Marimekko’s Jokapoika Shirt is Made to Last

In celebration of the staple piece, office sat down with Marimekko’s Design Director, Emmakaisa Kirves, to discuss the legacy of the garment that has enthralled generation after generation.

Marimekko’s first classic style was originally designed by Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi in 1956. What were Eskolin’s original inspirations for this timeless design?

Kirves — As a Fin, we know her well and she really was a revolutionary designer at the time. Because if we think about the fifties, it was very much about feminine silhouettes and concentrating the baseline of womenswear on dresses. And then we have Eskolin who brought shirts that were also used by women as dresses that were looser — you could run around in them and feel free. I think she brought something new for women. But of course, the Jokapoika shirt itself was mainly for men. Though as time has gone by, women have been starting to wear it. But I find it very revolutionary how Eskolin took a simple approach to both prints and silhouettes.

The Jokapoika shirt has also been sold for the longest period in the brand's history and it cemented the status of the piece as a garment that is truly representative of the spirit of Marimekko. In your opinion, what qualities of the shirt have allowed the design to withstand the test of time?

I think we wouldn't have that in production every year if the print wasn't super clever. I don't even know if everyone realizes it, but the print consists of one stripe that overlaps. So it's the one stripe with two different colors and then when you see it overlap, it might create a third color. So I think it's both about the shirt, which is of course very iconic, but also its unique intricacies, like the metal buttons. Those elements combined with the print encapsulate the Marimekko essence. It's simple, but it's not just straight lines. So there is the hand-drawn aspect, then the use of color which comes in options of very colorful or more neutral, so you get very different aesthetics that the shirt can be paired with. I think it's the combination of all of these elements.

I think many of Marimekko's other pieces are instilled with this sense of longevity and it goes hand in hand with another core tenet of the brand, which is sustainable design. I think that timelessness and longevity speak to that concept very well. What environmentally-considerate elements of this particular garment can you speak to?

The design itself is something that is relevant in every decade, which calls to the longevity you mentioned. That is the core. It's timeless in the sense that it's not too trendy. The Marimekko method that we abide by is that we create something that is gonna be timeless and relevant not only now, but also after 10 or 20 years. We also haven't really tweaked the Jokapoika since its debut, really. The only thing that we have addressed is the durability of the garment. But the product itself hasn't changed. If we want to make it more durable, for example, we use different colorings — we might use botanical or natural colors. We are always looking for the best quality resources to employ.

That's really important because it opens up this conversation about valuation and I think, especially with this particular garment, it has this grand backstory. When I hear that a piece has a story, I value it more. I think that valuation is an important factor in people holding onto something and treasuring it for a long time or even passing it down to someone else. This type of quality production teaches people that there is more beyond what they see on the hanger.

That's exactly it. For example, when we realized that we had some extra stock and materials, we wanted to do this limited edition capsule with upcycled versions of the Jokapoika. They were sold very, very quickly, of course, because they were unique pieces. So that's something we want to do every now and then. Not in every collection, but we always try to find something new that we can do with the product or even with product runoff.

I know Marimekko has a large printing factory in Helsinki and there is such a wide array of prints that the label has coined. I find it so interesting how many prints the brand has created and how some of them build off of each other to create more contemporary ones. Why is it important for the brand to continue creating and adding to this encyclopedia of prints? And how does the brand consistently reapproach older prints to evolve them into newer ones?

I think we have probably over 3,500 prints in our archive and we are always adding some new ones with each collection. So we needed some system where we can see all the prints, which became Maripedia, but I think it's also about being transparent for the customers and giving everyone the joy of finding their favorite prints. And then if they want to go deeper and read about our history, they can do that too. We have become so synonymous with prints and colors. In the future, we want to set our designers up with amazing archives that they can reference.

It's really intriguing to see a print like this one that was created decades ago, but it's still just as relevant and on the mark of what people are wearing now.

Definitely. And of course, we want to bring new prints every season as well, so we will continue to do so and make new history.

Yes, it's this idea of bridging that gap between your newer prints and the older ones. I know the fabric of the Jokapoika was just as special as the print — the Piccolo fabric. What are some distinct qualities of the textile?

