BRANDING & design (Fashion magazine)

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Fairness in Fashion v 5 Meals in N.Y.C v Product Development v Just Can't Get Enough of Denim v Tactile Textures v Design Classic: Chanel No. 5

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COVER ILLUSTRATION: Adam Greasley. PAPER: Cover: Art Silk 250 gsm. Body: Scandia 2000 White 170 gsm. Printed at Responstryck AB, Borås, Sweden.

�ontent� #1 / 2013

4 Welcome

24 Focus: Tactile Textures Clean lines with exciting surfaces made to be stroked.

6 Fairness in Fashion

25 Product Development

Chronicle by Anna Blom.

We present our latest collection.

10 Oki Sato

32 5 Meals in N.Y.C

Oki Sato, a young man with endless curiosity and a passion for the experimental.

34 The Perfect Shirt Wasn't Made In a Day...

14 Design Classic Chanel No. 5.

Oscar of Sweden's premium collection is all about the art of materials.

16 Simonsland –The Creative Factory

36 Indigo – The Blue Gold

The Textile Fashion Center and the Simonsland area are set to turn Borås into Scandinavia’s leading arena for fashion, textiles and design.

We take a look at the legendary pigment.

40 Just Can't Get Enough of Denim

22 We Like...

The familiar blue fabric has spread far beyond clothing.

News, trends and inspiration from the world of design.

Nilorn Worldwide is an international company, established in 1977, focused on adding value to brands using branding and design in the form of labels, packaging and accessories. Customers principally represent the fashion and ready-to-wear industry.

Nilorn Worldwide offers complete, creative and tailored concepts in branding, design, product development and logistic solutions.

Satisfied customers are our principal asset, and it is therefore important to establish, maintain and enhance customer relations through first-class service. Nilorn Worldwide is one of the leading European players, with turnover of over SEK 300 m. The group operates through its own companies in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Hong Kong, India and Turkey. In addition, there are partner companies in Switzerland, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Romania and China. www.nilorn.com

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WELCOME HEADQUARTERS NILÖRNGRUPPEN AB Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 503 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 88 Fax +46 33 700 88 19 info@nilorn.com www.nilorn.com

Dear Reader, What you are holding in your hand or maybe reading on your screen is the first issue of Branding & Design for 2013. As usual, we have done our best to present you with inspiring news from the world of fashion and design, blended with articles about exciting designers and fascinating projects.

In this issue, you can read about the amazing transformation of an old, run-down textile factory. This project is typical of several areas which we have noticed on our trendspotting trips to shops, restaurants, offices and hotels around the world over the past few years.

Old traditions, materials and premises have a unique history and authentic values. Rather than hide imperfections with filler and paint, designers now choose to turn them into features. Cracks, stains, rusty stairs and damaged brick walls tell their own story. The furniture and design industry is searching through dusty archives in a hunt for forgotten treasures which are brought back into production. The look of many products designed in the 30s, 40s and 50s is often astonishingly up-to-date. Many fashion houses have also taken a look at their early collections and have carried out successful re-launches.

subsidiarIES & PARTNERS NILÖRN AB Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 501 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 00 Fax +46 33 700 88 48 info@nilorn.com BALLY LABELS AG Schachenstrasse 24 CH-5012 Schönenwerd SWITZERLAND Tel. +41 62 855 27 50 Fax +41 62 855 27 59 info@bally.nilorn.com NILORN BANGLADESH LTD. Millennium Castle,12th fl.

House 47, Road 27 Block A, Banani Dhaka -1213 BANGLADESH Tel. +88 02 8835912 Fax +8835913 info@bd.nilorn.com

At Nilörn, storytelling is what we work with every day. We help our customers use design, materials and placement guides to tell their stories. Without a doubt, packaging, carefully designed hanging labels and stylish but simple woven labels all help to promote their products. But sometimes, it is the small details which has the greatest impact on value. A small label – maybe carrying a message or a symbol – which you discover after a while. Reaching people’s hearts and making them smile – that’s what successful branding is all about. For our latest stimulating collection, turn to page 25.

