What happens in bed? According to Finnish design house Marimekko and New York-based artist Laila Gohar, just about everything. For Milan Design Week 2025, the duo celebrated the bedroom as the epicenter of life’s quieter moments with an immersive installation at Teatro Litta

The collaboration showcased Gohar's curated selection of bold Marimekko archive stripes by artist Maija Isola, set to feature in a bedroom-themed capsule collection launching in September 2025. Taking over the foyer and exterior of Milan’s oldest operating theater, located in the historic 5vie district, the installation served as a meeting point for design week visitors and the local community.

The space hosted various activations throughout the week, including breakfast in bed, “stolen naps,” and lively parties, all infused with Marimekko's joyful aesthetic and Gohar's signature style. The centerpiece of the installation was a grand-sized bed composed of 18 individual bed units, inviting visitors to engage with the collection as if in their own bedrooms. The immersive experience incorporated soundscapes and audio elements, creating a seamless and engaging environment.

Gohar, who has a personal history with Marimekko from her childhood, visited the brand's Helsinki headquarters and printing factory to select archival prints for the collection. She shares, “As a child, my mother used to dress me in Marimekko, so I am extremely happy to be collaborating with a brand with whom I have such a genuine history. As part of this process, I visited the Marimekko headquarters and printing factory in Helsinki. It was amazing to explore their archive and decide how the collection would best take shape. Some of the prints we chose were pulled from color swatch samples from the 60s and 70s, so we are giving them a second life they otherwise would not have had.”

Marimekko’s Creative Director, Rebekka Bay, says, “We are excited to collaborate with longtime friend Laila Gohar at Milan Design Week. We wanted to create a space where our guests could come and tailor a unique experience, a space in which they could either pause or actively engage with the installation through sound and audio or with other participants. The inspiration for the concept derives partially from the Nordic concept ‘Siskonpeti’, which refers and translates to a communal bed that siblings or a group of friends would build together using multiple mattresses to sleep on the floor at a slumber party. We feel that this immersive experience perfectly combines Laila’s unique and beloved style with Marimekko’s universal ethos of joy and optimism”. 

The Marimekko and Laila Gohar collection will be available in physical stores and online at http://www.marimekko.hk.