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A mighty Finnish design era came out of the rubble of WWII and was granted decisive impetus by the International Triennial's of 1951 and 1954 which clearly set up the concept of Finnish design. By officially blending design into production, materials from Marimekko had achieved international consideration with their distinguishing of a select market receptive to the large Finnish design look.

Armi and Vilji Ratia were the founders of Marimekko way back in 1951. Since that time, the corporation has become famous for manufacturing superior fabrics both for covering furniture (möbler) and for use in making apparel. The true beginning of the Finnish firm, however, dates back to 1949, when it acquired the Printex-Oy plant located just outside Helsinki. Once it was renovated to suit the company's purposes, it brought back the method of manually silk-screening on cotton sheeting.

This approach, distinguished by its resultant irregularities and duplicated patterning, made every design appear hand-made. While production methods have long since been automated, the corporation still prints to a level of manually-produced quality. By utilizing its distinctive patterns and natural fibers, it underscored its commitment to Scandinavia's love of nature.

With Armi as its design director, the firm moved away from the standard approach of the other fabric designers in Finland at that time, utilizing an assortment of patterns which incorporated the abstract graphics of various artists rather than realistic images. Their original collection of basic women's dresses, which debuted in the city of Helsinki back in 1951, was a means of showcasing the corporation's printed cottons.

Simple wrap dresses and plain styles that buttoned down the bodice were included, putting the focus squarely on the cloth instead of on the apparel's designs. This line was dubbed Marimekko (or Mary's little pinafore dress). Since that time, the company has licensed various foreign firms from 1968 on in order to extend its merchandise to encompass tablecloths and dinner napkins, bed linens, serving ware, dish ware, glassware, furniture (möbler) and other home furnishings, area rugs, and wallpaper.

Marimekko made a name for itself in the United States in the 1990's by licensing its products here. These products included fabric for interior design (inredning) such as wall coverings and rugs, as well as bed linens and much more. Their name is not as well known in America as many others are, but their designs are highly sought after. They have established a brand based on a simple classic look that is identifiable with the company.