In Wim Wenders’ extraordinary 2023 film Perfect Days the viewer witnesses the life of a Tokio public toilet cleaner portrayed by an excellent Kōji Yakusho. In the entire film the character is questioned only once about his job by his estranged sister. Not with disrespect for the profession, but rather suggesting that in another life his interests were completely elsewhere. But what at that point the viewer knows, but she doesn't, is that his heavily routined life interweaves those interests with doing his job. Everything the character does is done with the same dedication and respect. His routines offer a pretty effective guideline through the chaos, while in the dedication behind his actions lays the purpose to give it all some meaning. A centered life, clearly rooted in the Japanese tradition. Giving us some new perspectives on what knew all along. [ Continue reading ]

While we are in the last few hours of 2017, it is time to look back on a year in which a long list of new chapters were opened within the worlds of ...,staat and NewWerktheater; New Amsterdam and of course Another Something — which sums up the core of all of our individual activities. Despite the undeniable fact that a complete new horizon has risen for the both of us in the last twelve months, bringing a totally renewed field of demands and focus points, it still feels like a year in which we have gotten closer to the place where we would like to be at most. A place where we are both able to do what we do best. More-so, it was also a year in which we were reminded urgently to not take anything for granted, which we'll keep in the back of our heads from this particular moment on.

While aiming to do exactly this: taking nothing for granted, pushing ourselves to stay as hungry and ambitious as before, it proved that what we have done through Another Something for years remains as relevant as ever. Single out the people, projects and thoughts that inspire us most, continues to be the recipe that forms the fundament in everything we do, regardless of the particular field. Beyond finding inspiration and new thoughts in the work of others, above all it was a pleasure to collaborate with Lennard Kok, Suzan Becking and Michiel Verweij; Jackie Villevoye and Victor Ponten, giving us the chance to be part in three incredible projects: Fallen Bird, Aesthetic Memories and the upcoming feature film Catacombe. As the latter will be in cinemas only in September, there is no doubt in our minds that the upcoming year will be another one to be very excited about, holding many things to look forward to already as we write this — let's just all start trying to reduce the noise and grab life only by the horns that really matter in 2018... We are ready for it. [ Continue reading ]

From the moment we worked with Utrecht-based illustrator Lennard Kok for the rebrand of Travelteq in 2015, the ambition was set to collaborate again. Eventually it took another year to really sit down and discuss it. At that point Lennard confessed he wanted to explore new terrain in his artistic practice and shared his ambition to reach beyond illustration. Through our consensual admiration for certain inspirational artist editions, we set the bar at next level and eventually came to the conclusion this would mean we needed to take Lennard's clear lined flat signature and find a way to translate it into the sculptural. More so, as paradigms continue to shift under the pressures of digital globalization with significant fractures ahead of us that seem to usher in a new era, we searched for a statement that (at least in our heads) would mark the specific moment of creation.

In the dialogue that followed, we kept returning to a series of crashed vehicles Lennard had made earlier that year. When we finally started seeing the airplane out of that series as the ultimate symbol, we knew we had found our subject that represented everything we aimed for. From that moment Michiel Verweij joined the project to bring Lennard's vision to life in 3D and soon Suzan Becking formed the last element of the equation as we wanted to materialize the sculpture into the perfect paradox: a crashing plane made out of porcelain. The final quest for perfection started, and eventually took a little longer than we hoped, but Friday the 13th, at last, graphite on paper was transformed into a black porcelain sculpture which we named 'Fallen Bird'.

