Crazy op-art waveform print 60s Scandinavian dress - and a plea for info

Interesting, now I know some more names too that I'll watch out for the next time I go to Helsinki - I already know a pretty big thrift shop there.

My friend in Vienna a bought an Anniki Karvinen dress at a secondhand shop last summer - her thought was "Marimekko" too at first.

I totally adore finnish design - not just clothes or Marimekko, but things like furniture design or architecture too. I went to Helsinki the first time about 10 years ago, a chance trip for three days, with not much of an idea of what to expect - and I completely fell in love with it!

In 2005, the Design Museum in Helsinki held a big exhibition about Maija Isola, who designed many of the iconic Marimekko fabrics of the 60s (like the Unikko pattern with the poppies). Lovely exhibition, and they also published a book about it.

I have a book on the history of fashion photography in Finland (not to read it - it's mostly in finnish, and my knowledge of that language is... basic, I just bought it to drool a the photos :spin: ), in which I have just found an old fashion magazine shot that features the pink & white Vuokko dress from one of Jaana-Maris photos! That one's from 1973.

Karin

 

Sarah, that book sounds great. I checked it out - amazon Germany has one used issue for 100 Euros. Yuk! I love Taschen books - they sell a lot of them at my favorite books-surplus-shop at lower prices - but I've never seen this one there. It probably sold so well that it never went to that shop :duh:. But you never know... I'll have to keep my eyes open. I've searched for the book about the Kyoto Fashion Institute for about three years...

From what I gather from my finnish books, Vuokko is probably more high-end, like Marimekko. I've found a few more dresses by them in my book - some quite far-out stuff!

Karin