Monday’s Muse: Maija Isola

You may not recognise her name, but the chances of you having seen her work before are incredibly high…

Finnish designer Maija Isola created some of the most recognised textile patterns of the past century, her most famous being the Unikko; a design consisting of big, red poppy flowers – originally created in protest against textile company Marimekko’s founder Armi Ratia, who had previously announced that floral patterns had no place at Marimekko. Maija, however, refused to accept Armi’s decision and designed a complete range of floral patterns which were so distinctive and beautiful that Armi immediately bought eight. In 1960 Jackie Kennedy purchased seven Unikko-printed dresses and was pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in a red sleeveless version…

Renowned for an impressively large body of work, Maija Isola was said to have been inspired by traditional folk art, modernist art, a love of nature and different cultures from her travels. Gaining confidence as an artist, her work became further refined and pared back, embracing a minimalist geometric aesthetic with signature explosions of colour that remain to be loved and enjoyed today.

Maija Isola is a reminder to acknowledge and foster those with a relentless approach towards a firm vision.