E D C O R M U ISSUE ONE
WELCOME TO THE AUTHENTICITY ISSUE. Decorum newspaper. This publication was founded out of a passion for creative display and design. In an expansive digital age, we’ll Welcome to the first issue of
art, graphic design, retail experience and concepts, visual merchandising and creative display,
be exploring the contemporary issues that surround the creative industries of
including how some of the top movers and shakers attain their inspiration for authentic aesthetic. We’ll be exploring why prop stylist Emily Henson hates buying vintage at Topshop, what makes Wald Berlin the coolest new store in Europe’s coolest city, designer Aaron Draplin’s Midwestinspired brand Field Notes and the rise of the Britain’s newest iconic bag-- the Cambridge Satchel Company. Welcome to the issue and be sure to check out more content to follow at displayanddecorum.wordpress.com.
S E T I R O V A F C I T N E H AUTFROM THE ISSUE
Chelsea
EDITOR IN CHIEF
PLAYLIST The Neighbourhood- Sweater Weather Lana Del Rey- Young & Beautiful Haim- Falling (Duke Dumont Remix) Kate Boy- Northern Lights Grimes- Oblivion CHVRCHES- Recover Purity Ring- Fineshrine Julio Bashmore- Au Seve Florence + the Machine- Heartlines Phantogram- Don’t Move AlunaGeorge- Attracting Flies
FEATURES WALD BERLIN
The story behind Berlin’s coolest new shop, under new management
PROPS TO YOU
Prop Stylist Emily Henson tells us why she just hates buying vintage from Topshop
HOMEGROWN
Midwest designer Aaron Draplin believes in an honest aesthetic and doing good work
NEON DREAM
We talk to the company that launched a fashion trend through blogging- the success story of Cambridge Satchel Company
SIDESHOW SIGN CO. Australian-born Luke Stockdale creates vintage-inspired signs for big brands
s p o r P o t
You!
Interview by Chelsea Decker BRITISH-BORN PROP STYLIST EMILY HENSON IS A STATESIDE FAVORITE. WORKING WITH THE LIKES OF AMERICAN RETAIL HEAVY HITTERS LIKE ANTHROPOLOGIE AND TARGET, HER WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED IN ANTHOLOGY MAGAZINE, OH JOY!, HUFFINGTON POST, APARTMENT THERAPY AND DESIGN*SPONGE. UPON HER RECENT MOVE BACK HOME TO LONDON, WE HAD A CHAT WITH HER ABOUT ALL THINGS VINTAGE AND THRIFT. WHAT ARE THE COMPANIES YOU HAVE ham-Ryan and she writes a food blog called The Kitchn. I worked on a cookbook with COLLABORATED WITH IN THE PAST her, I did all the prop styling. Tempurpedic AND HOW DID THOSE COME ABOUT? I did a lot of shoots weirdly, earlier on in my career I did some stuff for Chiquita Banana where I shot with this really well-known food photographer Matt Armendariz. He’s got a blog called Matt Bites. I worked with him quite a lot with Chiquita Banana for their website I think. I did some stuff for Target. I did a lot of work with a publisher called Weldon Owen. One of them was with this woman, Sarah Kate Gilling-
Beds. There are lots and lots of things, you often do work that isn’t exciting and you don’t really put it in your portfolio necessarily but they’re good commercial clients. Mostly I do prop styling and interior styling for still photography but about 3 years ago I was hired by this New York company to go to Canada and be the production designer for W network, which is a Canadian television channel. I did all of the set design for some commercials for them.
HOW DID THIS DIFFER FROM PROP STYLING? The commercial thing was really really full-on, I had never done anything like it where it was literally 3 days to prepare for a three day shoot and we had to build the whole set. There were set builders there and we had all these guys who were putting up wallpaper on the big flats and then I had to go around to all these different prop houses and stuff to hire and sofas and furniture to make it look like a living room and we had to do that for a living room set and a kitchen and then prop styling—you wouldn’t usually be doing set building necessarily—it might be on location and you might have to hire a lamp or a chair or a dresser but you’re not necessarily building the set.
I’VE BEEN NOTICING A TREND IN A LOT OF RETAILERS AND COMPANIES TAKING ON FINE ARTISTS TO CREATE THEIR DISPLAYS. IS THAT AN EMERGING TREND?
I think it’s interesting—it seems like the past few years there’s this massive movement towards handcrafted stuff. I think these big companies are trying to get on the bandwagon aren’t they? It definitely is something that has happened in the past few years. I think for them that the bottom line is that for these bigger companies it’s all about making money with what the trends are and I think there is this big trend, this big movement, towards handcrafted and everyone’s kind of going back to the way things you used to be and making things yourself and that kind of thing and so I think they want to attach themselves to that because it’s fashionable really and I think they want to make themselves more real, like they’re not corporate.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE WORD AUTHENTICITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE LINE OF WORK YOU DO? I think it’s all about personality and any clients that hire me, for example,
or hire other stylists, they’ve got a certain look and there company’s got a certain brand and personality and so I’m hired to make something look in line with their personality.
HAVING HAD BOTH EXPERIENCE IN THE USA AND THE UK, HOW DO YOU THINK CUSTOMERS DIFFER IN AESTHETIC AND WHAT WHAT THEY BUY? EAST AND WEST COAST USA? The UK is known for being a bit more eccentric isn’t it and not everybody is, but I think we like things a bit more maybe patterned or more colorful, I don’t know but I think it’s not as conservative as some of the companies in the US. And as far as east coast and west coast, west coast is so laidback, isn’t it? I’ve lived in New York and I’ve lived in LA and they’re completely different. I think New York is a lot more sophisticated.
HOW WOULD YOU SAY THE ENGLISH HIGH STREET DIFFERS WITH THE AMERICAN RETAIL SCENE? I mean really, if you think about it, it’s all kind of the same. I think the same with the high street and the same with every mall in America, for the most part you’e going to find the same shops in every mall in America. There will be regional differences between your restaurants and that type of thing and it’s the same here—any high street and you’ve got your Oasis and you’ve H&M and Monsoon and Accessorize and so it’s a bit of a shame, it didn’t used to be that way. It used to be a lot more unique but it’s kind of the same thing, it’s just a different set up really.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE HIGH STREET IS GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? Again, this whole movement going back to our roots and the handcrafted, I think people want that. They want to people to go back to their high street and go to an unusual boutique but at the same time they want to buy something really cheap, but you figure it’s the same in America, people love Target because you can buy everything in one place and it’s cheap but that sucks for the little small shops, but I don’t know, I would love to think that it is going to go back that way, maybe it will but I don’t think our attitudes as consumers is going to change. Unfortunately people want cheap goods sadly. But also there’s the whole thing with online, the whole Etsy thing has made an impact as well because of course you can’t go to your
high street to buy something unusual, but you can go online maybe so that’s a whole other area I suppose. If you go down, I think it’s the Topshop on Oxford Street and down in the basement by the shoes they’ve got this whole vintage section. But it’s weird because I’ve lived here and I’ve always been a big thrift store shopper and I think ‘oh my god, you people are so stupid to pay a hundred pounds for a thrift store dress at Topshop?” But people do because they don’t want to go and root around in a charity shop. That seems to be a thing, doesn’t it?
Yeah or something like ‘ooh look I only paid 5 pounds for this;’ I think it’s a thing of pride. I think also it’s a generational thing in a way because I’m a little bit sick of it now because I grew up [where] my mum actually had an antique clothing shop so I grew up from a really tiny age doing that with her so at this point I’m a little bit over it, especially now that it is such a thing—it is so, it’s everywhere. I’ve kind of moved on from it. It does feel contrived. And I think personally my tastes have changed. The older you get the more you want, I don’t know, I want slightly nicer things now, not that you can’t nice old things, but I WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE want a mix—where before, just evARE WILLING TO PAY THAT erything was from a secondhand PRICE AT TOPSHOP? shop or I’d find something on the street and I’d fix it up. I think that’s There’s people that just can’t be something a lot of kids in their bothered, they don’t like going twenties enjoy doing and I think around and rooting around charI’m not in my twenties anymore. ity shops or boot sales and it’s been cleaned and it’s cleaned vinWHAT DO YOU THINK IS tage rather than secondhand—it seems more special somehow. I UNIQUE ABOUT THE LONDON just cannot bring myself to do CUSTOMER IN COMPARISON TO it because I like rooting around. OTHER REGIONS IN THE UK?
IS IT ALL ABOUT THE BRAGGING RIGHTS? IS IT CONTRIVED?
I think Londoners are more adventurous with the way that they dress and maybe the way they
decorate their homes, but I think that just a bit more adventurous, try things out and not conservative at all, not traditional. I mean, there are of course, it depends, there are those people as well, but I think in general we are known to be quite eccentric.
WHICH CITY DO YOU THINK IS YOUR FAVORITE- LONDON, NEW YORK OR LOS ANGELES? It’s really hard to pick. I am definitely thinking a lot about LA these days but London is an amazing city, if it was just a bit warmer and sunnier, but there’s just so much to do and I think it’s got so much culture and history, I couldn’t really pick between the two because they’re so different and I think they’re both really great.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THE PROP STYLING INDUSTRY IS EVOLVING? Well, I don’t know. My experience since I’ve been back here has been that the interior styling world is shrinking and I mean amongst agencies I was talking to when I wanted to move back, they weren’t taking on any new stylists because they were going to go more the route of fashion because there wasn’t enough work in the interiors world. I don’t know if that’s true, I don’t know if that’s going to continue or why that is but that seems to be the case here
at least, I don’t know if that’s the same in the US, but that’s been my experience so far.
