The inspirational printed project named Bare is a journal for which founder and Creative Director; Claudia Bruno, as well as Co-Editors-in Chief; Emily Lundin and Courtney Saunders find inspiration in the unadorned moment of truth. The magazine forms their ode to the raw beauty of realism, with all of their collaborators working with no creative brief, except for one quite unusual restriction in the digital age; no use of retouching is allowed. Bare - which was founded in 2014 - gives Bruno and her team the perfect context to work with artists, writers and photographers they admire, creating beautiful stories. Next to the fact that Bruno, Lundin and Saunders all are being located in different places on the globe, the workplaces of the complete team of Bare range from Amsterdam, London, Barcelona, New York City, Berlin, Montana to Los Angeles. Making the magazine a wonderful example of remote working, without it getting in the way of the diverse elegant quality it offers throughout its pages. [ Continue reading ]
While researching for Tenue de Nîmes' very own jeans line, one of the most significant conclusions which were drawn from looking back in time was the fact that after more than half a century of denim being an oftenly used fabric in fashion, it has returned to its roots: to serve as work wear. When looking at how people dress themselves, we see denim as work wear for people in advertising, in marketing or for people teaching history at the University of Amsterdam. But also people in finance or lawyers show us that ‘Casual Fridays’ are behind us as the only day for denim, and therefore we were inspired to create a new, smarter denim option to dress for work. To serve just the results of what we found in the research: giving people an elegant and modern garment to wear at work. To read more about our search for the best denim in the world, check out our article on Tenue de Nîmes Jeans in Journal de Nîmes Nº11. [ Continue reading ]
As observed through the eyes of artist Mark Whalen, the world is an obscure and mysterious place. His highly fascinating paintings, ceramics and sculptures explore darkly comic, elegant tableaux alive with futuristic mini-dramas. Sexual play, arm wrestling competitions, and ominous rituals are to be found in all his work. He grants an endearing single-mindedness to his cookie-cutter figures in pursuit of their tiny subversive acts. In short, their bliss depends on staying inside the box, literarily being the strict limits of the particular work, forming an interesting snapshot of intriguing worlds. Whalen incorporates elements of decoration, graphic design and architectural rendering technique – props of our refined civilization – to comment on conventional social mores in a totally unique manner. We love Whalen's exquisite sense of humor to be found in his work as his fine aesthetic eye for color and form. [ Continue reading ]
Over the last few year the cycling population of Paris (and the rest of the world) has boomed, with many of these Parisian riders - not surprisingly - style-conscious. With all kinds of cycle clubs having opened their doors over the globe, catering to the ever-growing group of cycling lover worldwide, now France's capital also has a spot for enthousiasts to gather and get their gear. With its pale wood and a granite counter, one finds the newly opened Steel Cyclewear & Coffeeshop at 58 rue de la Fontaine au Roi having stocked a tremendous curation of products, next to the possibility of getting a La Brûlerie Belleville coffee - the best coffee roasters in Paris according to Mr Porter. Whenever you are up for a espresso, flicking through the latest Steel Magazine or meeting other riders for a possible ride: Steel Cyclewear & Coffeeshop is the new place to be. [ Continue reading ]
In 'The New Bohemians', the Los Angeles-based designer Justina Blakeney defines the New Bohemians as creative individuals who are boutique owners and bloggers, entrepreneurs and ex-pats, artists and urban farmers. They embrace free-spirited, no-rules lifestyles and apply that attitude to all areas of their existence, including their homes. With little distinction between work and play, the new boho home often includes an office, art gallery, showroom, photography studio, restaurant, or even a pop-up shop. 'The New Bohemians' explores 20 homes located primarily on the East and West coasts. Exclusive interviews with the owners, 12 DIY projects created by Blakeney and inspired by objects found in the homes, and a "Plant-O-Pedia" offer insight into achieving this aesthetic. In addition, each home is accompanied by an Adopt-an-Idea section that offers general decor, styling, and shopping tips for easy duplication in your own home. [ Continue reading ]
We recently became familiar with a fascinating new brand named ODE TO A, which was started in London and currently is based in Amsterdam. The startup design label founded by designer Sabrina Kraus López and brand manager Noëlle Maxine Tierie, took form after the piloting project Made in Patacancha, where Sabrina travelled to Peru to learn from and work with the remote weaving community of Patacancha. With growing industrialisation, traditional crafts, particularly in rural communities, are at risk of disappearing, ODE TO A aims to collaborate with diverse artisan communities to create limited edition collections that will showcase practiced skills in sleek modern designs, creating a new aesthetic and value in traditional craft. We are particularly drawn to the incredible collection of six rugs which are released under the ODE TO A label. Commissioned by the the British Council in partnership with Anou, the collection is the result of over an one month period in which Sabrina Kraus López worked with six artisans from the Anou community to create the Common Thread, a highly appealing series of bespoke hand woven rugs. [ Continue reading ]
After some hard, cold and windy cycling in Sweden, participating in the Dalslandrunt15, we look at Rapha's Travel program, which this Summer for the first time will take cyclists on an adventure in Asia. The so called Randonnée+ Japan trip is a tremendous eight days of cultural immersion and hard riding from Tokyo to Kyoto in which we would love to participate. The target behind a Rapha Randonnée+ trip is aimed at experienced ‘roadies’. With diverse terrains to tackle, from narrow tracks to steep climbs in remote locations, the Randonnée+ trips demand slightly more from their participants than standard Randonnées, making it one of the more demanding rides organized by Rapha. The extraordinary Japan trip features several days in the Minami Alps and includes stretches of almost unused access roads through the forests: it’s a truly wild adventure, running from Tokyo and Kyoto, two contrasting but equally remarkable cities. [ Continue reading ]