A well-developed branding concept is guaranteed to help you generate successful sales.

Enjoy a moment of inspiration with our magazine.

NILORN BELGIUM NV Brusselsesteenweg 525 9090 Melle BELGIUM Tel. +32 9 210 40 90 Fax +32 9 252 55 73 info@be.nilorn.com NILORN DENMARK A/S Vestergade 48 5000 Odense C DENMARK Tel. +45 70 23 16 23 Fax +45 66 13 48 31 info@dk.nilorn.com

NILORN INDIA PVT. LTD Plot no. 9c, Sector – 3 Parwanoo – 173220 (HP) INDIA Tel. +91 1792 235232 Fax +91 1792 233176 info@in.nilorn.com NILORN PORTUGAL – INDÚSTRIA DE ETIQUETAS, LDA Rua Central de Barrosas, 304 4585 - 902 Recarei – Paredes PORTUGAL Tel. +351 22 411 95 80 Fax: +351 22 411 95 99 info@pt.nilorn.com NILORN SHANGHAI Cheng Jia Qiao Rd. 238 CN-201103 Shanghai CHINA Tel. +86-21-55348268 Fax +86-21-64019750 info@sh.nilorn.com NILORN TURKEY Nilorn Turkey Mimar Sinan Cad. Ünverdi Sok. No:50.

Kat:3. 34540 Günesli Istanbul TURKEY Tel. +90 212 657 76 76 (pbx).

Fax +90 212 657 75 10 info@tr.nilorn.com

NILORN UK LTD Acre Park Dalton Lane, Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 4JH UNITED KINGDOM Tel. +44 1535 673 500 Fax +44 1535 673 519 NILORN EAST ASIA LTD Unit 1701, 17/F, Westley Square info@uk.nilorn.com 48 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong NILORN UK LTD Kowloon 81 Rivington Street HONG KONG Shoreditch, London Tel. +852 2 371 2218 EC2A 3AY Fax +852 2 371 2629 Tel. +44 (0)203 427 3037 info@hk.nilorn.com info@uk.nilorn.com NILORN GERMANY GMBH Itterpark 7 40724 Hilden GERMANY Tel. +49 2103 908 16 - 0 Fax +49 2103 908 16 - 990 info@de.nilorn.com

Claes af Wetterstedt CEO

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DK COMPANY ✶ LA COURS VEJ 6 ✶ DK-7430 IKAST ✶ TEL +45 9721 6266 ✶ WWW.DENIM-HUNTER.COM

CHRONICLE

�airness in Fashio� T ANNA BLOM Anna is a freelance journalist who writes about fashion, trends and beauty. www.annablom.se

he Maasai warrior William Kikanae does not like New York. He misses the great outdoors. Even so, he is standing in front of me in a bustling sea of champagne-swilling fashionistas, inside a no-expensesspared, architect-designed fashion boutique in Lower Manhattan. Through the huge windows overlooking Gansevoort Street, the evening sun casts golden rays across his face. He stares dreamily at the street, like an animal in a cage.

Around his neck and wrists, colourful rows of bead necklaces and bracelets sparkle in red, blue, gold and green. He is wearing a shukan, a layer of fabric which covers his body. The fabric shines blood red against the white walls of the boutique. His arms are full of scars – the burn marks from the ritual a Maasai warrior has to undergo, a preparation for the pain and spilling of blood which awaits him. Killing a lion with a spear and sword is also part of the test a warrior has to face.

This is something which Kikanae has also done.

But he is not in New York to display the proof of his coming-of-age. He is here in the service of fashion - and, in particular, of Maasai women.

