Know What You Wear: The story behind Uniqlo x Marimekko patterns

STOP! Before you post that #OOTD #fashion #aesthetics post on social media, have you checked what the design on your outfit meant? Or maybe at least an idea on where it originated? I’ve seen a lot of people get bashed online for wearing designs that aren’t really meant to be worn casually or those that proudly wear patterns that are supposed to be meaningful but they have no idea bout it! So if you’re interested to get a piece from the Marimekko collection at Uniqlo, check out the brief description of each pattern that caught our attention below! They’re great conversation starters at parties this season, you know. 😉

UNIQLO MARIMEKKO

Manila Millennial got an early peek at this collaboration between Uniqlo –a Japanese global apparel retailer, and Marimekko –  a Finnish design housefor their 2019 Fall/Winter Collection. As usual, we’re sharing photos before all the outfits are launched nationwide on Friday (November 29, 2019). Uniqlo Marimekko is the brand’s second limited-edition collection, following their spring release last year. The 2019 Fall/Winter collection celebrates Finnish winter traditions and augments women’s offerings for the first time with items for girls and babies (as low as P590).

It includes several new women’s items designed specially to showcase some of Marimekko’s most recognizable prints such as Kivet (stones), designed by Maija Isola in 1956, Tasaraita (even stripe), designed by Annika Rimala in 1968 and Siirtolapuutarha (city garden), designed by Maija Louekari in 2009. The bold and colorful Marimekko prints will be featured on the first Ultra Light Down Cocoon Coat, Wool Cashmere Hoodie, shirt dresses, and jumpsuits.

KNOW WHAT YOU WEAR

Siirtolapuutarha when worn

Siirtolapuutarha (city garden), designed by Maija Louekari in 2009, is a brilliant line drawing which tells a tale of a journey from a bustling city center to an allotment garden overflowing with flowers and vegetables.

Maija Isola created the Kivet (stones) print in 1956 by cutting out rounds of colored paper with scissors. The print’s shapes likely originate from the large, rough-edged stones cleared from the site of the artist’s studio home.
Räsymatto as the inner outfit on the mannequin

The Räsymatto (rag rug) pattern, designed by Maija Louekari in 2009 and inspired by allotment gardening, is linked to topical themes like sustainable living and the joy of working with your hands. Allotments, with their flower and vegetable beds, represent urban nature at its best, and rag rug on the floor of an allotment cottage tells a colourful story of its own.

Palloset on the mannequin

PMaija Louekari designed her Palloset (balls) print in 2007 by cutting out circular pieces of colourful paper and layering them on top of one another. She wanted to create a check-like surface without using actual checks.

Nonparelli on the second from the left

Nonparelli (hundreds and thousands) was originally part of an ensemble of designs combining urban life and nature. As its name suggests, this pattern represents celebration with cakes and colourful decorations.

Seireeni when worn (left), other version of Palloset (right)

This classic Seireeni (siren) pattern was part of Maija Isola’s Arkkitehti (architect) pattern series based on powerful graphic structures and designed in 1964. Maija always felt that one should not even think about the use of a fabric when designing it, and that it can only be determined by each individual’s personal tastes and needs. 

Marimekko’s mission is to empower people to be happy as they are, and to bring joy to everyday life through bold prints and colors. LifeWear is the UNIQLO commitment to creating high quality clothing that is functional and affordable, to suit everyone’s daily lifestyles. The limited edition collection brings together the complementary approaches of the two companies. The collection fuses iconic elements from both brands bringing to life Finnish winter traditions of families enjoying the outdoors in the snowy forests under the magical northern lights, and gathering around the fireplace to warm up in the cozy atmosphere of their winter cabins.

All outfits are available in small to extra large sizes. Women’s wear ranges from P790 to P6,990. Heattech items, on the other hand, are available from P290 – P990.

What do you recommend us to get from this collection? Let us know by dropping a comment on Manila Millennial‘s posts on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram! Happy shopping, millennials!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *