Marimekko starts 'Why not together?' in honour of 60th anniversary

03 Mar '11

4 min read

In celebration of its 60-year path Marimekko, together with the Department of Design at the Aalto University School of Art and Design, challenges students at the world's leading schools of design in an international Marimekko competition on the theme ”Why not together?”. The theme of the design competition starting in March draws from Marimekko's long tradition of doing things together. At Marimekko it is believed that when you do things together, everything is possible. This rich interaction ensues when people from different fields, cultures or continents are brought together. It is this interaction that can make it possible to solve even the toughest problems.

The design competition focuses, in accordance with the umbrella theme, on solutions that bring people together, fit in with Marimekko's business environment, and will work through different cultures and regions of the world. The competition encompasses three categories: products for living, not pretending – for good everyday life; action, events and encounters generated by aesthetic thinking; and service – just to make things run even better. The solutions should be unique, of high quality and sustainable and fit in with Marimekko's product portfolio or set of activities. The targeted group for competition entries are people who refuse to be bored and are surrounded by an atmosphere of vitality.

Marimekko and the Aalto University School of Art and Design already have a long tradition of collaboration which will be taken to a whole new level by the design competition, which will be extraordinarily high in quality and international on the global scale. Marimekko and the Aalto University School of Art and Design have invited the world's leading design schools and their students to take part in the competition: Design Academy Eindhoven from the Netherlands; Konstfack University College of Arts, Craft and Design from Sweden; the Royal College of Art from the UK; Parsons The New School for Design from the USA; and Tama Art University from Japan. The competition is open to all students at the Aalto University. The jury will also be international, with its membership comprised of Marimekko's Creative Director Minna Kemell-Kutvonen and Product Director Niina Nenonen, Head of the Department of Design at the Aalto University School of Art and Design Professor Pirjo Hirvonen, Aalto University School of Art and Design Researcher Tuuli Mattelmäki, Design Academy Eindhoven's Chairwoman Executive Anne Mieke Eggenkamp, Tama Art University's Professor Tadashi Takahashi, Parsons The New School for Design's Assistant Professor Timo Rissanen, Philosopher Pekka Himanen, and Academician Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi.

”Marimekko has always believed in young, fresh talent. Young people are the builders of the future and brilliant pioneers. Our diamond anniversary theme 'Why not together' impelled us to challenge young people around the world to join in our competition to think up solutionsfor everyday life from the perspective of doing things together. This competition that in an exceptional way brings together the best design schools in the world will also enable us to recruit talents of tomorrow for our strong team,” says Marimekko's Creative Director Minna Kemell-Kutvonen.

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