Toast to This Iconic Poppy Print Turning 60

Marimekko, the Finnish design house known for its eye-popping patterns celebrates an anniversary: Its iconic Unikko print turns 60. Dreamed up in 1964 by prolific designer Maija Isola (she created more than 500 textile patterns over her 38 years with the company), the stylized poppy almost wasn’t—brand founder Armi Ratia believed a flower’s essence couldn’t be captured in a print. Yet the motif was a hit. For its anniversary, a glow up: Unikko dons a new palette of green, off-white, and orange for a special edition printed on cotton sateen at the brand’s Helsinki factory. Iso Unikko acts as a large-scale minimalist version, stripping back the details by removing the flower’s eye and stem. Items such as a wool jacquard fringed blanket and cushion cover in Vesi Unikko employ two Isola patterns at once: the striped lines of Vesi atop an abstraction of the celebrated floral. Captured in situ at Alvar Aalto’s renowned Paimio sanatorium project from 1932, the collection surely calls for a toast.