The unique wardrobe of a legendary Finnish entrepreneur

Kirsti Paakkanen (1929–2021) was the woman who saved Marimekko and transformed the brand into an international design icon. One of Finland’s most influential business leaders, she was also a true style connoisseur with an uncompromising eye for form, quality, and couture. Stockholms Auktionsverk now presents The Kirsti Paakkanen Collection I, the first of three auctions featuring exclusive clothing, handbags, and shoes from her iconic wardrobe.

One of the Nordic region’s most remarkable entrepreneurial stories began under modest circumstances in Saarijärvi. Onlyt five years old, Kirsti Paakkanen made her first business ventures by selling pancakes to neighbours for five penni each.

With her belongings packed in a cardboard box and her father’s last money in her wallet, she arrived in Helsinki. She stayed with acquaintances, worked behind the counter in a dairy shop, and gradually advanced to the purchasing department at the prestigious department store Stockmann. Later, when she moved on to the advertising agency Mainos-Kunnas, she initially worked without pay—starting out as a cleaner—learning the advertising business from the very ground up.

Image: Kirsti Paakkanen at the reception at the Presidential Palace on Independence Day in 2005. Photographer: Jussi Nukari, Copyright: Lehtikuva

In 1969, she founded the pioneering advertising agency Womena, aimed at women. At times she lived at the office, sleeping on the kitchen floor, yet never compromised on appearances. “No one buys anything from a pauper,” she once stated bluntly.

Her most historic achievement, however, came in 1991 when Kirsti Paakkanen acquired Marimekko, then on the brink of bankruptcy. With her sharp marketing instincts, uncompromising aesthetic vision, and exceptional ability to bring the right people together, she rebuilt the company into an international design icon. She never presented banks with precise business plans—instead, she spoke of dreams. And she was proven right.

Paakkanen was known for her strong personality and direct manner. She lived frugally in many respects but indulged in what she loved most: beauty, form, and culture.

“Throughout my life, I have not wasted money on tobacco, alcohol, or other immoral pleasures. But for me, it has been a celebration to be able to buy beautiful objects,” Kirsti Paakkanen said in interviews—a quote that captures both the woman herself and the exclusive collection now coming under the hammer at Stockholms Auktionsverk.

The Kirsti Paakkanen Collection I features high-quality clothing, handbags, and shoes from leading fashion houses including Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Elie Saab, and Sonia Rykiel. Highlights include groundbreaking designs by John Galliano from the 1990s, the Chanel “Ice Cube” bag, and three variations of the iconic Lady Dior bag. Together, the pieces paint the portrait of a woman with an uncompromising sense of style, an international outlook, and a profound appreciation for quality and expression.

“This is a collection of exceptionally high international calibre, featuring the very best from some of the world’s most influential fashion houses. Kirsti Paakkanen selected her wardrobe with the same clarity and courage that defined her entrepreneurial career,” says Helena Laakso, specialist at Stockholms Auktionsverk in Helsinki.