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Marimekko and Spinnova’s collaboration on groundbreaking, sustainable fabrics recognized in Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards

Marimekko and the Finnish fiber technology company Spinnova’s collaboration on groundbreaking, sustainable fabrics was recognized as a finalist in the Sustainability category in Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards. The collaboration also received an honorable mention in the Experimental category.

One of the most sought-after design awards in the industry, Innovation by Design is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation. The awards recognize people, teams, and companies solving problems through design.

Marimekko and the Finnish fiber technology company Spinnova presented the first ever printed clothes made of Spinnova's wood-based fiber containing no harmful chemicals in February 2020.

The denim-like jacket and bag sporting the monochromatic Unikko print as well as the striped jersey shirt, all in strong primary colors of blue and red, comprise the timeless design elements of Marimekko. Playing with these classics, Marimekko’s ready-to-wear designer Riikka Buri gave the demo products a modern twist with oversized proportions and fresh color combinations. Both the woven and the jersey fabric used in these products were made of the Spinnova fiber (combined with cotton and/or lyocell). The outfits were designed, printed and manufactured by Marimekko at the Marimekko House in Helsinki, Finland.

As part of its ambitious sustainability agenda, one of the key objectives of Marimekko is to continuously increase the share of sustainable cotton and other more sustainable materials in its products and packaging. The Spinnova fiber represents a very promising new sustainable material innovation.

What is Spinnova?
With Spinnova’s technology, wood pulp can be spun into textile fiber without regenerating, dissolving or harmful chemicals. The method is considerably less of a strain on the environment than e.g. viscose or cotton production. The manufacture of the Spinnova fiber consumes some 99 percent less water than cotton production. A fabric made with Spinnova fiber is fully circular post-consumer and biodegrades quickly, which further reduces the environmental footprint of the fiber’s entire life cycle. The cooperation of Marimekko and Spinnova on the development and market entry of new, wood-based textiles began in 2017.