Colorful, patterned paper loops hang from a ceiling in an art installation, creating a dynamic and immersive indoor display with various floral and geometric designs.

September 10, 2026

Words: Georgina McWhirter

Marimekko Marks 75 Years Of Joyful Prints

Armi Ratia established Marimekko with her husband, Viljo Ratia, in 1951, the moniker a portmanteau of Ratia’s middle name and the Finnish word for dresses. Soon after, the design house became renowned for its mission to bring color and positivity to the world via its joyous prints—more than 3,500 to date—for textiles, homewares, and clothing (future first lady Jacqueline Kennedy wore Marimekko dresses throughout the 1960 U.S. presidential campaign). The label is especially loved in Japan, so to celebrate its 75th anniversary, “Marimekko: Art of Printmaking—Beauty, Dream, Love” has taken up residence in the country, starting at the Museum of Kyoto and traveling to at least six other cities over the next two years, with exhibition design by Finnish architect Hanna Anonen. Marrying past and present are 70 dresses from seven decades, a new textile by Akira Minagawa (his Japanese fashion brand Minä Perhonen Finnish for I butterfly), and an immersive digital installation resembling the Marimekko printing factory in Helsinki. marimekko.com

Milestones 75 Years: Marimekko

  • Colorful, patterned paper loops hang from a ceiling in an art installation, creating a dynamic and immersive indoor display with various floral and geometric designs.
    In “Marimekko: Art of Printmaking—Beauty, Dream, Love,” which bowed at the Museum of Kyoto, runs at Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum from October 3 to December 20, and travels to additional Japanese museums through June 2028 celebrating the brand’s 75th anniversary, Akira Minagawa’s fabric-chain installation includes a 1952 pattern by Marimekko cofounder Armi Ratia and one Minagawa designed for this exhibition.
  • Abstract Marimekko poster with bold green, pink, and orange shapes, Japanese and English text, and the marimekko logo in black at the bottom.
    The exhibit poster by Mina Tabei, its graphics drawn from textile patterns from the ’60s, ’80s, and aughts. Photography Courtesy of Marimekko; Shuhei Sakai.
  • A dark room with seven large, colorful geometric patterns projected on walls and a matching patterned table display in the center.
    A digital “printing press” and pattern projections by Plaplax art collective. Photography Courtesy of Marimekko; Shuhei Sakai.
  • Eight colorful patterned dresses are displayed on white mannequins and pedestals against a plain wall in an exhibition setting.
    Archival dresses spanning seven decades. Photography Courtesy of Marimekko; Shuhei Sakai.
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