ARE THERE ANY FAVORITE BLOGS? DO YOU LIKE TO USE PINTEREST? Well, that whole blog thing, I mean, I writ a blog obviously but I don’t spend that much time looking at other people and the reason for me is I don’t do very well looking at other people’s work and not to sound really silly, but if I compare myself too much and if I’m looking at other people’s work too much it has a negative effect on my own work, but I think that just me personally. I mean I do look at certain blogs, I don’t look at any of them regularly. I’m not a devotee for Bright Bazaar or any of those blogs but you know, I fish around the internet and try to find new things. But the thing is is that it’s such a time sucker and I have to be really careful because I’ve got kids and I’ve got work. And you could spend hours and hours looking at blogs you don’t know how much time could go by and then you have to be careful that you’re not copying what you’ve seen someone else doing. I find it best to not spend too much time looking at other people’s work and just go and find your inspiration elsewhere.
[IMAGERY COURTESY OF EMILY HENSON; PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERI LYN FISHER AND JOHN VINCENT FOR EMILY HENSON]
MODERN RUSTIC For more of Emily’s eclectic interiors style, be sure to pre-order her new book titled “Modern Rustic Style” set to release in October 2013 on Amazon. Be sure to follow Emily’s style blog where she documents her travels and design inspiration at lifeunstyled.blogspot.co.uk and portfolio at emilyhenson.blogspot.co.uk.
FOR THE LOVE OF
GERALDINE JAMES, AUTHOR
GERALDINE'S BOOKS
INSIDE THE BOOK: CREATIVE DISPLAY
DISPLAY As a home accesories buying manager for high-end UK retailer Selfridges, where she is responsible for buying and selling product to be distributed within store, Geraldine James has crafted a career out of a passion for interiors, styling and display. Working in retail the entirety of her working life, James first started as a fashion buyer at luxury department store Harrods and eventually got a position at Selfridges, an opportunity that has granted her the ability to work with a brand with “a very strong heritage to build on and it stands for inclusiveness with owners who have a retail pedigree that is second to none.” Working at a British institution like Selfridges, where prop styling, visual merchandising and display “is a vital part of everyday life bring[ing] the windows and interior displays to life,” James learned to hone the British aesthetic which she describes as “quirky and individual” with strong brand values. James attributes brand success and authenticity to having “a strong set of values and stick to them. It has to be clear from every aspect of what they do that they stay strong to their core value and roots.” The creative immersion in the industry inspired James to begin playing around with the vintage and antique items
she collected around her London home. Once her daughter moved out into her own flat, James began using the spare room to experiment with color and developing her own style, which she describes as “an eclectic mix with modern and vintage.” She took photos of her work and brought the idea to a publisher who loved the concept, thus inspiring her first book, “Creative Walls.” After the book was released, James decided to create a second book “Creative Display,” focusing on the ways in which people arrange personal and heartfelt items in their own homes in new and refreshing ways, revealing “a deep personal connection to places, families and the most important things in your life.” Her affinity for juxtaposing styles and periods extends to her love of flea markets, charity shops and antique stores, where she attains her inspiration for her work. “It’s all about finding something unique,” she notes, “and it’s the best form of recycling there is. Authenticity is not the objective as the provenance is less important than the fact you like it and want to bring it in your home.” WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER; IMAGERY COURTESY OF GERALDINE JAMES AND THE TELEGRAPH
“AUTHENTICITY IS NOT THE OBJECTIVE AS THE PROVENANCE IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE FACT YOU LIKE IT AND WANT TO BRING IT IN YOUR HOME.”
WALD BERLIN Joyce Binneboese, first working as a model and Dana Roski, first working as a stylist, owners of Wald Berlin, an upscale boutique located in the shopping district of Mitte in Berlin, first met when Joyce did an internship at Dana’s styling agency when she was 1 8. Working as salespeople in WALD for six months together, an opportunity arose for the friends to take over management of the store, a chance they refused to miss out on despite a major masterplan in running their own business. They decided to let their personal styles and likes influence the shop, which they reveal comes as a natural creative process, with “a big belly intuition.” Often buying collections for the shop that they both adore, Roski and Binneboese attribute their success to just following what feels right and allow all promotions, including an online shop, Tumblr blog and magazine as a means of expressing their passion in designer fashion and having fun in the process. Since taking on responsibility as managers and owners of the shop, Roski and Binneboese have taken on five additional employees and more responsibility as they persistently look for fresh ways to reinvent themselves. “In Berlin, all the shop owners know each other or know what the others are doing. The main reason to open in Berlin is a because it is easy to start here. If you want to open a shop in Paris or New York, you need a big bunch of money to
start. In Berlin, you are mainly in need of a good idea and a bit of money,” Roski states. The low costs, creative environment and intellectual stimulation are just some of the perks in starting a business, much less an independent fashion boutique, in the city of Berlin, which the girls note is a result of the fall of the Berlin wall, where young and talented people came to settle afterwards to rent out studios for a fraction of the price than more cosmopolitan cities like London, Paris or New York and to express their political ideas through art and fashion. The result has been the emergence of Mitte as an expansive and inspiring shopping district, unique for its vibrant and close-knit creative community of similar-minded shop owners. “In general, Berlin is not as chic as Paris or London and mostly there is not a lot of money spent into fashion in the city, but this fact is bringing a lot of individuality and creativity into style,” Roski says. As the WALD girls continue to express their passions for art, design and fashion in their adventurous new enterprise, they anticipate inspiring moves forward, as dynamic as their namesake, living by the manifesto to “always be one step ahead and be brave to try things even though we might be the first. We are lucky to live in a time of the Internet and social media, which makes it possible to get famous with a unique idea. But it has to be yours and you have to do it with your heart.”
WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER, IMAGERY COURTESY OF WALD BERLIN AND WALDEBERLIN.TUMBLR.COM
RETAIL REVIVAL IN THE AGE OF E-COMMERCE AND ONLINE SHOPPING, WE HAVE SHOP TALK WITH TWO OF NEW YORK CITY’S MOST INNOVATIVE MODELS IN CONCEPTUAL RETAIL TO DISCUSS HOW THEY GET CUSTOMERS EXCITED ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT AND STORE EXPERIENCE.
INCLUDING TREASURE&BONDA NORDSTROM-OWNED SHOP GENERATING 100% OF ITS SALES TO LOCAL CHARITIES AND AMERICAN TWO SHOT, A COLLABORATIVE, EDGY AND EXPERIMENTAL SPACE WITH THE LATEST IN FASHION, MUSIC AND ART, INCLUDING AN IN-STORE CAFE.
TO BE TREASURED WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER WITH PAIGE BOGGS In Fall of 2011, American department store chain Nordstrom opened treasure&bond in New York City as a conceptual retail model different to its market contemporaries. Treasure&bond functions as a small boutique in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood where 100% of its profits are donated to New York City based charities. Wholly owned as a subsidiary of the Nordstrom company, treasure&bond is the reflection of Nordstrom’s efforts in pursuing a retail location in Manhattan. According to treasure&bond general manager Paige Boggs, “it turned out that doing something completely different in terms of store model was a quicker way to get into that market here. So from that notion, treasure&bond was born.” Each quar-
ter of the year, treasure&bond chooses two philanthropic organizations to donate their proceeds. The non profit groups and organizations apply online where a small group of people then edits the group down to a manageable size. Once the smaller group is selected, Boggs notes, “we post one image and a short bio of the groups here in store and there is a month long voting cycle. The group/groups with the highest number of votes wins.” The store functions as a unique space, serving as “as store, meeting place, community spot, [Our] goal is to find unique product and present it to people in a compelling way and we love to tell the stories of the product as well as the people behind the product. Product is king , you have to have
things that people want to buy, so that is always first. Because with our model, if no one buys anything, you can’t really help the cause,” Boggs adds. While vendors don’t need to care or know about the non-profit organization showcased, Boggs mentions “they make their money when we purchase goods from them... however MOST brands are very pleased when they find out and they think it’s a good thing. We find merchandise like any other retailer. We go to market, showrooms and oftentimes, yes-people find us. It takes ALL of these to really get good exposure to everything that is out there in the world.” Despite treasure&bond’s ties to the Nordstrom name, the marketing efforts of the store are entirely grassroots and initiated and executed through the treasure&bond team. Boggs states, “we do not market ourselves too much outwardly with the exception of social media [because it’s free]. We tell you INSIDE the
store that we donate our profits to children’s charities in New York City-- with a simple sign behind the cash wrap as well as a list of the organizations we have worked with over the past year and a half.” The overall response of the store has been a positive one in the fashion and retail industries in fashion epicenter of New York. Since their opening, the store has collaborated with Rachel Zoe, Rebecca Minkoff, CFDA/Fashion Fund, VINCE, Zella, Horses Cut Shop, GQ & Nordstrom and Daily Candy for special events and pop up shops. Boggs anticipates an exciting start to similar-minded philanthropic shops in the future, crediting Merci in Paris as “a beautiful store with incredible product and they have a philanthropic mission is will.” She is excited to work in the retail industry, particularly at a location with humble values and ideals coupled with beautiful events and product to generate a buzz about the business mission. “I think retail is a microcosm of the world. it is ever changing, which is organic and very incredible when you think about it. I think the experience matters more than ever, both from an environmental perspective as well as a human one. You want to be inspired by the product and space and treated well by nice, interesting people.”
IMAGES COURTESY OF TREASURE & BOND FACEBOOK PROFILE AND WEBSITE
PARTNERS BUBBLE FOUNDATION URBAN WORD NYC BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS OF NEW YORK THEATREWORKS USA POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE INC. LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE GIRLS WRITE NOW PEDIATRIC CANCER CENTER ASSOCIATION TO BENEFIT CHILDREN EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD NYC FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE’S FAMILY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS CHILDREN’S HEALTH FUND COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY NEW YORK CITY YOUNG MEN’S INITIATIVE
AMERICAN
DREAM TEAM
WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER; IMAGES COURTESY OF AMERICAN TWO SHOT TUMBLR, INSTAGRAM AND WEBSITE. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO OPEN UP YOUR it in. I can often be a little more eclecOWN SHOP? WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIG- tic and Steph more minimal, but GEST CHALLENGES THUS FAR OWNING IT? we definitely rub off on each other.
