Target's next design partner is bold print power Marimekko

NEW YORK – Target Corp. unveiled a designer partnership on Wednesday with Finnish design house Marimekko, which is known for its bold prints.

Target's design team went to Helsinki to do its homework for the new collection, which will hit stores on April 17.

Similar to last year's popular Lilly Pulitzer collection, the Marimekko products for Target will include more than 200 pieces, ranging from apparel and swimwear to furniture and items for home entertaining.

"We've had our eye on Marimekko for quite some time, and can't wait for guests to have a chance to shop this limited-edition collection in just a few short weeks," Julie Guggemos, Target's senior vice president for product design and development, said in a statement.

Marimekko was started in the years after World War II by designer Armi Ratia, who wanted to bring color back into the country's clothes. The design house became a sensation when Jacqueline Kennedy wore a Marimekko dress on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1960.

"The Marimekko brand was created to bring color and happiness into people's everyday lives," Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, the president of Marimekko, said in a statement. "There are so many special pieces in this collection, and we are excited to share our storied prints and patterns with Target's guests across the United States."

In an announcement on its corporate blog, the first pictures of items in the collection showed black-and-white swimwear with big geometric leaflike shapes, tableware with contrasting red and yellow patterns and a kids' tent with thick, blue sine waves.

Target's partnership with Lilly Pulitzer last year turned out to be one of the most highly anticipated — and ultimately one of the fastest-selling — of the more than 150 such collaborations it has done. The company's 1,800 stores sold out of most of the collection minutes after opening on a Sunday morning in April. Sales on its website were delayed because of heavy traffic during the hours customers anticipated that items would become available. Many customers went away disappointed and turned to social media and the Internet to complain.

Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113