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MARIMEKKOKIDS

Creative, curious, confident.

Playing and boldly building

worlds of their own,

where anything is possible.

Ready for adventure?

On your marks, get set, go!

S P R I N G I S S U E

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K U R I N A tee shirt

R A S S E shorts

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KÖ R Ö tee shirt

K E I K A R I shorts

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A R V O I T U S raincoat

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KÖ R Ö tee shirt

K E I K A R I shorts

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H A S S U T TA A tee shirt

J U KS ATA skirt

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S U K E L L U S swimsuit

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V I L K K U tunic

K E I K U N leggings

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L U P S A K A S raincoat

R A L L I raincoat

P L AT I N A trousers

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H A S S U T TA A tee shirt

J U KS ATA skirt

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PLENT Y OF COLOUR &

S U P I N A

overall

E R N I E

backpack

R A I T T I

stacking boxes

M U KS U

set

O I VA /J A K A R I

tableware set

D I N O

raincoat

N A S S U

tee shirt

P I I P P O L A

hoodie

P L AT I N A

trousers

P I K K U P O J A N PA I TA

shirt

TÖ M P S I S

set

PÄT K Ä

socks

V I N D E

body

I WANNA JOIN

THE FUN!

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P I U M

socks

S U I P P O

tights

VA R N A

tights

JOY FOR THE KIDS

J A L L A I

dress

K A R K U T E I L L Ä

suitcase

B O B O O

towel

M I N I - U N I K KO

bib

O I VA / B O B O O

tableware set

V E S S E L I

overall

M O L L I

backpack

T U I K K I

dress

K I I K K U

set

TOOT TOOT!

LET ’S PLAY TOGETHER!

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DRESSED FOR FUN

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The first step in designing a new collec-tion is to choose the right patterns and colours. Once Marimekko’s pattern designers and collec-tion team have agreed on the season’s pattern and colour palette, Anu starts looking for suit-able fabrics and materials. Emphasis is on soft-ness, flexibility and quality. A mother herself, she knows what it takes to design functional children’s clothing. After the fabrics and ma- terials have been selected, she starts sketch-ing the outfits with pencil and paper. “I focus on simple forms, beautiful details and playful cuts. They’re the best way to bring out Mari mekko’s print designs. I also consider classics like the Tasaraita (even stripe) jersey styles and the Iloinen takki (happy coat) dresses. These favour-ites are always a collection cornerstone.”

This spring’s collection features a swathe of new print designs, including Jenni Tuominen’s Ulapalla (on the open sea) pattern. Anu likes how Jenni’s design is colourful and deliciously abstract – the perfect combination of new and familiar Marimekko. Complementing the new patterns are classic Marimekko elements like stripes, dots and floral prints. Aino-Maija Met-

sola’s humorous animal characters, which ap-pear on the collection’s T-shirt designs, also add a twinkle of good-natured fun. The cre ative impulse for the collection’s newborn items was Katsuji Wakisaka’s beloved Nekku (candy) and Rulla (roll) patterns, which are in good com-pany with Maija Louekari’s witty Karkulaiset (run-aways). “When I choose print designs, I’m inter-ested in how you can mix and match them. I also want people to have fun with prints – even if it can get a bit silly or naïve at times. You can al-ways find these two qualities – fun and freedom – in Marimekko prints.”

For Anu, her biggest motivator and expert assistant can be found at home. “My little son Niko is an endless source of inspiration. His im-agination, fun attitude, and growth as a person give me new ideas and motivate me to do more.” Besides observing the playful world of children, Anu is also inspired by home decoration, 1950s design and architecture, and her neighbourhood in Helsinki.