OWNERS OLIVIA AND STEPHANIE
We wished a place like this existed in our neighborhood, so we just decided to go for it. We certainly had hesitations, as anyone should before starting a business. You need to weigh as many pro’s and con’s as you possibly can and sometimes think of the worst case scenario. Having a partner makes a big difference, and I know neither of us could imagine doing this without the other. The biggest challenge is learning how to juggle all of the tiny challenges, and also learning from every move you make, both good and bad.
THE STORE SERVES AS AN ECLECTIC SPACE SERVING MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES-- WHAT ARE THEY AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS IN HAVING SEVERAL THINGS GOING ON IN ONE RETAIL STORE?
Steph and I have pretty different styles, but there is a big overlap and it’s in this overlap that we find the store’s voice. The rule of thumb is if we both love something, we bring
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE FUTURE OF RETAIL IN NEW YORK? HAVE YOU FOUND SIMILAR STORES THAT NOT ONLY SELL CLOTHING, BUT ALSO HOST OTHER BUSINESSES AND EVENTS?
We are eclectic in our interests and tastes, so it only makes sense that the space would reflect this. American Two Shot houses Cafe Integral, a coffee bar owned and operated by our dear friend Cesar Vega. We have different events in the space from shopping events for a designer to readings to music events. We wanted Two Shot HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR PERSON- to really be a one stop shop, and being AL STYLES? AESTHETIC OF THE STORE? so inclusive lets us accomplish this.
All I know is what the “right” and natural decisions feel like for us, and those are the ones we try to make. just do what feels right. WHY IS NEW YORK CITY IDEAL FOR THE STORE? New York is our home, and we wouldn’t have thought of opening this shop, at least the first one, anywhere other than our neighborhood. Steph used to say when we first opened “new yorkers like what they like, but they love something new,” and this is the sort of balance. We are a neighborhood shop. We have regulars and know them by name. In a weird way, I think we’re able to let people feel comfortable when they walk in because of how comfortable we feel. We love New York.
WHAT ARE THE UPS AND DOWNS IN OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? HAVE YOU SEEN A RISE IN OTHER ENTREPRENEURS IN THE CITY OPENING UP SHOPS, EXHIBITS, POP UP SHOPS ETC?
TERRYTEE, AVAIRICHARDSON L ABLE ONLINE
Ups and downs are just part of the deal. Sometimes its hard and scary, other times you feel on top of the world. Through all of it, we just try and stay grounded and communicate. There wil be more ups and downs to come! New York City has always been a hub for young creatives, so I don’t know if it seems like there’s a rise in young entrepreneurs. But it’s definitely inspiring to know that there are so many other people trying to do their own thing.
NEON WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER WITH CAROLINE BROWN AND THE TELEGRAPH; IMAGERY COURTESY OF CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL COMPANY WEBSITE, LOOKBOOK.NU AND TUMBLR
Cambridge Satchel Company owner Julie Deane’s story is a model for creative entrepreneurship in the digital age. Inspired by her old school satchel, Julie recognized the need to bring back such a classic bag and create more jobs in the struggling British econonomy. In 2008, she began producing the bags out of her kitchen, determined to increase the amount of UK-based jobs by sourcing solely British manufacturers and giving herself a budget of £600. She spent a total of £70 on leaflet order forms to leave inside surgeries, shops and schools for special order and taught herself how to design logos and websites to keep costs down. In October 2012, Deane told The Telegraph, “You can spend thousands and get nowhere if you’re lazy. A limited budget makes you more creative – you
know it’s about you making money, not how other businesses have done it before you.” At a time when Tumblr and Twitter were still in their infancy stages and the idea of Instagram hadn’t been conceived yet, Deane did something unparalleled in fashion history-- instead of pitching her designs to major retailers and editors around the UK, she sent an array of her classic colored satchels to fashion bloggers from around the world. The hype around their blogs, YouTube unboxing videos and appearance at fashion weeks gained the interest of ELLE editors who began requesting them in neon orange, yellow, green and pink. An iconic bag was born. By the end of the first year, Deane was turning over nearly £200,000 in sales. Careful not to invest into outsourcing or
splurging too much too quickly in frivilous marketing plans and schemes, Deane held the firm belief in not opening up a store until she felt she financially stable enough to do so. She kept her manufacturers strictly within the UK, telling The Telegraph’s James Hurley, “I can’t imagine having satchels made in a country I haven’t been to by people I haven’t met. You may as well be trading in pens – you’ve lost the reason you’re doing it. It’s the agility to put things right quickly when there’s a problem, not waiting for stock that’s on a boat for weeks and the ability to make smaller, more flexible lines. People who have moved production overseas should give this a try and they’ll appreciate what they’ve lost. It’s time to back our local communities.” The company is firm in their values for
DREAM (FROM LEFT) ORIGINAL FLUORO, CHRIS BENZ FOR SS1 3, ORIGINAL PINK FLUORO, BASSO AND BROOKE FOR AW1 2, HENRI BENDEL FOR SS1 2, COMME DES GARCONS FOR AW1 1 , CHRISTOPHER SHANNON FOR SS1 3, REFINERY 29 FOR SS1 3.