So the Jokapoika was originally cut from sturdy cotton when it launched in the fifties. But nowadays, the Piccolo fabric is a bit softer as we have changed the quality of the textile. But at the same time, even when we changed the quality, we always wanted to somehow maintain the original essence of the shirt, so we really haven't changed it much. We updated a few details because of the new machinery and production processes, but otherwise, we just love it in its authentic form.

I know the brushstrokes on the Jokapoika were the product of Eskolin’s experimentation, using freehand strokes on raw fabric. We discussed how the shirt embodies this aura of freedom or boundless expression and I think those gestures are expressive of that notion as well. If you had to characterize the wearer of the Jokapoika shirt, who are they what qualities do they possess?

I think it has always been for people who are a bit more visionary or progressive-thinking. They don't want to wear the classic white shirt, but they want to show off their personality through color and different ways to wear the shirt. I love how nowadays, the creative community that is using the shirt is doing so in so many different ways. Especially in New York. So it's not only the classic way, but what if you wear it as a dress or put it on backward? You can really use it in a unique way and I think people have found that.

Seeing the different ways people interpret this one garment has to be fascinating. Beyond this particular garment, how have all of Marimekko's past designs informed more modern designs? How do you preserve history and preserve the foundations of Marimekko, while also creating pieces for the contemporary wearer?

I think it comes back to our design language. Each garment has a different quality, bu they all still have the same language in them. When we create something new, we always refer to this checklist — so is it a dress that you can bicycle with or run with? Does it have pockets? Can it be workwear? That's another important factor of the Jokapoika shirt — it's inspired by many workwear elements as well. I think it is the creative people who often want their clothing to have these dualistic qualities.

Totally. I think that functionality and simplicity characterize all of Marimekko's pieces. Earlier you brought up the foundations that you want to lay for the future and your future designers. In your current position as Design Director, what is the stamp that you hope the brand leaves on the realm of fashion?

We very much work as a team and that's something that is super important to us nowadays. We definitely want to highlight that we have a team of freelancers and in-house designers and that it's important to get different visions from each contributor. We want to, of course, create future classics, but we don't only want to do so with our archive — we also want to create and bring something new for the customers as well. So it's about being true to our legacy, our history, and our archive. But then taking the elements that we feel are the strongest, like the sort of utilitarian and functional aesthetic, and running with those aspects in the future. Our products have to be honest and they have to be something that we want to wear. And with our prints and colors, we want to bring joy and optimism. Whatever the era may be, we want to inspire positivity. And it's not always easy, but I think that's the heart of our job on the design team at Marimekko — to create future classics and to leave some sort of mark on history because we are definitely making history for Marimekko at the moment.

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After 30 years and over 100 cult fragrances, COMME DES GARÇONS PARFUMS 1994–2025 BY SIMONETT & BAER launches this month

December 17, 2024

“I have to add that the topic is, of course, an irrational one, because it's not art and it's not fashion. It has to do with scent, which is something in the air,” explains Dino Simonett, renowned art-book maker and designer/publisher of the new COMME des GARÇONS x SIMONETT & BAER book, which details 30 years of CDG perfumes.

“The moment you smell something is irrational,” he continues. “This book transports you and brings you to the idea behind the perfumes. People have gotten thousands of art catalogues from me, but this fucking perfume thing really drives people a little bit crazy, you know? Because everybody has this bottle; and that bottle smells like this on them; and this bottle I need; and all the memories and everything. I like it a lot that we made this.”

As fans and family of the world’s coolest brand prepared to gather at Dover Street Parfums Market in Paris to celebrate the launch of the book, our Editor-At-Large Paige Silveria shared some coffee and cigarettes with Simonett to discuss his wild trajectory, making books with Joseph Beuys and Tilda Swinton early on, and the importance of nonconformal thinking.

By Paige Silveria

This fucking perfume thing really drives people a little bit crazy.

Paige Silveria: Tell me about yourself. You make books.

Dino Simonett: My books are my art. Each book might be a painting or sculpture. And you should not do the same sculpture all the time. When you hike somewhere, you never should go the same way back home — this is something my mother taught me when I was young. In the same way, it's boring to make the same stuff all the time. So I try to find a way to invent my own language.

PS: This book you’ve made is really beautiful.

DS: It’s hyperrealistic larger-than-life images of boxes and flacons in an endless row presented on paper the thickness of a children’s book.

