As a fashion-conscious young woman, who was born and raised in Finland, I felt a desire to read up on Marimekko, a hugely successful and well-known Finnish fashion brand, which has made great contributions to fashion in the 60′s and 70′s. As the foundations for the company were laid down during a time when I was not even born yet, I wanted to find out more about the history behind this colourful fashion corporation.
The trademark Marimekko pattern
Marimekko dates back as far as 1951, when it’s founders, Armi and Viljo Ratia, envisioned the creation of a company specialising in unique, high-quality and beautiful products for post-war Finland. The founding couple came up with the concept for their
colourful print design in order to differentiate Marimekko from other brands, and that they certainly achieved. Marimekko’s designs are still to this date, as colourful and bold as they were in the 50′s.
Read more…
Cecilia Sörensen
Cecilia Sörensen, a finnish-born fashion designer currently residing in Barcelona, has been working in fashion for almost a decade. Nevertheless, she still remains somewhat unknown to many. I found Sörensen a while back when I came across her quaint store right here, in the heart of Barcelona.
Her new fashion-concept store “Still Light”
Upon starting her career in fashion, Sörensen worked for
Antonio Miró, a Spanish fashion house founded in the 80′s. She very quickly felt the need to spread her wings and start something of her own. Even more ambitious, she decided to embark on a mission to create her own brand. And she succeeded. She has since launched two brands: “Cecilia Sörensen” which is her women’s wear collection, and “Pequeños Héroes”, a line using only recycled material.
Sörensen collection on the catwalk
This is where it gets interesting. What sets her apart from most fashion designers, is her vision of fashion and style. In an interview she gave back in 2005, she said: “In the beginning, I did everything with recycled material, mostly men’s shirts and sheets, but also men’s jackets and coats. Beginning last winter, I’ve designed two collections: one for Pequeños Heroes made solely from recycled material and the other under my name, made with traditional fabric. Both have the same theme, colour card, and they complement each other.”
Sörensen custom-made shirts
Her vision of fashion and style is significantly contrary to many mainstream ideas. She has made it clear that she has always had a problem with the fashion industry, which is very concentrated on encouraging people to consume. In Sörensen’s words, people are pushed to “consume, consume, and consume”. And with this in mind, she wanted to find a way to do both: work in the fashion industry and hold onto her belief in recycling. And her brand, “Cecilia Sörensen”, is the outcome of just that.
I’m very intrigued by Sörensen’s approach and I find myself agreeing with many of her ideas regarding style, and the fashion industry on a whole. Well-made garments do have a lifespan of more than just a few months, the time in which the average person is encouraged to change their wardrobe for a new one. I feel that Sörensen’s example of holding onto her principals just goes to show that you can do things your own way, and not follow mainstream ideas and concepts of fashion, even if you feel a “power” impelling you to do otherwise.
Sörensen’s designs are interestingly unique, fresh, and above all, feminine. And by just the mere sight of her collection, I feel the purity of her intentions and the goodness behind her concept.
The Cecilia Sörensen store is located in downtown Barcelona, in the district of Raval. For further information on how to get there, please see her
website. Feel good and inspired!
Photos from her latest collection courtesy of Cecilia Sörensen’s website.