British made products, noting that their customers want authentic products and craftmanship and a sense of community as digital technology proves to be irreplaceable in daily routines. Deane’s personal assistant and company representative Caroline Brown notes that “customers have learnt our brand and the story behind our brand and so we would always want to stay authentic.” But while the bag’s iconic design has been replicated amongst dozens of American and British retailers, the company has faith that its vast customer base, ranging from high profile editors and celebrities to mothers and school children, will remain passionat and loyal to the original design and brand. Brown adds, “More and more consumers are coming back to handmade products as well as UK made products.
They like to know where their products are being made and want to know the quality of the products that they are getting.” Recently, the company opened its first ever flagship store in Covent Garden in London in February 2013, including an exclusive blogger lounge, eminent of its massive blogger fanbase and an array of satchels in nearly eight different styles with colors ranging from classic primaries to fluoro neons and the range of the pastel-colored “Chelsea” collection new for spring 201 3. The company’s prestigious fashion reportoire ranges in collaborations with Japanese label Comme Des Garcons, a Disney line exclusive to luxurious UK retailer Harrods, London-based menswear designer Christopher Shannon, American classic J.Crew, American specialty stores Henri
Bendel and Bloomingdales, and new for spring 201 3, collaborations with American designer Chris Benz including a sporty backpack edit and an exclusive release of a neon red for American fashion site Refinery 29. Brown notes that the company is always excited by the energy of new collaborations, which can be initiated either through the company reaching out to designers they want to work with or vice versa. With nearly £12 million in sales per year and a new flagship as iconic as its Covent Garden location, the future is fluoro bright for this authentic British start-up.
FINE ART CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS WITH A FRESH SPIN ON ANTIQUE WARES
SWARM STUDIO Leslie Oschmann started her career at age 1 8 working in visual merchandising in Rochester, New York. Working mostly in fashion including doing display for companies such as Wanamaker in Philadelphia where the focus was entirely in fashion, Oschmann took her first interiors position at Conran-Habitat where she fell in love with the home element of visual merchandising. After working with Ethan Allen in Connecticut, she interviewed for a position at Anthropologie in Seattle when there were just ten locations scattered across the United States. Anthropologie shifted the game by making display teams strictly responsible for sales reports in-store and bringing an unprecedented handmade element into their store displays. “Authenticity to me means that someone took care. Thought about what they were doing and you can visually see the results. Hiring creative individuals to contribute to the look of a store speaks to the philosophy of the company or
store. Quite simply to me-- it just means that they care what the customer experiences. Who does not like to look at something and know that someone took care?” she notes. She transferred to work at the New York City store before moving to Philadelphia to start a visual and merchandising department in Anthropologie home office. At the time she left, there were more than 80 stores scattered throughout the continental US. She decided to make the move to Amsterdam in order to take time off and begin traveling around Europe. “During that year, I would go to markets throughout Europe and collect. As I collected, I began to think of things that I could make. In particular, I saw a large amount of paintings. I started to think about what else the painting could be and began to experiment with applying to chairs, bags... From my past in display I think it is ingrained in me to look at materials (any material) and think of what else it could be. Or to look at something that is
WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER; IMAGERY COURTESY OF SWARM STUDIO AND LESLIE OSCHMANN
ordinary and try to turn it into extraordinary,” she comments. Her visual merchandising background and experimentation with paintings and materials lent themselves to start Swarm, where she sells reclaimed vintage furniture and homewares based from Amsterdam. While Dutch customers don’t seem to gravitate to her decorative aesthetic in favor of a more clean, purposeful and modern look, she has gained popularity selling her wares with Anthropologie. “There is usually always a twist to the design-- humor is a big part of the Dutch aesthetic. But it is usually highly designed-- not so much handmade. In the six years I have been in the Netherlands, there is a definitely a change. More name brands moving in--Abercrombie just opened-- Starbucks.. With that said, there is not a ton of American brands in the Netherlands. Not like in London or Paris... [I] think the Dutch resist big brands and will always want the independent stores. Think the US seems to be the opposite-- where independent [stores] seem to be the bigger push. It probably has gone to the extreme to the brands and people now don’t want to be one of thousands with the same Gap sweater and Pottery Barn couch.” She cites that there is a push for things to be personal and for customization. “I was reading a blog the other day on how-you-too can personalize the on/off pull chain on your table lamp by stinging some beads together and hanging it from
the switch. I personally don’t get that. But that is probably because I make stuff all the time and am certainly not going to decorate my lamp on/off switch. But if you think about the average person who has a 9-to-5 job and buys from a major chain and you like that lamp but want to make it your own-- maybe hanging some beads from the on/off switch makes it a bit different from your friend who has the exact same lamp,” she states. “I think the consumer got tired of having the same thing shown to them over and over again and the handmade certainly is the opposite of the SAME,” she continues, “if you look at the evolution of retail in general, there are no grand department stores like there were in the 50’s to 80’s. They all killed themselves off by becoming like each other. None of them stood true to a brand or identity.” Oschmann anticipates extending Swarm to include a range of products by experimenting with Photoshop to create textiles . “The challenge is that I still always like a ‘touch of the hand’ so I am looking at how to make something that is computer generated look more humble,” she says. Oschmann’s love for making things and creating beautiful work out of handmade objects and her desire to be unique has propelled her from retail positions to pursuing her craft into a full-fledged career, all while staying true to her aesthetic and handmade creative process.
