H&M Pays Tribute to Marimekko

What Finland and fashion have in common? One, both starts with the letter "F" and two, Finland is the birthplace of an innovative textile and clothing designer by the name of Marimekko.

Although the brand never made its presence clear in Malaysia and perhaps the South East Asian region (spare the Far East), Marimekko innovative graphic prints have long enjoyed great global fame since its inception in 1951.

The brand even gained wider attention from fashion devotees worldwide after legendary fashion icon and former First Lady of the USA, late Jackie Kennedy wore its dresses in bright prints during John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign circa 1960's.

Today, Marimekko vibrant yet evergreen prints continue to evolve and are incorporated into a variety of household items as well as fashionable accessories which are highly sought after by fashionable women, men, and also children around the world. Carried by more than 100 department and specialty stores worldwide, Marimekko products are also retailed within more than 50 of its concept stores set up in Finland, Japan, Canada, United States, and Norway.

This April, Swedish high street retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is paying their tribute to this evergreen 'house of prints' with a special limited edition collection for him, her, and the kids.

Digging deep inside the brand's 60's print archives, the H&M designing team then give these retro prints a new lease of life and the result is a collection of 70 edgy and modern clothes drenched in Marimekko's timeless prints that were once made famous by the late Jackie O herself.

”H&M’s design team has always admired Marimekko’s vivid prints and colours, and they feel so right for this season,” says H&M’s Head of Design Ann-Sofie Johansson. “We came up with the idea of creating a summer collection built around the fun and joyful attitude of Marimekko’s vintage prints.”

Among the must-have Marimekko by H&M pieces for the ladies are pinafores, shorts, and smocks mirroring a Scandinavian summer holiday spirit, as well as one-piece 50's swimsuits and bikini sets that can be ideally matched with either sun hats or maybe a versatile scarf that can be easily gathered into a cool sarong.

Short sleeve shirts and shorts in strong and bolder prints are the men's must have while children will be totally pleased by the bright and fun prints incorporated on apron dresses, skirted swimsuits and even teddy bears!

And for the first time, several selected pieces from the tribute collection will be sold outside H&M outlets and the selected retailers are 10 Corso Como stores in Milan and Seoul, as well as London's Dover Street Market.

H&M's Tribute to Marimekko collection will be available at all H&M stores starting 10th of April, 2008 with pricing range of €9.90 to €39.90.

*Photos courtesy of H&M

H&M - Queen's road 68,Central, Hong Kong; Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong; Festival Walk, Kowloon, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong; Elements,Kowloon Station, Kowloon Station, Austin Road West, Hong Kong; 645-659 Huai Hai Middle Road, Shanghai 200020; Shanghai Cloud Nine,suite 1200, No. 1018, Shanghai; Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu,shop GF20,22,24B,2F24, Pudong 200120.