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 ]
A NewWerktheater Edition
As one of the last features of this year we wanted to share this special project we did at NewWerktheater. Parallel to our collaboration of last month with Lennard Kok, the Fallen Bird, we’ve been busy in our other role at NewWerktheater and …,staat to work on another collaboration we’re extremely excited about; Jupe by Jackie x …,staat.
The idea behind NewWerktheater Editions is to explore disciplines beyond those that are generally our own. To create great things with great people. To see what we can get from the ground and where we could end up if we walk a road unknown. 'Aesthetic Memories' exemplifies precisely this. This body of works took us somewhere we never could have imagined beforehand. We were drawn to the mastery required for this ancient technique. First, we fell in love with the craft, then we met the person behind it and fell in love all over again. Meeting Jackie was one of those instant clicks. You know the type.
When we started discussing designs, deciding on form, translating our inspiration for color, we soon found ourselves entering the territory we set out to find – challenging tradition. Hand-embroidery is traditionally decorative, traditionally representational. But, what if we worked with abstractions? What if we clashed the intricacy of the handwork with geometric elements? [ Continue reading ]
We continue to be far from as active here as we would love to be, mostly because of our schedules at ...,staat and New Amsterdam Film Company demanding most of our time, but after some time completely off the grid in (Upstate) New York and California for the both of us in May; we are really picking up the pace again. Starting it up with an incredibly stunning new book by Swedish photographer Mårten Lange published by MACK, that was presented to the world some hours ago at the gallery space of Webber in London. Named 'The Mechanism', the extraordinary publication presents a remarkably melancholic series of monochromatic photographs that form a futuristic narrative about contemporary life. Bringing together anonymous images made in multiple cities, the work deals with themes of technology, economic systems, surveillance and (dystopian?) urban society. Lange attempts to trace the effects of technological developments on human experiences, using architectural tropes to build a narrative loaded with the threats and promises of the future. Cutting back and forth between close-up views and cityscapes, the beautifully designed book offers a filmic sequence of photographs that is at once affective and estranging. We have been familiar with the impeccable work of Lange before, after just discovering 'The Mechanism' we have a new instant favorite. Make sure to order it before this book sells out! [ Continue reading ]
...,staat for Cartier at De Bijenkorf in Amsterdam
With Joachim's decision to merge Atelier Joachim Baan with his frequently collaborator, creative design agency ...,staat, and myself taking a position at the newly formed Amsterdam-based cinema juggernaut New Amsterdam Film Company since the beginning of 2017, there very likely will be a significantly broader scope of projects we worked on that will be passing in review here. (Next to all the exciting exclusive Another Something projects that will take shape in the coming months, of course.) The first hugely exciting project (that Joachim worked on) comes from ...,staat, who just presented an extraordinary creation for French luxury house Société Cartier at their corner window at luxury department store De Bijenkorf. [ Continue reading ]
In a collaboration between Jordi Carles at ...,staat, Pol Pérez' and Josep Román's Barcelona-based design studio Affaire and Baumeister Jung: the beautiful book 'Material Turn' came to life. In it, the photographer Paul Jung and fashion designer Melitta Baumeister —who work on shared multidisciplinary creative projects as Baumeister Jung— hybridize their creative visions to become one, solidifying a moment in time — as beautiful volume-garments are casted out of an otherwise fixed material ànd by capturing the act of wearing it. Through exploration of these areas, the book portrays the relationships that exist between the two bodies, and the way touch and sight may alter the reader’s perception of an object’s qualities.
For 'Material Turn' a number of garments were specifically designed by Baumeister, who generally works with industrial techniques and materials, this time made solely out of three materials: deep black velvet bonded to foam; padded black vinyl; and finally padded white tyvek. In the words of Pérez; the use of these materials helps instill certain preconceptions in the reader’s mind: "black, especially light-absorbing materials, look naturally heavier. At first, the acting that is asked of the model helps reinforce these assumptions: in the first pages, we see her more relaxed and upright when wearing tyvek, whereas velvet dresses are shown as she sits, slouched on a chair, seemingly defeated by its weight."