CHAD WYS As a resident of a rural Midwestern town in central Illinois, Chad Wys describes his line of work as “minimal appropriationist,” taking inspiration from a variety of motifs including history, culture and the present while collecting objects found in thrift stores and garage sales. Dedicating most of his adult life to university, he decided to devote himself to his craft in late 2011, where he has taken on a variety of projects, which can either take a few seconds or a few years, crediting his creative process to “tortured struggling with various media. I’ve abandoned projects only to come back to them years later, or not at all.” Despite the contemporary nature of his work, he
notes that his location has forced him to create a strong web presence for which he desiminates his work through his personal website or social media microblogging site Tumblr. His involvement with the web has helped him reach various publications leading to features in It’s Nice That, Juxtapoz Art and Culture Magazine, Hi Fructose, Vogue Australia, Harvard Business Review and Behance network, to name a few. While his work has some nostalgic themes, but also explorations of the handmade, Wys thinks its inevitable for a world “ so inundated with mass production that people yearn for bespoke things,” and that “websites like etsy.com are
thriving in part because people are interested in recycling things, but also people like to feel special. People like to feel as if they’re getting something unique and made just for them, and they like funding an industry that will supply those things. Some buyers of handmade items and artwork have a benefactor complex: they like to feel as if they’re doing good by funding the work of people who they perceive to be doing good.” Wys states that, “aesthetically, antique and vintage imagery will always be sought-after because it’s more timeless than the present,” but not to strive for authenticity because it is “a problematic construct because what is ‘authentic’ for one person may not be so for someone else” as “just about everything is subjective and there are no ultimate truths.” While a growing trend emerges in “edited antiquities,” where both small independent online shops and massive retailers like Urban Outfitters are selling antique china with profane names and other typography stenciled or edited, Wys is careful to make the distinction that his work is not “vandalizing” by any means, declaring that while “conflating ideas and aesthetics that one doesn’t ordinarily see together has been a popular motif for decades now—and potentially much, much longer” and prefers to not use the term “vandalize,” as it owes no respect to the object. “I respect the images and objects that I appropriate, but I’m critical of their statuses as reproductions and mass-produced goods. It’s as if I respect the work of the original artisan so much that I am defending his or her work by criticizing its reproduced iteration.” WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER; IMAGERY COURTESY OF CHAD WYS, CHADWYS.COM AND CHADWYS. TUMBLR.COM
“
WE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF MAKING SHIT AND WENT FOR IT AND I’M FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THAT ADVENTUROUS SIDE OF MY FRIENDS AND I.
”
HOMEGROWN Aaron Draplin is a Midwest born and bred grapic designer who is as industrious as his work with
Field Notes Brand notebooks. We get his take on why honesty matters, all things utilitarian and why Carhartt will always mean something different to American farmers than the UK high street. WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER; IMAGERY COURTESY OF DRAPLIN DESIGN COMPANY WEBSITE AND FIELD NOTES BRAND
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGN AESTHETIC AND WHAT INSPIRES YOUR WORK? I like things that are functional first, and fashionable second. I like design that works for the problem at hand. Not just clutter or decoration, unless, the project calls for that.
A little less flashy. Quiet. Subdued. Clever in other ways. Also, when you have to fight for stuff, you sorta learn to invent new ways of attaining stuff. We had a great sense of making our own shit, and went for it, and I’m forever thankful for that adventurous side to my friends and I. we made our own world in skateboarding, snowboarding and punk rock music.
ANY ICONIC ADVERTISEMENTS OR BRANDS YOU LOOK TO FOR INSPIRATION?
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH FIELD NOTES BRAND?
Not really. Things are so slick, you sorta get numb to it. If anything, its little brands that get me the most, who you can sense how hungry they are. Like, their shit is on the line, and they take great chances. I love that stuff over some big Apple campaign any day.
I invented the thing! Well, sorta. I made my own set of memo books, and labeled them accordingly with a fictional brand. And that’s how Field Notes was born. It came alive when I gave a book to Jim Coudal, who helped me make the business it is today. Thank you, Jim!!
