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Armi Ratia

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Marimekko

Armi Ratia · 1951

Marimekko is a Finnish textile and apparel company founded in Helsinki in 1951 by Viljo and Armi Ratia. It commissions artists to design bold graphic prints, then uses those prints in simple garments and home furnishings. Its early recognition at the 1957 Milan Triennale affirmed fashion as industrial art. Key outputs include the 1956 Jokapoika shirt and the 1964 Unikko pattern. It made important contributions to 1960s fashion through brightly coloured, simply styled products.