So what is a Maasai warrior doing at the grand opening of a fashion boutique? It is the Spanish shoe and bag brand, Pikolinos, which is celebrating the opening of its new pop-up store in New York – a two-storey boutique built from sustainable wood and materials. William Kikanae is here in his capacity as one of the driving forces behind a project between a non-government 6

organisation in Nairobi and a fashion label: a line of shoes and bags made in Kenya by Maasai women.

It isn’t the first time that African culture has provided a source of inspiration for the fashion world: famous designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Saint Laurent and Dries Van Noten are just some of the designers who have taken inspiration from the continents rich colours and patterns. Now, it is time for the western world to give something back to the country and, more precisely, the Maasai people, one of the most threatened in the world. In Kikanae’s view, women are the most important people in the family. It is women who look after the home and care for the children. They are also the most vulnerable. Strongly subordinate to men, most Maasai women have never earned a living. In most Maasai tribes, female circumcision (FGM) is a common practice, frequently associated with early marriage and the end of a girl’s education.

This is something which Kikanae is committed to changing.

– When I was young, I wanted to find ways to support women. They are the most important people in the family, says William Kikanae.

The fact that the fashion industry would become one way of providing a better life for more than 1,600 Maasai women in south-west Kenya was perhaps not what William Kikanae had envisaged when he started working with an NGO in Nairobi. For the past four years, he has been

CHRONICLE

»It isn’t the first time that African culture has provided a source of inspiration for the fashion world« © Alan Barry

ABOVE In April this year, the Spanish shoe and bag brand Pikolinos opened a pop-up store in New York, selling several different collections of shoes featuring hand-embroidery

by Maasai women in Kenya. The plan is for the boutique to stay open for three months, after which it’s a case of wait and see.

RIGHT: It girl Olivia Palermo at the grand opening of the new Pikolinos boutique. She is the ambassador for the Maasai project, as well as the face of a campaign advertising the fourth line of the project. In October last year, during the campaign photo shoot, she visited Kenya and the Maasai women involved in the project.

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the driving force behind a partnership between Pikolinos and a non-government organisation called ADCAM, in which Maasai women use their knowledge of traditional crafts and beaded embroidery. The leather is sent from Spain to the Maasai women, who hand-embroider pieces of leather with colourful beads which are used on the company’s sandals and bags. Once embroidered, the leather is transported back to Spain for final production. The result is a boho-chic collection of bags and leather sandals in different models which are sold worldwide by Pikolinos.

All profits go to development projects in the Masai Mara National Reserve.

The fashion partnership is a clear success story.

Today, William Kikanae’s dream has become a reality – through a collection of hand-embroidered leather accessories which have changed the lives of thousands of women in Kenya and Tanzania. For the first time ever, Maasai women are earning wages which will let them improve the quality of life for the whole community, at the same time as they remain true to their traditions and lifestyle. The project provides a stable source of income which gives them access to food and medicine, as well as to education for the youngest members of their tribes. The profits have also financed a school in the Masai Mara National Reserve. In one article, a Maasai woman tells how her wages have allowed her to send her daughter to university. At the same time, the partnership is keeping a dying culture

CHRONICLE © Pamela Peeters

»Fashion is avant-garde, just like a movie. You set a tone, you have the opportunity to change people.« Pamela Peeters

Maasai chief William Kikanae with his son in Kenya.

Read more: www.pikolinos.com/maasai www.facebook.com/Pikolinos.Shoes www.twitter.com/MaasaiProject www.sustainablestyles.com www.pamelapeeters.tumblr.com ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

and tradition alive. The partnership has also proved a win-win in other respects: when a company puts natural resources and the people behind the objects first, they establish a relationship with shoppers which goes far beyond loyalty clubs and points for the last T-shirt you bought.

Today’s loyalty comes from the heart.

After It girl Olivia Palermo, the project ambassador, and Kikanae finished their talks to the now champagne-saturated audience, I headed for the exit. On the way out, I ran into another passionate soul – the sustainability strategist Pamela Peeters, who originally came from Belgium.

