At this week’s 3daysofdesign festival in Copenhagen, Artek and Tekla are set to unveil a new limited-edition bedding collection commemorating the 130th birthday of Aino Aalto.
A new bedding collection by Artek and Tekla is launching this week featuring the Kirsikankukka print by Aino Aalto. Photography: Ola Rindal
Words by Roddy Clarke
In an exclusive collaboration, Finnish design brand Artek is partnering with Danish homewares brand Tekla to release a limited-edition bedding collection which features the unique Kirsikankukka print designed by the late Finnish architect and design icon Aino Aalto. Aalto, a co-founding member of the Finnish design brand alongside her husband Alvar Aalto, became renowned for her input into many of the brand’s acclaimed designs alongside her architectural work and glassware creations for other brands such as Iittala.
Available in three colourways, this unique collection commemorates the 130th birthday of Aino Aalto. Photography: Ola Rindal
Designed to mark her 130th birthday, this collection sees the print taking centre stage on Tekla’s Percale bedding – a soft and comforting 100% organic cotton set made in Portgual. Produced in three colourways (Winter White, Island Blue and Mallow Pink), the collection pays homage to the original pattern created by Aalto in the 1930s. After a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Finland, Aalto was gifted a piece of silk fabric which displayed a cherry blossom motif. Using it as inspiration, Aino went on to create her own interpretation of the design resulting in the Kirsikankukka print. With its name being the Finnish term for cherry blossom, it was originally launched as part of a collection of printed fabrics for interior design applications. However, the print was later removed from Artek’s product range and was not brought back into production until 2018 after being rediscovered at a Tokyo exhibition dedicated to her work. Now, thanks to this unique collaboration, the print is once again available within the home textiles category.
Aino Aalto is a much-loved icon in the Scandinavian design scene and this collection allows her legacy to continue long into the future. Photography: Artek
Officially launching on 12th June at Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign festival, the commemorative collection has been meticulously conceived thanks to the expertise of Tekla, who state the architect’s work has informed the company to-date. “Tekla has long taken inspiration from the functionality and form of modernist design, notably Aino and Alvar Aalto’s architecture and interiors,” comments Charlie Hedin, the brand’s Founder and Creative Director. “Honouring her unique contribution to Artek has been of significant importance within this collection and we’re proud to highlight her legacy while celebrating our shared values of craftsmanship and longevity.”
Launching tomorrow, this bedding is also available in children’s bedding sizes too. Photography: Ola Rindal
Also mirroring both Artek and Tekla’s classic and timeless aesthetic, this set is centred on the ‘beauty of the everyday’ – a mindset aligned to the design sensibility of Aalto herself. “In Aino Aalto’s quest to create beauty for the everyday, she viewed patterns and textiles as not just a decorative layer but an integral part of the home’s interior,” comments Marianne Goebl, Artek’s Managing Director. “We are thrilled that Tekla has respectfully applied her cherry blossom pattern onto home textiles such as bedding and with which we are likely to spend the most time.” Paying tribute to the archetypal beauty and simple elegance of Aalto’s work, this exclusive launch allows her legacy to continue within homes across the world. And, with children’s bedding sizes also available in the same print, this is a collection that all the family can enjoy too!
Sign up here to secure a first look at the collection as soon as it launches.
Get a curated collection of design and architecture news in your inbox by signing up to our ICON Weekly newsletter
