We’ve known our friend Sergei Sviatchenko for many years, ever since he first reached out to us when we posted about his Close Up And Private in 2009. Over the years, we’ve stayed in touch via the internet. And despite being close to meeting a few times, we had never actually met in person. However, at the end of last summer, we finally found a great reason to collaborate—and as a result, meet in person for the first time. Over the past few months, we worked together remotely on a project that repurposes three years' worth of publicly available imagery we created, allowing Sergei to give it a second life, by creating new imagery with more lasting power—or at least make it part of his incredible oeuvre—while also marking the beginning of a new chapter for us, once again.

But first, to learn more about the artist (and architect) behind the collage imagery and to provide some context on how he became the person he is today, last Thursday we sat down with Sergei in the Cristel Ballroom Gallery, where we would later that day launch our project in Amsterdam. We discussed the different aspects of his career, which spans many decades and took him from Ukraine to Denmark in 1990. Fast forward to later years, when his career received another enormous boost with the emergence of the blogosphere. All the way to now, at the respectable age of 72, with our friend showing no signs of slowing down. [ Continue reading ]

Last week, we found ourselves in awe of more than just the clothes (again) when visiting the Parisian showroom of Satisfy. It even brought back some memories from the last ten years. It must have been early in 2016 when we first discovered a new—and, in our eyes, unmissable—running brand, one with a totally unique approach and aesthetic. As with everything at that time, it happened by chance, on the internet. In the landscape of running brands back then, Satisfy was unprecedented. In that first period, they weren’t even being sold at running retailers, despite the technicality of their products, because what they offered didn’t aesthetically fit the familiar (and, frankly, boring) profile. But as they quickly grew in prominence, thanks to contemporary fashion boutiques like colette and Opening Ceremony that decided to carry them, they single-handedly shook up the rules of the specialized market from the outside. [ Continue reading ]

At the end of last year, we sat down with our friend Clayton Chambers to talk about the rise of his inspirational menswear platform, Sprezza, and to hear his perspectives on the state of online content and media. We first connected with Clayton in early 2023, right after he had landed in Amsterdam, where he was planning to stay for a few months. We had discovered his inspiring newsletter sometime the year before. Sprezza had launched as a side project during the pandemic, delivering weekly dispatches of Clayton's (micro-)trend-focused observations, outspoken opinions on style, and his personal tastes in contemporary menswear. In many ways, it reminded us of the blogosphere, translated into today’s digital landscape. A few months after our initial meeting, we collaborated on a dinner activation for Atelier Munro during Pitti 104. Soon after, Clayton’s time in Amsterdam ended, but in the second half of that year, Sprezza really started to take off. [ 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 ]

As we gear up to share our favorite music of 2024 later this month, one album that won’t be on our official list —but has undoubtedly been our top pick— is Cindy Lee's Diamond Jubilee. Unfortunately, it isn’t available on Apple Music or Spotify, making it a hidden gem that lives outside the mainstream. This hauntingly beautiful record deserves its own spotlight as one of the most captivating releases of the year.
Diamond Jubilee is the perfect example of not following conventions and highlights the project’s signature blend of haunting melodies and raw, vintage textures. Created by Patrick Flegel, formerly of the band Women, this album explores themes of heartbreak, isolation, and transcendence, enveloped in dreamy, lo-fi aesthetics. Critics, including Pitchfork, praised its ability to evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia while maintaining a deeply emotional core, solidifying its place as one of the year's standout releases. [ Continue reading ]

We recently met up with Rop (/Rob) van Mierlo and Remco van der Velden to speak about their brand Wild Animals. Having just moved into a new space in the north of Amsterdam, which opened the week before our visit, they explained how a new phase is about to start. Having just introduced two new directions of products that will be available next season named Patterns and Flowers, for the first time moving beyond depictions of animals, they are ready to show the wide range of Rop’s signature wet-on-wet aesthetic.

The current moment also marks the end of a period that was dominated by three major brand collaborations, out of which the H&M kids wear partnership had by far the most impact on the duo. It introduced their work to a global audience, but at the same time (for the first time in their existence) it alienated some of their core followers that didn’t appreciate the fast fashion affiliation. Now, they are ready to move on, with a myriad of new insights, and with the space (financially and time-wise) to finally start growing their Wild universe into new realms. [ Continue reading ]