To celebrate Marimekko’s 70th anniversary, the fashion brand invited interesting creatives from around the world to freely reinterpret Marimekko’s design language and philosophy with surprising new elements. The result is Marimekko Co-created, four limited-edition capsules within the seasonal collections.
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The pre-fall 2021 capsule (third capsule) was made in collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Wataru Tominaga, whose work is distinguished by his eclectic, gender-fluid design language.
Wataru was the Grand Prize winner at Hyères in 2016. His modern, maximalist take on Marimekko offers yet another dimension to Marimekko’s bold prints and colors, as he clashes the iconic Lokki (seagull) and Unikko (poppy) patterns in an all-new way, playing with the idea of new adventures and game-like expression.
Juxtaposing Marimekko’s heritage with contemporary Japanese design and broader cultural references, Wataru designed his streetwear pieces with everyday practicality and fun print combinability in mind. The carefully curated home selection continues his vivid design style, bringing tableware and textiles with Marimekko’s print icons in electric shades of green.
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Wataru Tominaga was born in Kumamoto, Japan, and is currently based in Tokyo. With an international outlook, Tominaga gained his education in Japan, the UK, and Finland, obtaining his practical placements with John Galliano, Eddie Peake, and BLESS.
In 2016, Wataru won The Grand Jury Première Vision Prize at the 31st International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères, and was the artist in residency at Palais de Tokyo, Le Pavillon Neuflize OBC, Paris. Subsequently, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30–Asia–The Arts 2018 list and has since launched his first commercial collection in 2020.