On 24 June, Finnish textiles, clothing and lifestyle brand Marimekko announced that it has teamed up with leading Chinese tea chain HeyTea as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of its iconic Unikko floral pattern. The main draw is, of course, a co-branded tea, this time a gardenia-infused milk green tea, available both hot or iced. On Weibo, China‘s Twitter equivalent, the topic “HeyTea Marimekko collaboration” (#喜茶marimekko联名#) quickly gained 4.72 million views.
HeyTea introduced the jasmine milk tea back in January to great acclaim. This time around, it has partnered with Marimekko to bring gardenia jasminoides, also known as cape jasmine to the mix. Apart from the standard paper cup, sleeve and paper bag, the collaboration includes 2 variations of cup holders, stickers, mugs and an enamel pin, all furnished with the Unikko pattern and available with different set menus. Unikko-adorned gift cards are also available to purchase. Themed branches are available in various cities, where you can “check in” (打卡) with a chance to win a gardenia flower by participating in the event.
In 1964, Marimekko introduced Unikko, designed by Maija Isola. The name simply means poppy in Finnish. 60 years later, the company put on a series of events to celebrate the birth of the icon. The recent publication of the Chinese edition of Marimekko: The Art of Printmaking kicked off the celebration with a pop-up exhibition in Shanghai for the book. On 12 May, the brand launched another pop-up at IAPM Mall in Shanghai called Unikko Forever. In Hong Kong, Marimekko wrapped double-decker trams with its Unikko pattern for the celebration.
Marimekko’s was founded in 1951 by Armi Ratia. Its recent financial report states the brand‘s net revenue grew 7% globally to 37.7 million EUR (40.48 million USD) in Q1 2024 with a 13.8% profit margin. The Asia-Pacific region is currently its second-largest market, with a 22% growth in net revenue in Q1. The brand has identified the region as the most important region for international growth and most of the new stores and concessions planned for 2024 are focused on Asia. This is evident with Marimekko’s frequent collaborations and events in China.