PS: I loved how it said in the press release that you woke up one Sunday morning and the idea for the book suddenly came to you.

DS: The backstory is that Remo Hallauer [COO of COMME des GARÇONS International] is a true book lover. We met at the Offprint book fair in Paris. And one day, shortly after peak COVID, this email came from him asking if I’d think about a possible collaboration with one of the young stars here — and no hard feelings, but it didn’t work out. So then, as it is in life, which is the essential thing, you have to have an idea. And most of the time, they’re not good enough. You have to have another and another and then you go, Ah ha! Perfume.

PS: And you’d already been pretty familiar with their fragrances?

DS: I’ve known this stuff since the beginning. I wore the first perfume they created. It was part of my life all the time, and I thought, It's so funny. There’s a connection with how I make the books: like two, three books a year, all collaborations and each is different. Just like their perfumes. So I immediately texted Remo.

PS: And what perfect timing, with the 30-year anniversary.

DS: Yes, but this was two years ago or so. I hadn’t had the jubilee in mind. It might not look like much, but there was a lot of work to do.

PS: Many of the advertisements and images weren’t archived, physically or digitally, right? You had to search all over for a good portion of the material?

DS: Well we also had to wait for the official deal to go through in the beginning. Adrian Joffe [President of COMME des GARÇONS International and Dover Street Market International] wanted to do it but he didn’t have the mind space at the time; they were about to open the Dover Street Market here in Paris. So we were on our own for a bit, developing the project from zero. We looked all over the Internet and tried to create the chronology. I had a young guy helping me. He kept reminding me to be patient and to continue to work on growing the book. The door was open, but we had to wait in front of the next room. So we took little steps to prepare ourselves. And stuff slowly worked out.

PS: And thank God for the Internet.

DS: Yes, because as you mentioned, there was no archive. We thought surely they’d have something in the basement. But no, that didn’t exist. At one point they sent us a list of all the perfumes so we had a clear checklist to manage. I had to become an expert.

PS: There are so many, over 100?

DS: Yeah, and at one point the CDG team was activated. It was like a machine and in the spring suddenly a load of stuff was coming. First we had to grow the grapes, then make the wine and then the grappa. And at the end, it's a really strong grappa. And so things came together, and then one day Adrian said, “All is fine, but Rei [Kawakubo] must now also approve it. This is how the system works.” But nobody had told me! So Remo met with Rei to show her the book.

PS: That’s a bit of pressure!

DS: She could have said no and we’d have to throw everything in the garbage, two years of work. There was indeed a little bit of pressure. But it was fine. She liked the book. Then at the end of this summer we met again and they asked if they could have some of the finished copies on 20 November in Tokyo. I said, “I’m sorry, what?” He was thinking that the book was finished, you know? I told him we still needed a lot of material to finish it. Sometimes it's nice though to have this pressure. It's motivating and thrilling when you finally accomplish it all.

PS: Let’s go back. How did your upbringing inform who you are?

DS: It has to do with nonconformal thinking. Most people think the same. And we’re constantly pressured as well, by everything around us to conform. You have to really fight to keep your head and so I had this upbringing with this rather eccentric mother who was absolutely nonconformistic in every way. She was resolute. Why should we follow the path of the masses? It was never my thing. Voilà.

PS: How were you in school?

DS: I was not so good at school. I was only skateboarding at that time. I was on the Swiss National Team. I even was here in Paris at a European championship when I was 15 at the Trocadero. And my mother said, “You are not going to school anymore. You need an apprenticeship. It makes no sense to send you to school any longer.” I was independent and had my first salary at 16.

PS: What were you doing?

DS: I was a carpenter making tables, chairs, all that stuff. All my friends went to high school with like 16-week holidays, while I had only four. And so it was really, really tough shit for a 16 year old. But I learned two important things. The first one was discipline; seven o'clock each day it started and lasted nine hours. And the second thing was precision; you have to do things right. People always said to me that the apprenticeship was good as I’d really use it for the rest of my life. And I always thought that was such bullshit. But actually, it's kind of true. And so anyways, the moment I finished my apprenticeship, the very last day of the last test, I went on the Interrail for one month and never went back to a carpenter shop.

PS: What’d you do after?

