This might not come as a surprise for those who follow us, but as the tail end of another year has arrived, it is safe to say that twelve months have passed in which we didn’t ‘optimise for distribution’s purposes’. We didn’t scale, streamline, or tried to make things operate more frictionless. Or at least not intentionally. As a result, few people actually asked us to make things faster, they mostly want us to make things better. But everything around us seemingly sped up any way. Causing the same effect, as would’ve been the case if the question would have actually been posed to us. This year, culture might have flattened some more. And like every year since Web 2.0 was coined, even more content was produced and shared (of course we are also part of the problem). Still, ‘the algorithm’ kept promising more efficiency. As it pushed more sameness, chronic boredom repackaged as engagement and the ever-growing fear of missing out (of things we wouldn’t have appreciated to begin with). A stagnant state disguised as ‘growth’. [ Continue reading ]

Like every year, here are two playlists of our favorite music of 2025. Not what Spotify told us we listened to most, but what actually mattered to us, over the course of a year. What demanded our attention instead of sliding into the background. And when we put Joachim’s list next to Christoph’s, we realised they’re both doing exactly what Dijon described: being a sore thumb within the thing. So here they are: As always two sides, but a big 114 tracks divided between us. Christoph’s A Side and Joachim’s B Side. Different vibe, same frequency. (Mostly) different artists, all with the same refusal to disappear into the background. [ Continue reading ]

Almost a year after we first met its founder John, we are proud to share our collaboration with Amsterdam-based garment brand de dam foundation, for which we also invited our friend, and earlier collaborator, Lennard Kok. In the project, we examined the Dutch invention of the polder and translated it into garments, drawings and film. The most visible results are a trench coat and a cap. Both quiet. Both exact. Both built to stand in the wind without complaint.

John’s work is rooted in Dutch cultural heritage. It informs his references and his designs, which carry that influence into the third millennium and into a slowly evolving wardrobe. Understated, made to the highest standards, often produced in his country of birth South Korea, always shaped by a recognisable oversized unisex aesthetic. We wanted to add a perspective on "our own" The Netherlands that differed from his, both critical and curious, forcing ourselves to rediscover something in a country we thought we knew. It did not take long. We found what we were looking for in the artificial hydrological entity that were invented in The Netherlands: the polder. Land pulled from the water and kept alive by machines and patience. A space where survival and design share the same ground. [ Continue reading ]

My studio is full of stuff. Books stacked on books, old Another Shop inventory we couldn't part with, samples from collaborations that never quite happened (or those I wanted to keep), things we found and had to have (you know, that thing some people call hoarding - haha). Somehow… It's never becoming less…

And yet, I hate buying new things now. Not hate in the absolute sense, I love stuff, I love making new stuff, and I love putting our creativity to work to get more stuff out there…. I just hate the act of buying. That small lie each purchase tells: that this will complete something. The dopamine flicker that fades before the box is even empty. It started years ago, when I learned that quality is a hollow phrase, even for many luxury brands. But it went further. It’s really the realisation that we, as a society, have enough things and that it is a problem.

But then… there are so many nice things made, by lovely brands and friends… We love to see there are still many interesting things being made and sold. Things of real quality and intention. This list is something like that. Or at least those things Christoph and myself are getting excited about. It's our way of loving things without needing to own them (ok, maybe some things we actually do need...). You can have a look. You may appreciate it. You may even understand why someone made this particular belt or coat or book. You can even buy it, if you actually need it. With need being subjective: replacing something broken, completing a collection, it being a thing that you think about for six months and it still means something. This isn't the need: the algorithm showed me, I pay for it with minimum clicks and never look at it again. [ Continue reading ]

Absolute Zeitgeist—the open-source curatorial magazine exploring the themes and forces shaping our time—invited Joachim to guest curate and edit their second issue, published by our friends at LMNOP. The theme: Bored.

Exploring what it means to be bored in an age that relentlessly monetizes our attention, together with LMNOP and Martijn Ros, Joachim developed six distinct lenses to examine boredom from multiple perspectives. For which then Wisse Ankersmit, Jorn Bartelema, Mark Hinch and Christoph were invited to reflect on each of these lenses through original contributions.

The magazine is available for purchase [here]. Joachim’s introduction and Christoph’s essay are included below. [ Continue reading ]

The other day I walked past a shop window in Utrecht that read, “Buy here and make the world better.” I won’t repeat what I felt like throwing through that window, but let’s just say a passing glance wouldn’t have done my frustration justice. And that frustration wasn’t just about the tone-deaf message, as if consumption ever makes the world better, but because that same frustration has been showing up more and more often lately. After reading Reint Jan Renes’ opinion piece in de Volkskrant from June 26 (dutch only) “We need a mental Ozempic for our urge to buy,” it became painfully clear. This isn’t simple. It’s not a matter of an injection, a pill, or a clever sentence on a shop window. Reality is more messy. The urge to consume runs deep, and the system that creates it runs even deeper. What we call “good” in this context is often just a less harmful version of the same problem, packaged as moral progress. As if buying “consciously” suddenly exempts you from the damage. But even second-hand platforms like Vinted operate on the same logic as fast fashion: rotation. Quick purchase, quick resale, dopamine rush, environmental impact ignored. [ Continue reading ]

Photography and art connoisseur Roderick van der Lee was kind enough to write an introduction for our ANOTHER CANVAS collaboration with Sergei Sviatchenko. Inspired by the fundamental question behind the project, he shared his insights in an essay where he offers his perspective on how images have come to move through culture at the highest possible speed, but not without losing their ability to impact it, one way or another! [ Continue reading ]

