- Riitta Immonen
Riitta Immonen (
May 13 1918 -August 24 2008 ) was a Finnish fashion artist and entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of Finnish fashion corporationMarimekko . Immonen was also known for her one-of-a-kind outfits, celebrity clients and a question-and-answer column which she wrote for Finnish fashion magazine "Eeva" in the 1950s and 60s. [ [http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id99713.html Marimekko Co-Founder Dies] , YLE, August 25, 2008.]Riitta Immonen was born in 1918 in
Ilomantsi . A self-taught clothing designer, Immonen opened her first design boutique inHelsinki during the war in 1942 which grew into a success despite the shortages of the ensuing years. In 1951, she andArmi Ratia started upMarimekko to sell fabrics made by Finnish textile firm Printex. [ [http://www.france-info.com/spip.php?article177399&theme=69&sous_theme=69 Décès de la fondatrice de la maison de design textile finlandaise Marimekko] (French), France-Info, August 26, 2008.] However after the firm's first season, she focused on her own Cinderella collections, and eventually left Marimekko a few years later, continuing to design clothes for the rest of her life. In 1987-1990 she was still designing unique outfits for a company named Atelierika. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iCHFzmvj67v_DF7WMX7mPOVn7pLQ Founder of Finnish Marimekko dies at age of 90] , AFP via Google News, August 25, 2008.] In 2008, Immonen was the subject of an exhibition at the Finnish Design Museum. She died later the same year inHelsinki .Biography
*Ritva Koskennurmi-Sivonen, "Creating a unique dress : a study of Riita Immonen’s creations in the Finnish fashion house tradition", Helsinki : Akatiimi, 1998, ISBN 951-97208-7-1
References
External links
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/arts/design/02immonen.html New York Times: Riitta Immonen, Clothing Designer, Dies at 90 ]
Persondata
NAME = Immonen, Riitta
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Finnish fashion artist and entreprenuer
DATE OF BIRTH =May 13 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH =Ilomantsi ,Finland
DATE OF DEATH =August 24 2008
PLACE OF DEATH =Helsinki ,Finland
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