DS: I wrote a letter to this very super famous music guy, Claude Nobs who was organizing the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, telling him I’d like to work there that summer. I mentioned that I’d just finished my apprenticeship for carpentry. He phoned me back immediately after getting the letter. He said, “Oh you’re a carpenter? You can come right now.” He was renovating his apartment in Montreux. So I stayed and worked there alone while he was up at his chalet. I felt like Kevin McCallister from Home Alone in this completely furnished apartment. And then the festival started, and there was this guy from New York doing a large mural painting. It was Keith Haring. I had no idea who he was. We became friends. Then I met George Benson and Herbie Hancock. It started from nothing and then one thing comes, another thing comes, another thing comes. This is how I started, which is maybe not the natural way. But I was following my intuition and taking chances and putting myself out there.

PS: And you're going after what you have a passion for.

DS: I think that’s the best way to live one's life. It was like my own private art school. I met all the guys I was totally hot about. I met Joseph Beuys and told him I wanted to do an art project with him. I got his number and he told me to ask for his assistant. But I took everything for granted, what people said to me. So I had this phone number in Berlin. And I called the guy 20 times until this fucking meeting with Beuys finally happened. And we met and made a small collaboration art magazine called “Quer.” You just have to stick to the stuff.

PS: Wow. You don't still have one of those copies around, do you?

DS: I had one and I brought it to Remo at one of our meetings. Adrian saw it and immediately took it … I hope he gave it back to Remo. Adrian has a pile of my stuff that he wanted to see, so that’s good.

PS: Yeah, of any coffee table in the world for it to be displayed, his is probably in the top 10.

DS: So then I decided my dream was to be a film director. There was a film school in Berlin that I applied to. They only took about 18 people from 600. We waited all week to see this list on the wall for the final call back meeting. And my name wasn’t there. I was like, “Shit!” And then a week later, I received a letter saying I’d been accepted. Later the director told me it was clear enough with my application and the art magazine I’d sent that I’d be accepted. I don’t say this to brag. I say this to tell you that every young person that wants to go somewhere, all they have to do is fight. You have to get out of your house and your small town and your comfort zone and all that shit.

PS: I agree. So you’ve made films?

DS: I made a feature movie and went to the film festival. It was really amazing and everything, but I was not Tarantino, you know? So it’s the last semester and Tilda Swinton is supposed to teach a seminar. I really wanted to attend it. It would be the cherry on top of the cake. Then she postponed it once, then twice. The third time, I’m on the tube and there’s a woman in front of me with a newspaper that says that Tilda’s super mentor, Derek Jarman, had passed away. It’s the very Monday morning that her seminar is set to begin. And I thought, Oh shit. She’s not going to be there. But then she was there after all and it was a fantastic week. There were only five of us students and we all fell in love with her. And she fell in love with us. I’ve known her since.

PS: I can only imagine. How’d you make the transition into books?

DS: You have to find out what you're really good at. I had long discussions with this guru, an old guy who was a very diligent, very bright guy. I was really miserable, feeling directionless. He asked me why I wasn’t continuing with filmmaking. And I couldn't give him an answer. Then he said right into my face, “Probably it’s because you’re not good enough.” The message was one-hundred percent received. It was a relief; I'm not a bad person. This guy told me the truth, and I could accept it. And when you can do this, you can figure out what you actually want to do, what you’re actually good at. I started making books. I made one with another film director. And we visited Tilda at her hotel, bringing one to her as a present. As we’re knocking, I thought to myself, If I did another book focused on people in this business, it’d have to be her. And she opens the door, looks at the book and says, “Oh, I would like to have a book like this on me.”

PS: These situations seem unreal.

DS: I spent five years on her book, which was an enormous success. It included stills from all her films and launched it in different cities. Fantastic shit.

PS: And now you’ve just released this soon-to-be iconic CDG book.

DS: I've learned to be patient; things can take you years. This book with Adrian and Remo took two years and I didn’t even know if it was going to be approved! Follow your dreams as much as you can. It's not so important which dream it is exactly. If I see a step in front of me, I try to take each chance I get. This is what I wish for everybody, in whatever situation you find yourself, start to do something with nothing. This book started with just a simple idea. You can not find anything like this on the Internet, this compilation, this narrative. It’s something we had to bring together with enormous work. And here we are. I think in our digital, splattered times sometimes you have to make something which is real. That you can sit with and focus on in silence and really take time alone with it.