Interview with Rebekka Bay of Marimekko|PdD

Danish fashion designer Rebbeka Bay insists that ideas and functionality are more important to her than trends. The collection of home accessories she created, inspired by the Scandinavian love of the sauna, is no different.

Products from the BASTUA collection

Rebekka Bay - has been Marimekko's creative director since September 2020. She leads the brand's design team and is responsible for the company's design strategy for clothing, bags and accessories, as well as products for the home. Prior to joining Marimekko, Bay was Creative Director of Uniqlo Global Innovation Center. Previously, she also worked as Head of Design and Product at Everlane and creative director for brands such as Gap, Bruuns Bazaar and COS.

The collection featured bathrobes, bags and towels

The collection is called BASTUA, which simply means "sauna" in Swedish. The limited edition line, which alludes to the enjoyment of beauty rituals, was created in collaboration with another Scandinavian brand, IKEA. Marimekko, known for its iconic designs, has specially designed them for the first time in collaboration with another brand. The collection features four unique prints of varying colors. The dominant pattern is a print inspired by large, decorative rhubarb leaves.

The name of the collection means "sauna" in Swedish.

The entire collection consists of 26 designs - furniture, glassware and home textiles. Bathrobes, towels and a sauna bucket are items traditionally used in a sauna. The other items, on the other hand, encourage people to use them before or after a session - whether for a meal, a rest or a moment of relaxation. The collection will appear in stores in March.

Tray and floor cushion with rhubarb leaf pattern

Katarzyna Szostak: You once said that Marimekko's designs are architectural. Has this made it easier to move from fashion design to creating products for the home?

Rebbeka Bay: Not only do we see the patterns as architectural, but also the materials on which they are created. So we combine architectural and organic elements. This collaboration was a very interesting meeting, because the way both brands design draws from architecture and pays a lot of attention to functionality. We follow the principle of less is more. This was a key point that we wanted to convey in the creation of the designs for this collection, but also in the meeting between product and design.