By JackieBelle…
I’ve been wearing Converse off and on since roughly… um… my whole life. I was the first one on my block to rock them in pink, and then when I swapped a friend one of my pink ones for one of her red ones (a la Punky Brewster), I thought we were really avant garde and THE coolest girls to ever hit the second grade! Our attempts at flamboyance didn’t really make much of a splash against the garish backdrop of the eighties, but our efforts were wholehearted, and I think back fondly on that little girl with one red shoe, one pink shoe, and copper-colored Pizazz Hair Mousse in her hair. Now that I am a “mature” (read “lazy”) adult I tend stick with basic black, but Converse once again proved that they make THE coolest sneakers ever, and they have caused me to rethink my color scheme.
For the first time, Converse has partnered with Marimekko to debut a women’s specific collection for spring 2011 combining Converse’s most popular silhouettes – such as Chuck Taylor All Star High and Ox – with Marimekko’s signature pattern designs! A selection of Marimekko’s classic prints by some of its most influential designers that embrace Marimekko’s bold, vibrant styles were chosen for the Converse collection. “The two companies have always walked their own path, and we also share the same unpretentious and joyful approach to life. We hope that this positive attitude will be transmitted to the people who will be sporting the Converses in the vibrant Marimekko designs,” says Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Creative Director of Marimekko.
The Marimekko patterns featured in the sneakers include Tarha from 1963 and Pikkusuomu from 1965 by Annika Rimala and Kirppu from 1980 by Maija and Kristina Isola. Annika Rimala’s modern and original Marimekko designs adorned the covers of international fashion magazines as early as in the 1960’s. In 1967, she was chosen as one of the most influential fashion designers in the world. Maija Isola, important reformer and forerunner in the design of printed fabrics, designed over 500 fascinating fabric prints for Marimekko through her career – one of them being Kirppu, co-designed with her daughter Kristina Isola.
The Converse ♥ Marimekko collection will be available starting from February 2011 at premium retail outlets, selected Marimekko stores and at www.converse.com.
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