fall promise.

last night a hefty group of fashion and design enthusiasts gathered to see what marimekko, the most iconic fashion house of finland, has to offer next fall. since changes in ownership, they have taken a different artistic and marketing direction; instead of high culture consuming middle aged women who love to power dress, marimekko has their eye on the fashion sensible young woman who identifies with the hype of finnish design.

since the arrival of samu-jussi koski, who was appointed creative director this year, they've had my attention, for sure; i still fondly remember prancing around their store on the esplanade in my converse high tops, tsubi (presently known as ksubi for whatever reason...) tee and koski's bradshaw skirt (one of five, i was told, although they reproduced a few more next summer...) not knowing what hit me whilst buying baby shower presents. the next year, koski's first small collection was produced for marimekko, and ever since, i've regularly bought something from each collection and praise the wearability.


as marimekko is best known for colorful cotton prints, it didn't come as a major surprise that their fall theme was about bringing color into the darkness. i don't envy the designers who have to work with graphic patterns which in most cases look best as large surfaces, but they seem to succeed quite well. the color combinations were bold: expect purple with yellow (outch, i must say. the use of opposites creates interesting tension in fashion, but entire patterned outfits are a bit too much...), more purple with blues and greens (quite fresh and beautiful), oranges, salmon red and green.

since i am a fashion pragmatist, my foremost attention grabber is what pleases the shopper in me, that is, the dress i want for myself. the show was dresses galore, but i cannot help but wonder how many seasons are they going to reutilize the egg and the tulip hems? there's nothing essentially wrong with those shapes because they are very wearable, but it does get repetitive... then again, some might call it staple style.

ultimately, my favorite was this green velvet dress. judging from the buzz afterwards, i wasn't the only one who enjoyed the beautiful soft sheen of the material and the simple, yet sophisticated cut.


but the quintessential gossip generator was the announcement of a new designer team: rinne-niinikoski. known for their playful collages and bold detailing, their handiwork was instantly recognizable and, i must say, a breath of fresh air. i really look forward to these knit dresses.