We are extremely proud to present the result of our shared endeavor and are very thankful for this inspirational experience alongside Lennard, Michiel and Suzan. Now it's time for this 'Fallen Bird' to find its way all over the world again... We are ready for the next one (stay tuned)! [ Continue reading ]

To celebrate the fact that lunatics can become presidents: we bring you this deadstock vintage canvas money bag, hand-customized by our close friend and typographer Guido de Boer. [ Continue reading ]

While we are wrapping up 2016, we’re looking back once again to everything we have done with Another Something. Another year has passed in which we shared all of the inspirational things that moved us in the realms of fashion, travel, craftsmanship, creative culture, printed matter, cycling and photography, did some super inspiring interviews and worked on fantastic projects, that are yet to be released. It was the year where we decided to do ‘Less but Better’ and it really worked out! From creating less, but better content with Another Something, to focussing on the things we really enjoy: building brands in the richest way possible. We stepped down as creative partner at Tenue de Nîmes, ended our adventure with Our Current Obsessions and decided to celebrate our collaboration with …,staat in merging Atelier Joachim Baan into …,staat from the start of 2017 onwards. There are also some extremely exiting projects we’ve been working on over the past months, which we’re not yet allowed to share, but can’t until the moment we can in early 2017!

Exciting times are ahead of us! [ Continue reading ]

With the closing of the year upon us, looking back at the rather strange and undeniably eventful period of time that was 2016, there is still one important story that needs to be shared here: the transformation of Amsterdam-based perfume house Abel, which we worked on for most of the last twelve months and eventually was presented to the world at Tenue de Nîmes last month. It is a story that started already at the end of 2015 and on many levels became one of the most gratifying assignments completed in the last few years, period.

Although it is often not the first thing mentioned when speaking on these particular things, for us it was first and foremost of the highest pleasure to experience the kind of confidence in our vision as shown by Abel founder Frances Shoemack, who started her brand with two all-organic perfumes in 2012 and came to us in the winter of last year to redefine a new direction for the future. At that point several new fragrances were being perfected by Abel's 'nose' Isaac Sinclair, which would mark an important new chapter that asked to completely rethink all the existing paradigms. Finding strong inspirational anchor points through the traditional start of our proces; a deep dive into, in this particular case, the world of niche parfums, complemented by for instance the work of British poet T.S. Eliot, having a focus on the experience of time, and subsequently finding a visual language that in the richest way possible would translate the conceptual framework on an aesthetic level — over the course of the months that passed it resulted in a sharply redefined strategy, a rigorous repositioning of the brand and aligned with that new direction a completely restyled identity for the, at this point perfected, five piece collection of elegant natural 'living' fragrances that we coined vita odor. 

With some time passed, we can look back at both the process and the fruits of the work, and it is safe to say: it makes us as proud as anything we initiated ourselves in the past and it was a unique pleasure to have been part of it all. Now it's time the rest of the world finds out about Abel too! [ Continue reading ]

Inspired by the Japanese 'Mottainai' (もったいない) tradition which is centered around the idea that every object has a soul and should never be wasted, we are beyond the moon, together with optical expert Bijan Azami, to finally present the Mottainai Nº 1: a timeless pair of sunglasses created to last a lifetime.

It has been a long time coming, as we first mentioned the project here over a year ago, but it turned out a bit of a long-term effort to finally share the passion project which is the result of a relentless quest for (our) perfection. Nevertheless, the big moment is eventually here and we feel beyond proud to introduce to you what we have been working on together with Bijan for the last three years. Hopefully this will be the first of more materializations strongly rooted in the fundament that was slowly built since the inception of Another Something & Co, with everything that has been shared and created in the last 9 years being its field of reference. It is safe to say that this project approximates synthesis of the different fields we aim to be positioned in as close as possible.

Less but better: the Mottainai Nº 1 is one single frame, carved from the horn of the Indian water buffalo by gifted craftsman in the world’s best natural horn atelier in the West of Germany. Every frame individually given a unique hand-finished distressed vintage appearance, which will continue to show an evolving beauty over the years of use. [ Continue reading ]

