Loukko by 
Original title: Suurin niistä on rakkaus. Kirsti Paakkasen tarina.
Author: Ulla-Maija Paavilainen
Published: 2020
Publisher: Otava
Genre: Memories & Biographies
Pages: 346
Reading material:
English sample
The breath-taking rags-to-riches story of Marimekko’s former owner and CEO Kirsti Paakkanen, who turned the fortunes of the iconic brand around. This is the true story of how a retired businesswoman took over the practically bankrupt Finnish design house and turned Marimekko into a successful worldwide brand name.
Kirsti Paakkanen was born into a family who wished for a boy. She left home at the age of 16, carrying only a cardboard box containing her clothes, a vast amount of self-confidence and a dream to make use of her talent to create something new. At the age of 62 she was on the verge of retiring when she bought Marimekko – an almost bankrupt design house, which she transformed. And the rest is history. This charismatic businesswoman has had it all. Never forgetting where she came from, in this book Kirsti Paakkanen openly shares the ups and downs of her life and her incredible journey from the small rural district of Saarijärvi in the middle of Finland to the French Riviera.
”Japan needs to know about the Finnish social environment, and the energy, lifestyle and story of Ms. Kirsti Paakkanen. Not only is it a business book, but also it will become a book to give inspiration to and encourage readers here to give the gender gap serious thought.”
– Yumi Numaguchi, Editor, Shodensha, Japan.
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Helios Kirjastus OÜ
JAPAN: Shodensha
