces with the national airline, means the design dialogue now reaches far beyond Finland’s borders with every departing flight.
The cooperation between the two brands sees two A340 aircraft repainted featuring Maija Isola’s iconic “Unikko” floral print from 1964. Onboard the aircraft a range of textiles, utensils and decorative elements have also been redesigned to incorporate the distinct patterning of Marimekko’s collections.
Currently in Australia ahead of Marimekko’s first Australian boutique opening in Sydney, Marimekko CEO Mika Ihamuotila, says:
“Finnair is a natural partner for Marimekko, as in my opinion it has been the first airline in the world to lift up design and place it strongly at the center of its service,”
Equally enthused by the pairing is the airline’s CEO Mika Vehviläinen:
“Finnair has a strong design heritage, and this cooperation brings our design thinking to a new level, our goal is to become a design airline, and bring our customers unique experiences for all five senses. Cooperation with Marimekko is an important step towards this target.”
Already flying between Helsinki and major Asian hubs, the first of the “Unikko” A340’s is a strategic positioning of both brands in a market that has impressively expanded for both parties.
Finnair’s access to Europe from their Helsinki hub has secured them rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific region – whilst Marimekko has always enjoyed a strong following in Japan, in recent times the demand in Chinese markets has flourished – leading to this design collaboration being first announced at this week’s Shanghai Design Week.
Finnair
Marimekko
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The workplace has changed – and it will continue to evolve. With dynamism at the heart of clients’ requirements, architects and designers at leading practices such as Elenberg Fraser are using and recommending Herman Miller’s OE1 products for the future workplace.
Bidding farewell to mundane and uninspired office spaces, colour has transformed our workplaces into layered and engaging environments. So we sit down with Karina Simpson, Hot Black’s Workplace Lead, to talk about the influence colour has on the workspace landscape through the prism of Herman Miller’s progressive colour philosophy.
Sharpie’s Golf House in Sydney’s Surry Hills has stood as one of the last vestiges of the suburbs industrial past. PTI Architecture has recently collaborated with fashion designer Collette Dinnigan to reimagine Golf House as modern luxury residence. Christina Rae writes.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Besotted with the rare and unusual, Imogen Reed has created a tapas restaurant in Sydney’s Potts Point, that feels at once ghostly and opulent.
A new Reconciliation Garden at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Herston campus showcases the power of collaborative design. The project saw a partnership between Arcadia, Multhana Property Services and representatives of Traditional Owners of the land.