Another year has passed right before our very eyes. Although, as always, we tried to grasp it every once in a while, it feels like yesterday since the last new years eve. But here we are again after another remarkable, flown by, twelve months with some wonderful things to look back on (and to look forward to!). As per usual there was as little sitting still as possible with some great collaborations realized - among which the rebrand of Travelteq is particularly special - hard work on our own projects and of course trips (business ànd pleasure) all around the world. Both accompanied by bike or just with family and friends. Speaking of those; a wonderful highlight was Tenue's trip to San Francisco, but also the visit to beautiful Porto, Paris with ...,staat, Sweden to partake in the Dalslandrunt15, the exciting trip to Croatia for the upcoming revitalized Our Current Obsessions, and visiting our friends of GERTRUD & GEORGE in Geneva, amongst others. This year also marked some extraordinary steps forward for Tenue de Nîmes with the introduction of the first own designs, several great collaborations of which the Hancock VA coats are a true highlight and finally the presentation of Journal Nº 12. As always we will be back in the new year, with very soon an all new aesthetic and approach for Another Something. Stay tuned and until that moment, enjoy our favorite discoveries of last year. [ Continue reading ]

Another year flew by! A year with so many beautiful milestones! The launch of Our Current Obsessions with Gertrud & George. A portrait by Freunde von Freunden. The opening of Fam Stegeman (design project online soon in our portfolio). The tenth issue of the Journal de Nîmes (nr eleven is available next week!). And the collaboration between Tenue de Nîmes and Pastoe.
Some amazing content with your most favourite posts here at Another Something like The Loft, The Monocle Guide to Good Business, Ouur and The Age of Collage.
Thank you all for being part of this, and staying with us all the time!
We promise the new year will bring even more! [ Continue reading ]

We have a long history (and friendship) with German interview-magazine Freunde von Freunden, and therefore finding Joachim's interview online this morning almost feels like coming full circle. After first writing about Freunde von Freunden as early as 2011 and for instance creating the Another Someting x FvF mixtape in 2012; it is clear to say that it is a very special honor to be part of the Freunde von Freunden Workplaces profiles. On a sunny Saturday some weeks ago, Felicitas Olschewski and photographer Jordi Huisman visited the new studio at the edge of Amsterdam's city center in the historical Nieuwmarkt area - almost feeling like a little village within the village of Amsterdam - in which we find ourselves in a beautiful spot right at the mouth of what becomes the Herengracht canal. The conversation starts at the beginning of Joachim's career, dropping out of art school, the love for collecting, favorite projects that were created over the years and finally the exciting projects that lay ahead. [ Continue reading ]

We are super proud to share our latest work, the new national and international stamps of 2014 for the Netherlands. Together with Fleur Derogee and with the good help of Willem van Roosmalen we’ve created a series of stamps showcasing the very stereotypical icons of the Netherlands in af very, very Dutch way. With a hint to the old Delfts-blue, we transformed the icons into monotone coloured objects, almost like little porcelain statues, or 3D printed if you will, and put them into the abstract Dutch landscapes. All in the national colours red, white and blue. [ Continue reading ]

2013 was an amazing year! A year with great heights, far travels, and inspiring connections. Trips to Tokyo, New York, Basel and more. Always dipping into the unknown, meeting inspiring people and discovering great stories. Business-wise it was a preparatory year. We’ve worked on the new Dutch stamps which will be launched on the second of January 2014. We’re working on our own watch brand. We’re working on a new bicycle brand, a travel concept, a new shop experience and much, much more that will see daylight in 2014. We’ve strengthened our team with Chris, our premium researcher and chief editor of the blog, and we’ve worked together with the so many amazing people. We hardly can’t wait for the new year and really looking forward to keep it all going. Thank you all for the support and have a great start of the new year!

Our favourites of 2013 > [ Continue reading ]

I was honored to become one of the One Minute Wonders of Present Plus, the creative outlet of my good friend Nalden. One minute wonders is just that: a series of video portraits featuring wondrous people telling their personal story in 60 seconds flat. Artists, entrepreneurs, designers, and rain-makers offer insight into their individuality, their motivations, and what really makes them tick.
Introduced as 'Eternally curious designer, editor, curator and creative director', here's 60 seconds of my vision - to make the world a little better by creating and sharing everything beautiful. [ Continue reading ]

I think the first time we've mentioned a big redesign of Another Something & Co was more than a year ago. Another Something & Co is still a side project. So while we were busy working on the Blue Jeans exhibition, a new Tenue de Nîmes store, the KLM inflight sales programme, the identity for Skins Cosmetics and much, much more, we collected some lost hours and worked on this big restyle.
The new site is build by my good friend Wilco of Drost & Co. It is the ultimate fusion between the blog, our social network, and the work we do with the company. [ Continue reading ]