This behavior slowly fades as the book progresses, dispelling the initial preconceptions — resulting in a captivating proces to be observed throughout the pages of the elegantly designed book, bringing together the talents of Baumeister, Jung, Carles and Pérez & Román into this highly appealing new publication. [ 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 ]
Two years ago an interesting ambitious new hotel/temporary housing project was presented to the world in Rotterdam and the West of Amsterdam. Given the moniker The Student Hotel, the concept bridges the gap between the ideal accommodation and a home, welcoming all types of guests: from travellers, (exchange) students, aspiring young professionals, or simply people who are young at heart. Given a bold colorful modern aesthetic with clear hints to the iconic American college campus, the first Student Hotel turned out to be a great success, with several new location in and outside of the Netherlands opening its doors. The latest Student Hotel opened its door this month in the city where it all started; Amsterdam, located right in the city centre, with basically everything worth a visit within walking distance. On top of all the leisure facilities available on-site, an iconic nightclub will be ready to host you at The Student Hotel in 2016. We feel this is the most iconic and beautiful Student Hotel till date, with a lot more in store for the concept in the future. [ Continue reading ]
A little under two weeks ago, the impressive next-generation smartwatch brand Vector Watch officially launched for the public in what other city then Basel - where at that moment Baselworld took place. With an aim to provide a more personalized and intuitive experience on a smartwatch device, the Vector brand is supported by a strong team of developers as well as the ex CEO of Timex Joe Santana, ex Nike Designer Steve Jarvis and Vector CTO Andrei Pitis. The launch event took place in the beautiful surroundings of the Gare du Nord venue - the old train station for Basel - a fitting location for a product that looks to meld traditional watch design with intuitive technology. With the vast amount of information and notifications we receive on our connected devices now a days, the London-based brand has developed the smartwatch device to simplify day-to-day activities and routines to give users the power to choose what they wish to focus on. Introduced as a stylish and desirable piece of jewelry rather than a gadget, the Vector smartwatch looks to fill the gap in the market left by fashion-focused smartwatches lacking technological innovation, and technology-orientated wearables. [ Continue reading ]
1. Yauatcha Tea 2. Andre Clouet Rose 3. Antique print of the Solar System (1889) 4. Vintage Midland Bank Limited paper money bag 5. Vintage Kaweco Sports set for the Olympics of 1972 in Munich 6. Russian… [ Continue reading ]
1. Autumn leaf 2. Surface 2 Air S/S 2011 3. Ginger Beer by Belevoire Fruit Farm 4. David Bowie – Space oddity 5. Vintage Exacompta notes 6. Butt Magazine 7. Cobber — By… [ Continue reading ]
1. Dolfin Ginger Chocolate 2. Underworld by Kelly Klein 3. Insects Card Set by Postalco 4. Noodlers water resistant fountain pen ink 5. Antique razor by James 6. Gli Spaghetti Dei Martelli 7. [ Continue reading ]
Training the mind more than the body
As my focus is shifting towards running (while training for my first ultra marathon), my colleague Thomas showed me the Distance shops in Paris and Lyon and got totally hooked by what they do, the brands they cary and the projects they initiate. One of these projects is The Distance Book Series by photographer and artistic director Thibaut Grevet with the aim to produce a singular vision of some of the world’s most emblematic places related to running and its culture. The first volume of this collection is devoted to the mythical village of Iten in Kenya. [ Continue reading ]
By Adrià Cañameras
Last januari we traveled to Barcelona to do a project with the super talented photographer Adrià Cañameras for L’Ascolana, a new-old sneaker brand we are working on at …,staat. While this project is not completely finished to share with the rest of the world, Adrià published a new project he worked on over the past months called Reasonable Blood. [ 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 ]