What is the residual value of an image shared on the internet in today’s volatile visual culture? This fundamental question served as the starting point for our collaboration with contemporary artist and architect Sergei Sviatchenko, known for his pioneering work in collage—a partnership more than ten years in the making. After producing numerous images while working in-house for Atelier Munro over the past three years, we found ourselves questioning: What truly remains of this work once the images are no longer actively used? And what have people actually seen and will even be remembered? To explore this, we invited Sergei to use our publicly available earlier work as the foundation for a new series of art. For which photography and art expert Roderick van der Lee wrote the introductory essay. [ Continue reading ]

Some shots from the launch of our collaboration with Sergei Sviatchenko; ANOTHER CANVAS, which took place at the Cristel Ballroom Gallery in Amsterdam. A massive thank you for everyone that came out. And an even bigger thank you to Sergei and Roderick for the collaboration on this project that marks the beginning of many new chapters. In the words of Sergei; it is rare to feel a sense of belonging when working with people who are of like minds — this project did just that on different levels. [ Continue reading ]

Another year in the books. An interesting and beautiful one, with lots of expected and some unexpected changes. With familiar and unfamiliar challenges and destinations. And most happiness to be found in being with the right people. Old and new friends and collaborators. At the right time and place. In all aspects of our lives. (Thank you all!!!) It marked the end of our time in-house creative directing Atelier Munro and the beginning of our independent consultancy practice. It also turned out to be a year in which a lot has been written about what we’ve felt for some years now: how sameness is killing the distinctive quality of our (creative) culture. And how we have to keep on pushing newness even if people don’t think they need it (they are very wrong!). [ Continue reading ]

Wrapping up another year around the sun with our annual Another Playlists and Another Gift Guide. With all the things we love to buy and all new music we have enjoyed in the last 12 months. [ Continue reading ]

During the pandemic, in search of more togetherness, we collaborated with Jordi Carles Subirà and started a little online network which we named Together&. In the last few months, we evolved a few elements in this endeavour to explore if there's a real potential to upgrade it to a proactive professional network for collaboration and co-creation. Our end goal would be to actively assemble like-minds, in search of resonance between people, projects, products and (freelance) client work. At this point it still lives mostly online, but it will break out of that digital domain more and more in the future to come. For our first (network-only) edition released under the label, we connected the exceptional bio-dynamic Vineyard Dassemus with artist Andreas Samuelsson’s stripped-down essence. [ Continue reading ]

Everything starts with an idea. In our case sometimes thought over too long (Chris) and sometimes done with impetus (Joachim). But when we meet in the middle, we are just about moving at the right speed for both of our liking, all of the time. We knew that for a while now, so this comes as a no brainer - for us at least. As mentioned early this year, some major changes were upon us, and here we are. We are "officially" launching our creative brand consultancy Another Everything. [ Continue reading ]

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 ]

Wrapping up another year with our annual Another Playlists and Another Gift Guide. With all the things we (would) love to buy and all new music we love to listen. [ Continue reading ]

During Pitti Uomo 104, we collaborated with Clayton Chambers' weekly newsletter Sprezza and Mitchell Moss' blog Menswear Musings to host an intimate Atelier Munro dinner at Trattoria Coco Lezzone with some of our favorite people from the fashion industry. What a night it was, we loved every second of it! [ Continue reading ]

When looking back at 2022, it is safe to say that reading David W. Marx’s excellent 'Status and Culture’ was among the most cathartic experiences. Marx’s elaborate observations on how culture moves through society is both enlightening and confronting. Reading his immaculately formed thoughts about the world we live in, granted us new perspectives on our own behaviour. Both as a consumer and an active participant and observer of culture as as whole. It has a been a rather strange year of (post-)pandemic life, the third half following those two earlier exceptionally strange years. Marx’s book offered some fundamental clarity about the times we live in. And what we strive for in the coming year(s) of the Another Something macrocosm. [ Continue reading ]

Here’s a small list with our most fav and desirable things we found over 2022. From drinks, to books, to accessories and garments to art. From static to mobile. From the everyday to the exclusive. Head over to Are.na for the full list. Enjoy!… [ Continue reading ]

For the 11Stranden Tocht, a 60km run along 11 beaches following the Dutch coastline, we are making a long sleeve performance shirt to raise money for the Dutch Heart Foundation.
For this one we’ve teamed up again with Lennard Kok to create a special artwork to accompany the quote by meditation teacher and long distance runner Sri Chinmoy. The shirt is brought to you by Office of Information, supported by Tenue de Nîmes and printed on a high quality performance shirt from Patagonia. [ 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 ]

Exactly two months ago we travelled to Milan (unexpectedly as a road trip, due to a storm in Amsterdam) to visit our friend Roel. Looking back at that weekend in February once more; it is safe to conclude that it turned out to be a greatly inspirational (Jos Brink-themed) couple of days, in which we were able to see some of nature's most beautiful hidden treasures in the marble quarries of Carrara ánd some of humankind's more interesting creations when we visited the sweaty Pinacoteca di Brera; the Pirelli HangarBicocca to, for the first time, see Anselm Kiefer's mysterious towers up close; and (finally!) Rem Koolhaas' Fondazione Prada Foundation, where we had the chance to experience the deeply haunting and still extremely relevant 'Kienholz:Five Car Stud' exhibition and sat down with Boglioli's former Creative Director Davide Marello for an enlightening conversation on the state of Italian tailored menswear fashion. The low, late winter sun was out, the sky was blue and the air was cool: this is that rather perfect Saturday at the incredible Fondazione Prada Foundation in captures by Joachim. [ Continue reading ]

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 ]

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 ]