Over the past year we've been working on an exhibition on denim which opened last week in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Putting together 350 years of denim history into a more than 100 meter long indigo timeline. A rich history including classic paintings from 'The Master of the Blue Jeans' and old sample books dating back to the 18th century, to the designs of Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Martin Margiela, Marithé + François Girbaud and Yves Saint Laurent - and one of the oldest Levi's and Lee jeans to Momotaro, Atelier Tossijn, Naked & Famous and Rapha - it's all there.
We've created a more than 100 meters long cabinet, starting like a loom in an almost black indigo colour, morphing to slate blue and finally ending in a bright white workshop. A three-dimensional timeline showing the rich history of 350 years of Blue Jeans. The exhibition is accompanied with a book we've designed together with Studio wilfredtimo, which will be available at Tenue de Nîmes (a.o.) anytime soon.

Blue Jeans — 23 November 2012 until 10 March 2013,
Centraal Museum, Nicolaaskerkhof 10, Utrecht, the Netherlands, open Tue - Sun 11.00h – 17.00h

For more images click here >
And more on Blue Jeans at the Centraal Museum after the click > [ Continue reading ]

For CitizenMag of the Citizen M Hotel I wrote a little piece 'On Why I Travel'. Here's a little excerpt: "Spruce magazine once had the legendary payoff. "Turn heads. Set the tone. Be informed. Have it first." It inspired me in my work, in my private life -- basically in everything I do. It also helped me in my way of travelling, exploring new cities and places. When people ask me how I plan my travels, how I find those nice products, those sweet places to dine and those perfect spots to shop, the secret lies in this quote. It is the hunger, the craving need and the faith to find those unique and special places. But more important it feeds the fear of missing anything. And last but not least, it fixes the problem of feeling ‘naked’ when visiting unknown places. [ Continue reading ]

The first Curated gift I made was send out this week. A first gift, dedicated to my love to travel. The love for the unknown, of putting everything together you can't mis and hit the road. Whether it's from Utrecht to Amsterdam or Amsterdam to London, Los Angeles or Lisbon.
The only thing with traveling is that it doesn't go really well with my need for structure. In a bag, or a suitcase, things move around, because you have to open up your luggage at the customs, or need that one particular item at the bottom of your suitcase and everything will move upside-down. I needed something to solve this problem. Something special. [ Continue reading ]

mb!, the online magazine of Mercedes-Benz about design, lifestyle, fashion and music, just launched their Dutch edition. With the first video in a row, ‘The Art of Style’ featuring the photographic duo Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes, a feature on DUS Architects and… [ Continue reading ]

While planning my trip to Lisbon in a few weeks, I was asked by Álvaro Tavares Ramos from the beautiful blog ‘O Editorial’ for a little interview (in Portuguese). O Editorial is a Portuguese blog featuring design, be it a Charles & Ray… [ Continue reading ]

Tomorrow we’re flying to LA again, for a well deserved week… of business. I’m looking forward to meet Mr Freedom, Rising Sun and all the others again, and very much looking forward to the Rose Bowl Flea Market on Sunday. Expect random updates here,… [ Continue reading ]

A little update on our Samsung Galaxy Tab project. In the night from Thursday to Friday last week I took the car, together with Haim, to head east and find some good spots for our Ideas in Motion project. Scrolling on Google Maps the day before,… [ Continue reading ]

For Ideas in Movement I was invited to start an experiment with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. I asked Hugo, Raymond and Mathijs to join me to create some kind of ultimate digital escape. Based on augmented reality you… [ Continue reading ]

Next week I will start an experiment in Another Galaxy. Stay tuned…… [ Continue reading ]

Proud to be part of this newcomer we present you the new dutch knitwear label Knit-ted. Knit-ted launches its first collection with high-quality knitwear basics that are comfortable, stylish and timeless, with subtle, surprising details. [ Continue reading ]