Anu became a designer of children’s cloth-ing by chance. After graduating in fashion de-sign, she worked as a freelance illustrator in New

York. One of her customers was launching a chil-dren’s collection and she got to design the launch visuals. She soon realized that she liked design-ing for children rather than for adults. “When I’m designing children’s clothing, the best part is how you can give your imagination full reign. You don’t have to furrow your brow and get all serious. But you have to keep in mind that adults buy children’s clothing. So you also need to keep your feet on the ground. I especially like it when I invent some-thing beautiful yet practical – something that makes everyday life easier. For example, I’m not a big fan of buttons in children’s clothing.”

In 2008, Anu joined Marimekko as designer Samu-Jussi Koski’s assistant. After giving birth to her son, she has continued to design chil-dren’s clothing for Marimekko and develop the kids’ collection as part of an incredibly inspiring team. “Fun and playful” are her favourite two words to describe the new collection. Maybe Anu has found her dream job in Marimekko.

Anu also has another dream: to merge her current and former hometowns, Helsinki and New York, into one great city. No downsides to worry about – just the best of both cities in one place.

“ I WANT KIDS TO WEAR CLOTHING THAT MATCHES THEIR ACTIVE AND

RAMBUNCTIOUS LIFESTYLE . I WANT TO CREATE CLOTHING THAT’S SAFE ,

COMFORTABLE , EASY TO WEAR AND EASY TO CLEAN.” ANU SUSI , ONE

OF THE DESIGNERS BEHIND OUR CHILDREN’S CLOTHING COLLECTION,

ALSO WANTS TO INTRODUCE KIDS TO THE WILDLY IMAGINATIVE

WORLD OF MARIMEKKO PATTERN DESIGNERS.

Sketches for clothing with the Toffee and Lokki (seagull) patterns.

THE FLYING GIRAFFE

I like to run with the cloud animals. I try to race like the wind. Then I take a giant leap. I’m sure I will fly one of these days. If I had wings, like all birds, I would soar in the sky with the cloud animals. But I would need to take my wings off when mummy yells that supper is ready. I’m not sure she would like me wearing a pair of wings to dinner. Maybe my wings could get their own coat rack next to the stairs.

The best part is when the cloud animals play their shape-shifting games. When the wind changes di-rection, the camel becomes a cat and

the cat be-comes a camel.

Sometimes I wish I could change places with our dog. I could stay in the yard and continue digging, while the dog would go inside for a bath. He could then borrow my towel with the big flower pattern.

Today I told mummy that I saw a unicorn. I was told that you can’t find them in any zoo. That’s all right. I think it would be better if they could run free in the sky. They’d really like all the wonderful colours around them: sunny yellows, deep purples, bright blues. I doubt they would like to be locked up in a grey, boring stable.

At night, when darkness falls, I sometimes miss the

cloud animals. I try catching a peek of them through the window

to the very end. Luckily I found a bag of white

fluff in a bathroom cabinet. I moulded the fluff into a pig with three ears and an antelope. My little sister was about to spoil everything, but she calmed down when I gave her something to shape. Mummy was slightly disap-pointed that we had used up all the fluff. She said she needed it to clean off her mascara.

When mummy saw all the different cloud animals, she wasn’t angry any-more. She picked me up and spun me around in the air. I was a flying giraffe.

Suddenly, mummy turned into a horse with a white ponytail and my lit-tle sister became a huge pink bear who had on the same nightgown as my little sister. We played being cloud animals through the evening and I was laughing so much that my stomach hurt.

Later we lay on the bed and caught a glimpse of the cloud animals before the sun gave way to night. They glimmered in the twilight.

SOMETIMES, ON A WINDY DAY IN EARLY SPRING, AN ARMY

OF CLOUD ANIMALS GALLOPS ACROSS THE SKY. THERE THEY GO.

SWOOSH, SWISH, SAYS THE COLD GUST, WHILE FERRYING

G IRAFFES, CATS AND CAMELS IN ITS FROSTY GRIP.

T E X T:

A I N O

A H L N Ä S

I L L U S T R AT I O N :

M A I J A

L O U E K A R I

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R U L L A ( R O L L) PAT T E R N

D E S I G N : K AT S U J I W A K I S A K A , 19 81