TrendWarriors

The FinnStyle store in Minneapolis used to be located in the Warehouse District right around the corner from the Colwell headquarters. Before it moved to its new, high traffic location in Gavidae Commons (about a five block walk downtown) I used to stop by the store during lunch hour looking for gifts.

Everything in FinnStyle is enticing: the sculpted Artek furniture, sparkling displays of ittala glass, the sturdiness of Hackman cookware, the unique personalities of the Toikka birds. I always drift to the soft good section. Home products and fashion accessories are featured in the abundantly colorful Marimekko textiles. Though I am bewitched by the saturated hues, the riot of color never seemed appropriate for my house with its calm, subdued palette. I was never infatuated enough to buy anything except some paper napkins or gift stationery.

One day my neighbor Betty went to FinnStyle looking for a colorful table cloth. They didn’t have quite what she had in mind. The store directed her to a seamstress who custom made soft goods for the store using Marimekko fabrics. Betty set up an appointment and went to the woman’s studio in Bay City, WI. She came back with a vibrant orange table cloth, custom made to fit her dining room table. Not only that, but Betty raved about the owner of the shop, the architecture of her studio and the idyllic beauty of the surrounding area. She described a modernist retreat set in the heart of Wisconsin farmland. I was intrigued.

Last weekend was the seamstress’s annual holiday sale. The first snowstorm of the season hit the midwest. When Betty, her daughter and I trekked over to Wisconsin, we were greeted with silent gray forests and dunes of snow covering the fields. It was hard to believe we were traveling to an oasis of color!

Margaret has a lovely contemporary studio built by the acclaimed architect David Salmela. The name of her business is Banbury Cross. It is the perfect showcase for Marimekko fabrics, and also a comfortable atmosphere to browse and dream. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, and expansive windows take in the views of Lake Pepin and the surrounding woods and fields. White walls provide a clean backdrop for the incredible depth of Marimekko colors. The variety of products Margaret makes is astounding, and her craftsmanship is perfection.

Two hours passed in what seemed like 30 minutes. Betty and I wistfully combed through tote bags, pillow cases, napkins, and table cloths. We oogled over small clasp purses and cosmetic bags. Betty bought Christmas gifts I dreamed about what would work best for the bedroom closet doors. We found it difficult to decide and even more difficult to leave!

I asked Margaret if a particular color of cloth was selling best for her these days. She said her customers very often are drawn to the rich blues in the Marimekko line: dark indigo, brilliant sapphire, lustrous azul.

She said people often travel great distances to her studio at Banbury Cross, just to feast their eyes on the color.

We return again to the adage: Color sells.