Target Debuts a Collaboration with Marimekko
Photo Provided
Here in Boston, we have a special place in our hearts for Marimekko. Not only was the Finnish brand a favorite of Patron Saint of New England Style Jackie O, but also Marimekko made its United States debut in Cambridge at the now-defunct Scandinavian furniture store, Design Research.
From their irreverent “Unikko” poppy print to giant symmetrical polka-dots, Marimekko has managed to walk the line between quirky and minimalist since their debut in the 1950s. It’s no wonder that Target looked to them to create a limited-edition line of cheerful and trendy summer essentials, rendering its (typically pricey) unique brand of Nordic design more accessible. The collaboration, which is available online and in Target stores this Sunday, includes more than 200 designs for your closet and home. Think: graphic black-and-white paddle boards, mod floral bathing suits, and brightly colored melamine plates for outdoor entertaining. Prices range from $7.99 for sunscreen to $499.99 for the paddle board.
“The Marimekko brand was created to bring color and happiness into people’s everyday lives. There are so many special pieces in this collection, and we are excited to share our storied prints and patterns with Target’s guests across the United States,” Marimekko’s president, Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, said in a press release.
And the design collaboration has been a happy one. Art Studio Manager Petri Juslin—who oversees print and pattern-making for the brand—called the process “a wonderful experience” while on a recent visit for Boston Design Week.
But getting to Target quickly on Sunday is a must—according to a recent Forbes article, these designer collaborations have been wildly popular and are typically only intended to run from four to six weeks. That time frame may be overly generous—the Lilly Pulitzer and Target collaboration sold out in one day and the Missoni partnership crashed their website. And while early adopters enjoy the reasonable prices, anyone late to the party is destined to pay steep markups on eBay.
Below, get a first look at some of the playful Marimekko designs debuting this weekend.
