Big Returns

This column was written for CRAFT07 in May 2008.

If a crafter or designer takes as their mission to make durable products that resist fast-changing trends, can they succeed in business without having to sell their principles? An episode that addressed this question captured the eyes of the fashion world this spring when Marimekko, the original 1960s 'slow fashion' brand that has become a movement among its followers, entered into a controversial deal with H&M, the ubiquitous mass-producer of disposable clothing that Michelle Lee likened to McDonald's in her book Fashion Victim.

As a full disclosure, I’ve been a loyal Marimekko fan for over a decade. I fell in love with their colorful textiles and the commitment of Armi Ratia, the woman who founded the company, to create elegant and timeless garments that retain their value in spite of fast-changing trends. For me personally, Ratia's mission materialized in two stunning dresses my mother wore in the 60s. These days I get to wear those same dresses as my top summer outfits, and I look forward to  one day passing them on to the next generation. The age-defying dresses stand testimony to the success of Marimekko's slow style, an antithesis to the wasteful seasonal fashion rally. I even developed a passionate hobby to hunt down and collect all vintage Marimekko dresses I could find. 

When H&M announced that it would be using the classic Marimekko prints and models as a source of inspiration for their 2008 spring and summer collection,  Marimekko's customers predictably cried foul. Why is the McDonald's of fashion suddenly so interested in slow food? Because vintage is hip. In return for letting H&M reinterpret their products and image, Marimekko got its brand name and logo to be the central focus of H&M's global advertising campaign, sweeping over bus stops and billboards from Shanghai to San Francisco like graffiti written in disappearing ink. Former Marimekko CEO Kirsti Paakkanen (she has since stepped down) explained the partnership considerably increases Marimekko’s visibility among the young trend-conscious consumers. As a result, one of the world’s biggest marketing engines is currently promoting everlasting Marimekko as this summer’s trend. 

Not everyone chooses the route Ms. Paakkanen chose for Marimekko. Some years ago I interviewed the founders of ten highly regarded niche design brands for my Master’s thesis. In every single company I interviewed, the growth of the business had flattened when the company had reached a yearly income of 3 million dollars. Surprisingly, the reason for the stalling of growth was not that their wasn't more demand for their products. Instead, the owner-CEOs simply did not want their companies to grow any bigger. They chose to not sell to the masses because they wanted to keep their production local. The didn’t want to have someone with an MBA bossing them around. They wanted to be in charge. They didn’t want to compete on price; they were committed to making the highest quality products. And this, putting quality before profit, had been the way they managed to create the classics that collectors payed top dollar for at auctions and vintage markets. Things whose makers are known for their commitment to quality don’t lose their value. On the contrary, like good wine, their value grows over time.   

It has become a phenomenon of its own that big retailers like H&M hire celebrities like Victor&Rolf, Karl Lagerfield, and Madonna to design special collections. These collections have been very successful, and people of every age are thrilled to dress like movie stars at an affordable price.   But will these mass-manufactured celebrity designer items hold their value? Will a portion of the H&M clientele, the friends of fast fashion, turn into fans of slow fashion? Or will trend-conscious consumers soon think Marimekko is so out of season?

Comments

[Laura Bucci]

A very interesting article. I did not about this thing of 'slow style' about Marimekko. Good writing.

[Alexander]

Wherever they may be sold,I also love Marimekko designs and have just found a Web Site with the most fabulous range of Marimekko Fabric Wall Hangings.
www.wallartsuk.com

[Ulla-Maaria]

Thanks for the link Alex! Textiles on the wall are still underappreciated although in the old times for example weavings were as common form of wall art as paintings.

[Mika Sihvonen]

Marimekko is a one of a kind success story. Armi Ratia was a strong person and a talented artist with a strong vision. Living abroad gave her a wider perspective and teached her to use colours.

The colours of the 60´s are well presented in Marimekko´s products but there´s also a catch. Armi was keen to use only clean and pure basic colours. These clean colours and simple but effective designs has given Marimekko it´s recognisable style and approach to the purity of the fashion and interior design that is known widely.

There´s not too many of these stories in Finnish design history then. And Armi´s son Risto-Matti almost ruined this one too. But luckily there was a person wise enough to save Marimekko and Armi´s legacy.

For me Marimekko represents the quality and the purity of designs and colours. But there´s also some allergy against the motifs of Armi´s art.

This because of the fact that my mom was a true Marimekko fan too. When I was a kid our home has always been an altair for Marimekko. The curtains, clothes, etc. all had a Merimekko touch and our home was a true Marimekko firework then...

But today I really do appreciate both the work of Armi Ratia and the work and effort of Mrs. Kirsti Paakkanen who has done the huge amount of work and put the huge amount of investments to keep Marimekko as it is today. A leading and the most well known Finnish fashion brand of all time.

But I must admit that I´m a bit worried if Marimekko designs and brnad will be used by some large scale companies like H&M. If you ask from me - this will not do any good to the Marimekko´s image.

In Finland we have kept Marimekko as one of the very few companies that has kept it´s Finnish roots untouched then. Globalisation of Marimekko by co-operation with the "monster" cannot be the wise move then.... This may ruin the Marimekko´s image totally.

Of course, there is a possibility that the fashion monster can increase the interest in Marimekko fashion and it´s originality. It is possible that Marimekko will get a tap in the back and more people around the world will get interested in vintage Marimekko stuff too and this may have a dramatic affect to the respect of Armi Ratia´s art, work and legacy then... This is not too bad scenario either...