Artek Anniversary and Special Edition Stools Now Available

Artek Anniversary and Special Edition Stools Now Available at FinnStyle

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, July 23, 2013 - Dubbed as one of the most famous design classics of all time, Artek Stool 60 celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. Designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1933, the stackable, three-legged Stool 60 has been a long-standing and best-selling product for Artek. To celebrate this milestone, the company released special editions of the stools that will be available throughout 2013 and can be purchased through FinnStyle, the largest independently owned online retailer of high quality, modern Finnish design goods in the U.S.

"As a passionate retailer of modern Finnish design, we are thrilled to offer our customers these unique stools," said Chad Trent, director of marketing for FinnStyle. "Stool 60 epitomizes the Finnish aesthetic we want to expose our shoppers to - timeless, simple, innovative and functional products."

Comprised of solid birch and made in Finland, Stool 60 is distinguished by its bent legs. The use of bent wood instead of steel was innovative at the time of its inception in the 1930s. This unique bending technology became the basis of many of Aalto's other designs and was eventually patented. Based on Aalto's revolutionary design of modern functionalism with Stool 60, it earned a spot in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

To celebrate 80 years of this design classic, eight special editions are available for a limited time:

Anniversary Edition: Six colors taken directly from Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium, the first building he designed that was furnished entirely with his own factory-made furniture: the yellow of the floors, the green of the walls, the turquoise of the handrails and walls, and the orange, white and black of the furniture inspired the Anniversary Edition.

Special Edition by Comme des Garcons: Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons helps celebrate the 80th anniversary by adding a playful touch to the stool. For the love of polka dots, black spots adorn the seat and legs of the white lacquered stool.

Special Edition by Mads Norgaard: Inspired by his earliest memories of secondhand menswear, Danish fashion designer Mads Norgaard adds a stylish spin to the stool with an imprint of a black, Harrison tweed-like pattern called "I like stripes vol. 2."

Special Edition by Mike Meire: German designer and artist Mike Meire lends a fresh perspective on the iconic Stool 60 with six different color schemes. Based on the notion of the stool being in permanent movement, Meire decided to create disorder by painting each of the three legs of the stool a different color.

Special Edition by Monocle: Monocle Magazine, a publication devoted to global design, gave the stool a chic, yet rugged makeover with a Finnish moose leather covered seat. The luxurious leather is adhered to the stool by black iron nails and brass screws. The leather, nails and screws are meant to age gracefully and complement the aging of the natural birch.

Special Edition by Nao Tamura: Designer Nao Tamura pays homage to the 80th anniversary of Stool 60 by featuring a cross section of an 80-year-old tree onto the seat of this special edition stool.

Special Edition by Tom Dixon: As Artek's former creative director, Tom Dixon wanted to defy interior design standards by painting the iconic stool in a color primarily used in emergency situations: fluorescent orange. Dixon considers this color the simplest way to draw attention to an ultra-simple piece of classic minimalism.

Special Edition Pure: Just as the name implies, the Special Edition Pure Stool 60 is the original 60 stool in its purest form. The stackable, three-legged stool was built using revolutionary techniques at the time and paved the path for subsequent design classics.

All anniversary and special editions of Stool 60 can be ordered online through FinnStyle. For more information, visit www.finnstyle.com or contact Erica Dao at erica@finnstyle.com.

About FinnStyle
Nestled at the edge of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, FinnStyle specializes in offering the widest selection of high-quality, modern Finnish design goods in the United States. FinnStyle's one-of-kind shopping experience is aimed at widening perspectives, inspiring lifestyles and promoting creativity. Founded in 2002 by Ben Horn, FinnStyle began as a brick and mortar retailer, with the addition of the website following shortly after. Since FinnStyle's inception, the independently owned company has grown significantly year after year. Carrying 2,000 products from more than 20 Finnish brands, including Artek furniture, FinnStyle has served over 40,000 satisfied customers from nearly 100 different countries.

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