Linkages
Ulla-Maaria Engeström lives in San Francisco and is CEO of
Social Objects, Ltd., founder of Thinglink (
thinglink.org), and
author of the HobbyPrincess blog (
hobbyprincess.com).
Big Returns
I’ve been a loyal Marimekko fan for more than
a decade. I fell in love with their colorful textiles
and founder Armi Ratia’s commitment to creating EVERLASTING
TREND?
If a crafter or designer takes as her mission
the making of durable products that resist fast-changing trends, can she succeed in business
without having to sell her principles? This spring
Marimekko, the original 1960s “slow fashion” brand,
entered into a controversial deal with H&M, the
ubiquitous mass-producer of disposable clothing,
addressing just this question.
Marimekko
meets H&M.
elegant and timeless garments. For me, Ratia’s
mission materialized in two stunning dresses my chose for Marimekko. Some years ago I interviewed
mother wore in the 60s. the founders of ten highly regarded niche design
These days I wear those same dresses, and look brands for my master’s thesis. In every single com-
forward to passing them on to the next generation. pany, the growth of the business had flattened when
The age-defying dresses stand testimony to the it reached a yearly income of $3 million. Surprisingly,
success of Marimekko’s slow style, an antithesis to the reason for their stalled growth was not that
the wasteful seasonal fashion rally. there wasn’t more demand for their products.
When H&M announced in November that it would Instead, the owner-CEOs simply did not want their
be using classic Marimekko prints and models as a companies to grow any bigger. They didn’t want to
source of inspiration for its 2008 spring and summer compete on price; they were committed to making
collection, Marimekko’s customers predictably cried the highest quality products. And this, putting
foul. Why is the company that Michelle Lee likened to quality before profit, was how they had managed
McDonald’s in her book Fashion Victim suddenly so to create the classics that collectors paid top dollar
interested in slow fashion? Because vintage is hip. for at auctions and vintage markets. Things whose
In return for letting H&M reinterpret its products makers are known for their commitment to quality
and image, Marimekko got its brand name and logo don’t lose their value. On the contrary, like good
to be the central focus of H&M’s global advertising wine, their value grows over time.
campaign, sweeping over bus stops and billboards It has become a phenomenon of its own that big
from Shanghai to San Francisco like graffiti written retailers like H&M hire celebrities like Viktor & Rolf,
in disappearing ink. Karl Lagerfeld, and Madonna to design special
Marimekko’s former CEO Kirsti Paakkanen (she collections. These collections have been very
has since stepped down) explained that the partner- successful, and people of every age are thrilled
ship “considerably increases Marimekko’s visibility to dress like movie stars at an affordable price.
among the young fashion-conscious consumers.” As But will these mass-manufactured celebrity
a result, one of the world’s biggest marketing engines designer items hold their value? Will some of the
is currently promoting everlasting Marimekko as this H&M clientele, the friends of fast fashion, turn into
summer’s trend. fans of slow fashion? Or will trend-conscious con-
Not everyone chooses the route that Paakkanen sumers soon think Marimekko is so out of season? ×
