Cold Nights + Sunny Brights - Marimekko

Spring is struggling to spring in Amsterdam, what with the tulips just starting to bloom and the down coat still in heavy rotation, so I forgave myself for rolling around in a pile of brightly colored Marimekko-inspired clothes at H&M last week.

Pink! Orange! Forgiving silhouettes that hide the-still-winter belly (if the weather won't change, why should I?)! A bathing suit I don't hate! It is all good, and if you don't have an H&M near you, or simply don't want to brave the horror of the store, you can browse and purchase a selected number of the Marimekko-inspired line from the comfort of your couch.

The prints in the collection are decidedly nods to classic designs from the 50s - 60s, but the Spring 2008 fabrics on the Marimekko site go well beyond retro. If you have the lingering winter blues, spend a few minutes perusing the designs and see if your mood hasn't lifted. Some of my favorites:

Clockwise from upper left: Maija Isola, pattern: Oona (1969/2006), Erja Hirvi, pattern: Sarastaa (2007), Maija Louekari, pattern: Dadel (2007), Jenni Tuominen, pattern: Unessa (2006), Maija Isola / Kristina Isola, pattern: Ananas (1962), Teresa Moorhouse, pattern: Sininen Gepardi (2008)

You can purchase selections of Marimekko fabrics at Finnish Design Shop and ReproDepot. Both sites offer hours worth of browsing amongst the pretty while we all wait for the sunny days ahead.