It's a cover-up

Do CEOs tweet?

I know there are some famous people out there who use Twitter to keep in touch (Stephen Fry, Ashton Kutcher), but do CEOs use it? This one does! On Tuesday, Lesley gave a talk about twittering and the use of Social Media at The Really Realtime Conference put together by Disruptive Media. As one would expect from a bunch of social media savvy people squeezed into a room for a day, the action was available almost simultaneously online: tweets, blogs, Flickr photostreams, videos, you name it. 

A warm mention goes to Jon Buscall whose praise of Lesley's talk left us all beaming like proud parents witnessing their first born's first steps. Also, Christopher at bjornalberts.com put together a nice summary (in Swedish though) of top tips for small businesses thinking about including social media in their marketing portfolio.

If you are ready to dip your toe into the social media sea, join us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Photo c/o paulamarttila

Ohh-la-la! Bemz goes Parisienne

2-seater Klippan with Bemz cover in Marimekko Unikko- Red

Following swiftly on the heels of Lesley's recent press meet in the city of beautiful people, breathtaking architecture and gastro food, French blog IKEADDICT posted a bevy of photos from the occasion.

Lillberg armchair with Bemz cover in Marimekko Joonas- Black/Blue

Lillberg armchair with Bemz cover in Marimekko Pienet Kivet- Black/White

The press meet was held at the Swedish Cultural Centre in Paris where exhibitions, concerts, writers' evenings, film shows, debates and seminars on cultural and social issues in France and other European countries are arranged.

Fabric swatches from the Bemz Marimekko Collection 

Lifestyles folder: 2-seater Ektorp sofa with True Rose- Light Denim Blue cover from Bemz and swatches from the Country Romance Lifestyle collection

IKEADDICT is a French language community devoted to the Ikea brand - the official aspects as well as the less formal side including forums, hacks, individual tips and tricks, and (our personal fave) customization of your Ikea furniture.

More fabric swatches from the Bemz collection

Exclusive designer ;) Bemz bags and a poster on our Scandinavian Designers

MERCI BEAUCOUP IKEADDICT!

Photo credit: IKEADDICT

Lesley at Formex: The e-commerce revolution

Not so long ago I told you that Lesley was going to give a talk about the E-commerce Revolution at the Formex Trade show in Sweden. They've written about it in Formex Magazine:

Lesley Pennington gave a powerful talk with hard facts and numerous thought-provoking points. Captivating and truthful.

Some of the stats she shared:

- 93% of Internet users bought something online last year
- The Internet accounted for 7.7% of total global sales in 2008

Read the entire article here.

Anyone at the London Design Festival?

The London Design Festival is the UK’s biggest annual celebration of design and reflects London’s status as world class creative hub. It started last Saturday, the 19th, and is on all week. There's even a comprehensive guide to help you make the most of it (apparently an essential for anyone exploring the London design scene - it's that big)!

If however, like me, you are stuck in the aspirational phase of being a part of such an exciting event, there is an awful lot you can catch online, both highlights and actual talks, including a quite entertaining opening speech by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

I hope they post tomorrow's scheduled talk "From Brainwave to Business" about building success from Intellectual Property with Katharine Hamnett and Seb Conran.

Is there a Design event taking place near you? Tell us about it.

Photos c/o London Design Festival

Bemz at Formex

Following up on my earlier post about the upcoming Formex Trade Fair, here are some photos from the day.

Green earthy tones were du jour in the Inspiration Area.

The Bemz booth.

And Lesley's talk on the e-commerce revolution? Well, she was a hit. Thank you to everyone who visited us there!

Lesley's on tour

The Marimekko launch continues with a press tour keeping Lesley, our founder and CEO, very busy. Over the next few weeks she'll be jetting across Europe, holding press meetings in such enviable locations as London, Paris and Hamburg. Along with meeting worldwide design press, Lesley also has some exciting announcements up her sleeve.

If you are a journalist or stylist looking for an invitation to these exclusive press launches, please get in touch and we'll see to it that you get in.

Don't forget to send us a postcard Lesley!

E-commerce Revolution at Formex

Lesley Pennington, founder and CEO of Bemz, has been asked to be a guest speaker at the upcoming Formex Trade Fair. Lesley has chosen a topic that sits close to our hearts: "The E-commerce revolution". And that's not all - our design and production departments have been scurrying to finalize the details for the two exhibits we will host.

Formex is the biggest meeting place for professionals working within the realm of Nordic Design. The underlying theme of this year's fair is stylish  vintage travel with several similarly themed exhibits focused on various aspects of travel as seen in the 40s and 50s. The Orient Express exhibit promises to be functional and esthetic while the Young Designer's zone "The Lady Lisa Cafe" will provide an interesting mix of past and contemporary design. Read more about it on the  Formex Trade Show website.

