Celebrating 60 years of flower power

Giant floral prints in bright yellow, electric blue, avocado green and bold magenta have burst onto the scene at Marimekko’s Chapel Street store in Melbourne, which has been converted into a funky pop-up cafe to commemorate the Finnish design house’s 60th anniversary of its iconic Unikko (poppy) print.

Open from now until Sunday June 9, the cafe promises visitors an immersive experience with plenty of Scandinavian-inspired homewares, clothing items and other accessories on display.

There’s also coffee from Dukes Coffee Roasters being served and an array of delectable baked goods from the renowned Mork team.

Customers can also learn about the rich history and innovation that has defined the Marimekko brand for the past seven decades, including the fascinating story about its recognisable poppy pattern named Unikko, which was born 1964 when a visionary designer at Marimekko dared to defy the brand’s boss.

Before then, Marimekko’s founder Armi Ratia had always excluded floral designs from her collections.

It was Ratia’s belief that the true essence of real flowers could never be faithfully captured in a print, so she basically banned her team from designing anything floral related.

In protest of being told what to design, Maija Isola — a young designer at Marimekko who had always been inspired by nature — decided to create a print that was based around an abstraction of a flower, rather than a realistic rendition.

Unikko was born when a visionary designer at Marimekko dared to defy the brand’s boss

However, Ratia wasn’t sure of Isola’s Unikko print. In fact, she thought it would never sell. But Isola stood her ground and believed wholeheartedly in the power of her creation.

Eventually, it was decided that Marimekko would release the Unikko print in a bold pink, red and black colourway on a white background.

Since then, the Unikko pattern has been a bestseller for Marimekko and a huge part of the brand’s design identity.

What’s more, when Australian photographer Polly Borland suggested a blue version of the Unikko print be used for the backdrop of a portrait she was commissioned to take of the late Queen Elizabeth II for Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, the then Queen supposedly responded by saying: “Oh, I like that.”

So, with that in mind, happy anniversary Unikko, the print that dared to defy convention, impressed our late Queen and continues to win over the hearts of millions.

fast facts

+ To celebrate 60 years of Marimekko’s Unikko print, the Finnish design house has opened a pop-up cafe at 576 Chapel Street in South Yarra, Melbourne.

+ The cafe is open daily from now until Sunday June 9. Opening hours are from 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday, and from 11am - 5pm Sunday.

+ Guests can expect to find homewares, clothing and accessories from Marimekko’s latest range and its continuing collection. There is also a selection of baked treats and other delicious goodies made by the team at Mork, and coffee from Dukes Coffee Roasters.