“I only want to bring people together so they can get to know each other and gain something from one another.” Armi Ratia, the founder of Marimekko, 1969
In celebration of its 60-year path, the Finnish design house Marimekko, together with the Department of Design at the Aalto University School of Art and Design, presents The International Marimekko Design Competition “Why Not Together?”

Video brief of competition premieres on March 15 2011 4:30pm online at www.marimekko.com

3 competition categories:
1. Products for living, not pretending; for good every-day life.
2. Action, events and encounters generated by aesthetic thinking.
3. Service. Just for things to run even better.

Competition is open for the students at:
Aalto University, Finland
Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Konstfack University College of Arts, Craft and Design, Sweden
Parsons the New School for Design, USA
Royal College of Art, UK
Tama Art University, Japan

To participate go to WWW.MARIMEKKO.COM ON MARCH 15th, 2011

For more information contact: Aalto University School of Art and Design, Department of Design Amanuensis Helena Suonsilta helena.suonsilta@aalto.fi

Marimekko is a leading Finnish textile and clothing design house. Through its timeless, individual, practical and beautiful designs, Marimekko aims to provide aesthetic experiences for every moment in life for people of all ages. The array of Marimekko design embraces interior decoration items ranging from furnishing fabrics to tableware as well as clothing, bags, jewellery and other accessories. When Marimekko was founded in 1951, the unparalleled patterns and colours of its printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. In 2010, the company’s net sales amounted to EUR 73.3 million, of which international sales accounted for 29.4%. The Group employs about 390 people. The company’s share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.marimekko.com

The Aalto University School of Art and Design is dedicated to media, art and design and has a strong and active international presence. It is a Nordic leader and one of the most renowned in its fields worldwide. Founded in 1871, the School is a pioneer in research and education. Aalto University is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. The new University is founded on Finnish strengths, and its goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world’s top universities. Aalto University’s cornerstones are its strengths in education and research. At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 4,500 of which 300 are professors. The total budget for 2009 was close to EUR 368 million. In 2009, a total of 1,567 Master’s Degrees and 180 Doctorates were completed at the three Schools. The number of alumni totals 75,000. www.aalto.fi

www.marimekko.fi