Formex takes place this August 27-30 in Stockholm, Sweden and the Bemz exhibit space is AG:64. As it is by invitation only to trade professionals, I'll make sure to keep you posted with the details of Lesley's lecture as well as feedback from the fair. Stay tuned!

Photos via Formex

Ikea as art

This summer's major design exhibition at the Stockholm Art Gallery Liljevalchs, one of the most appreciated exhibition spaces in all of Sweden, is focused on Ikea.

IKEA AT LILJEVALCHS will tell the story of Ikea as 'the largest furniture and design phenomenon of all times'. The exhibition promises to be entertaining with entry gained through an oversized PS cabinet to then be greeted by the Flat Pack - made famous, or is it infamous, by the Swedish furniture giant. Also, visitors to the exhibition will be given a small pin on which a piece of Ikea furniture will be pictured. More information about each piece furniture will be available on the Liljevalchs website.

Liljevalchs will take visitors on a journey through the life of furniture design from a series of traditional 18th century furniture right through to Ikea's early jeans furniture from the 70s. One room will show how Ikea’s business idea, to provide an affordable furniture solution for "the everyman", coincided with the Swedish political concept du jour of the 50s: a radical, ambitious and visionary housing program. More importantly perhaps, you can see how the Swedish furniture giant contributed to yours, and many others', past and present digs.

The exhibition is on from June 13 - August 30, 2009, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Credit: photos via Liljevalchs

IKEA AT LILJEVALCHS will tell the story of Ikea as 'the largest furniture and design phenomenon of all times'. The exhibition promises to be entertaining with entry gained through an oversized PS cabinet to then be greeted by the Flat Pack - made famous, or is it infamous, by the Swedish furniture giant. Also, visitors to the exhibition will be given a small pin on which a piece of Ikea furniture will be pictured. More information about each piece furniture will be available on the Liljevalchs website.

Liljevalchs will take visitors on a journey through the life of furniture design from a series of traditional 18th century furniture right through to Ikea's early jeans furniture from the 70s. One room will show how Ikea’s business idea, to provide an affordable furniture solution for "the everyman", coincided with the Swedish political concept du jour of the 50s: a radical, ambitious and visionary housing program. More importantly perhaps, you can see how the Swedish furniture giant contributed to yours, and many others', past and present digs.

The exhibition is on from June 13 - August 30, 2009, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Credit: photos via Liljevalchs

Marimekko Designers - five days to go

Photo c/o Marimekko (www.marimekko.fi)

For those of you who don't already know, Marimekko is a leading Finnish textile and clothing design company that was established in 1951. Strong and distinctive product design is the cornerstone of their corporate culture but more importantly, Marimekko stresses the importance of functionality and practicality for its products, which is why "Marimekko was our first choice when we looked to broaden our range of authentic designer fabrics, and we are delighted to be working with this iconic Finnish design brand,” (Lesley, founder of Bemz).

Whether well-known names or young promising talents, Marimekko designers are all leaders in their field. In the build up to our official May 27 launch, we want to introduce you to four of these designers.

They also happen to be the ones responsible for the breathtakingly beautiful textiles that will make up the Bemz Marimekko collection.

Here is the first: Maija Isola designed patterns for Marimekko from the 1950's to the 1980's, and may be the most famous Marimekko designer of all time. The most known of Maija Isola’s prints is the “Unikko” poppy print (sofa at top) from 1964 that has had a huge revival during the past years.

Maija Isola was a tremendously versatile and bold artist. She interpreted the events of her era from her own unique perspective and foresaw future trends. Her body of work includes over 500 prints – a brilliant selection of patterns representing different themes and techniques. She drew inspiration from traditional folk art, modern visual art, nature and her countless trips around the world.

The Bemz Marimekko collection will be available for a total of over 70 IKEA sofa and chair models from May 27, which means you can easily add the best of Finnish style to your living room, bedroom and office.

Bemz launches slipcovers in Marimekko patterns

Together at last! Two Scandinavian brands.
Bemz, is partnering with Marimekko, the most acclaimed print design house in the world, to produce sofa and chair slipcovers in Marimekko's distinctive bold and bright patterns. Starting May 27, a total of 11 designs will be available, worldwide, including patterns by Maija Isola; her daughter, Kristina Isola; Anna Danielsson; and Iiro A. Ahokas.

Marimekko’s designers are considered to be leading figures in their field. Since 1951, the Finnish company’s distinctive designs have added a vibrant dimension to clothing and home furnishings. This is the first time that Marimekko designs will be available as Bemz slipcovers for IKEA sofas and chairs.

"Marimekko was our first choice when we looked to broaden our range of authentic designer fabrics, and we are delighted to be working with this iconic Finnish design brand,” says Lesley, founder of Bemz . “The Bemz Marimekko collection will be available for a total of over 70 IKEA sofa and chair models, which means millions of people worldwide can easily add the best of Finnish style to their living room, bedroom and office."

Together at last...

Very special thanks to Tim of zingpr for his help on this one!