HOW DID YOUR MIDWEST ROOTS IMPACT YOUR AESTHETIC AND WORK ETHIC? WHATS THE MIDWEST WAY OF LIFE? Where I’m from, jobs are scarce, and you learn to be a good worker and do a good job. That same work ethic applied to a somewhat persnickety design world, well, it makes things easy for me. I work hard, don’t complain, and hope it shows in my output, persona and overall corner of the design world.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE AUTHENTICITY? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO STAY AUTHENTIC IN YOUR LINE OF WORK? When something feels “right.” And, you know it. You see it. Smell it. If someone’s trying too hard, it sorta shows. On some level, everything is a put on. I mean, in the end, I just want people to enjoy my work, and, clients love the work I made for them. Simple stuff.
AS AN AMERICAN EXPAT LIVING IN THE UK, I’M WITNESSING FIRSTHAND HOW WORKWEAR BRANDS ARE BECOMING FASHION TRENDS-- WHAT IS THE ALLURE? It’s a bummer when something simple in the states turns into some premium item over there. It’s like, I feel sorry that the kid who’s paying top dollar for boutique stuff over there doesn’t have the same experience with the brand like I had. I got my Carhartt jackets from feed and seed stores. Farm stores. Simple shit. I’m sure it’s the same thing when they export stuff to us? I mean, in the end, brands are brands. If a kid digs whatever version Carhartt is offering of it’s brand all over the world, then, cool. It comes from an honest place, so that’s the important part.
WOULD YOU SAY THERE IS GOING TO BE A PUSH FOR “ALL AMERICAN MADE” GOODS IN THE FUTURE DESPITE OUTSOURCING? DO YOU THINK SOMETHING BRANDED AS “ALL AMERICAN” IS SYNONYMOUS WITH AUTHENTIC THESE DAYS? I love the “trend” of making things here. It’s hard, it’s expensive, but it’s a step in the right direction, and crucial
for all of us. I love seeing new stuff that is made in the USA! Gives me hope!
YOUR WORK HAS VINTAGE INFLUENCES. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS SUCH A PUSH FOR THINGS TO LOOK VINTAGE OR HANDMADE? Of course. Right now, all that “artisanal/made here/authentic look” shit’s “trending.” And like anything, it’ll go out of style. The graphics can change, but what’s important is that we make good stuff, ethically and for fair prices. That will never go out of style.
WHERE IS DESIGN HEADING? Hopefully, towards clearer and clearer communication, with little treats here and there. When fashion takes over and it makes shit hard to read, that doesn’t allow the design to do it’s root job of “communicating” something. The world gets faster and faster. Good design makes sense out of our surroundings. I hope so, at least.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF YOUR WORK? Kicking the world’s ass. Saving loot. Enjoying it. Living until I am 140 years old. Big plans!
Sideshow Sign Co. A MODERN COMPANY WITH AN AUTHENTIC AESTHETIC WORDS BY CHELSEA DECKER, IMAGERY COURTESY OF SIDESHOW SIGN CO. WEBSITE AND LUKE STOCKDALE
First starting his career as a freelance designer, Australian-born Luke Stockdale started his design company Whiskey Theatre with the passion for album artwork, restaurant and He made the move entertainment branding. to Nashville, Tennessee and felt it was “lacking in aesthetic charm, so I decided to take the type off the page and build signs. The vintage style adds to the romance to a sign/print, it gives life without a story. I like to call it fictional nostalgia.” Living in a city he dubs “aesthetically challenged” but with cool people making for a great life in one of America’s most famous regions, Stockdale’s venture Sideshow Sign Company has gained the attention of American corporate power players including ESPN Magazine, New York and Company, Nike and LA’s Dodger Stadium who all have all commissioned him for custom vintage-inspired signs, as well as local businesses including independent shop imogene+willie, iconic coffeehouse Barista Parlor and restaurant Rolf and Daughters. With such a diverse range of consumers, Stockdale credits his company’s success and push for handmade goods to “people being sick of buying crap. I think they blame commercial crap on the way the American culture has deteriorated. I think people like anything that reminds them of the golden days when America was The recent cultural shift to all king-- 40’s-60’s.” things handmade and/ vintage has helped facilitate small businesses and mega corporations alike to seek out Stockdale’s unique craftsmanship in order to convey an authentic aesthetic-- but he doesn’t use the word himself very much; “I do know I need
to personally feel satisfied with my work before anyone else will, and that maybe drives authenticity,” noting his roots growing up in Australia have helped make hm a hard worker. As Stockdale gains commercial attention, he is careful to stay true to humble processes, including shaping different materials such as steel and wood to stay as true to a vintage look as possible, “There’s a romance to [vintage] that comforts people. The modern manufacturing process is cheap and hollow and people want to see a little soul in something again. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that vintage has become more popular since the recession”
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that vintage has become more popular since the recession.”
& l o w
/CHELSEADECKER @CHELSEADECKER ECLECTIC-ROMANTIC.TUMBLR.COM
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