Marimekko Corporation, Press release 23 October 2014 at 8:00 AM
The design collaboration between Marimekko and Finnair takes a new step as a Finnair Airbus 330 will soon feature a previously unseen blue colorway of Marimekko’s classic Unikko (“poppy”) print. The plane will fly from Finnair’s Helsinki hub to the airline’s long-haul destinations starting from the end of 2014, joining a sister aircraft painted in a different Unikko colorway in 2012.
“During this year we have been celebrating the fifty years of our most iconic pattern Unikko all over the world, reminding people of its story of courage and faith in oneself. We are very excited to continue the celebrations and our design partnership together with Finnair with the new Anniversary Unikko that will fly on the sides of Finnair’s Airbus 330 delighting people around the world, “ says Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, Marimekko’s COO. “For the celebration and as a continuation of our wonderful partnership with Finnair, Unikko also now has been given a special blue colorway, inspired by Finland's thousands of lakes and beautiful, clean nature.”
“We are excited to build on and extend our partnership with Marimekko, a great Finnish company that has long shared our values and vision," says Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. "Our two aircraft wearing the beloved Unikko livery are flying ambassadors of Finnish know-how, positivity and creativity. They make a proud statement as they soar toward the great cities of Asia, where both companies see a bright future.”
The design collaboration between Marimekko and Finnair began in 2012 and Marimekko for Finnair textiles and tableware were brought to all of the Finnish airline’s aircraft in 2013. The collection was designed according to the airline’s needs by Marimekko designer Sami Ruotsalainen, in original Marimekko patterns by Maija Isola. The blue, green and grey colours and the classic prints used in the collection tell the story of Finnish nature and recall the perspective of looking out from an aircraft window, flying high above the landscape.
Notes to editors
About the Unikko print: Unikko (“poppy”), one of Marimekko’s most beloved classic patterns, was born in 1964 as a protest against Marimekko's founder Armi Ratia, who had announced that Marimekko would not print any floral patterns, because flowers were more beautiful in nature than on fabric. Designer Maija Isola refused to obey Armi and created an entire series of floral prints. One of them was Unikko, which rapidly became a firm favourite and has stayed in production for already fifty years. To celebrate this five-decade milestone and the design collaboration between Marimekko and Finnair, a special anniversary version of the iconic pattern in a new, custom colorway will feature on a Finnair Airbus 330.
About Finnair: Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than nine million passengers annually and connecting 15 cities in Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, will be the European launch customer of the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past five years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.
Further information:
Marimekko, tel +358 9 758 7473, merja.paulamaki@marimekko.fi
Finnair Media Desk, tel +358 9 818 4020, comms@finnair.com.
Marimekko for Finnair images: https://gallery.finnair.com/section/images/marimekko_for_finnair/
Marimekko for Finnair collaboration video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSIw8MMNCo&list=PLxCenwGBVdej-bHWP7_9gh9FFJQWIqn3i
DISTRIBUTION:
Key media
Marimekko is a Finnish textile and clothing design company, renowned first and foremost for its original prints and colours. The company designs and manufactures high-quality household goods ranging from interior decoration textiles to tableware as well as clothing, bags, and other accessories. When Marimekko was founded in 1951, its unprecedented printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. Marimekko products are sold in about 40 countries. In 2013, sales of the company's brands were some EUR 191 million with net sales of EUR 94 million. At the end of 2013, there were 133 Marimekko stores. The key markets are Northern Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group has about 500 employees. Marimekko's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.marimekko.com