Peeters has been working with sustainability issues for 15 years, and has visited Pikolinos’ production set-up in Kenya. She sees this as the perfect example of the successful fashion labels of the future: – Fashion is avant-garde, just like a movie. You set a tone, you have the opportunity to change people. Most of them buy an image. But sustainability is not an image, it is a lifestyle. Stella McCartney did it, and I have a couple of pairs of her ”vegan shoes”. Pikolinos is another trendsetter. You are forced to consider your whole lifestyle and lifecycle analysis, the people who plant the cotton, who harvest it, who make the products. If everyone is shown respect, consumers will feel better, says Pamela Peeters.

A simple way to decide whether a fashion label is fair or not is not to look just for the traditional fairness labelling and obvious logos.

In Pamela Peeters view, the body’s intelligence is a measure of which fashion labels have fully embraced today’s awareness. It is enough to wear their collections.

– The skin is the largest organ of the body, it can feel when something is genuine.

Now I understand what she means. A while ago, I bought my first pair of Pikolinos shoes, and I don’t just feel that I look good in them.

They are also the most comfortable sandals I own. In addition, the overall experience has another silver lining: my new shoes contribute, even slightly, to making the world a better place.

Fairness is trendy!

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Steingroup . 7518 C

PORTRAIT: OKI SATO Oki Sato is the driving force behind the Nendo design collective, and has the ability to create designs which, at times, confuse the eye.

oki sato

Playfu� �inimali� Oki Sato has been called the most brilliant designer of the 21st Century, and his designs have been acclaimed for their quiet sense of humour and their constant interest in telling a story. Sato tests the limits of materials and processes in his aspiration to add functionality with unexpected beauty to everyday settings.

WORDS: Henrik Lindén

T

he Nendo design collective has unobtrusively established itself on the world design map, and is now one of the most exciting players in the field.

Behind the Nendo designs studio stands the founder and chief designer, Oki Sato, a young man with endless curiosity and a passion for the experimental.

Born in Toronto in 1977, he spent a large part of his youth in Tokyo, where he graduated with a degree in architecture.

In 2002, he and his colleague Akihiro Ito founded the Nendo design studio. Nendo is the Japanese word for children’s modelling clay.

The idea behind Nendo was born when Sato, as a newly-qualified architect, visited the Milan furniture fair. Back then, ten years ago, the work of architects, interior decorators and designers was still strictly separate in Japan. During the visit, Sat and his colleague noticed that, outside Japan, designers enjoyed a great deal more freedom and were allowed to cross into other areas. That was precisely how they wanted to work, and once back in Tokyo, the friends established an interdisciplinary design and architectural group.

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PORTRAIT: OKI SATO

» With a well thought-out approach to each individual project, Nendo ensures that the design is unique and exciting, and that the product makes the user smile. « To western eyes, traditional Japanese design may appears minimalistic, formal and dispassionately simple. Nendo’s products managed to combine these expressions with a sense of humour, playfulness and warmth. Nendo’s concept is to ensure that the products it designs is to give people a “!” moment in the middle of their everyday lives.

These details are often quite obvious, but, even so, the design team manages to avoid the banal or childish.

With a well thought-out approach to each individual project, Nendo ensures that the design is unique and exciting, and that the product makes the user smile. Another distinguishing mark of the projects

born at the Nendo studio is that they manage to balance the intangible with the concrete. What the eye sees is warm minimalism, often a balancing act between sculpture and object, folly and function.

The objects can also be understood on several different levels. The team has a proven skill in weaving stories into its designs and commenting on social and economic issues. An excellent example of this is The Cabbage Chair.

Nendo was commissioned by the fashion designer, Issey Miyake, to produce furniture made from pleated paper, a waste product of the manufacture of pleated fabrics.

The result was a role of paper which can be cut open and unfolded into a comfortable chair. The chair has no frame, no screws or nails.

Sato thinks the chair resembles a cabbage, which is how it got its name. The idea is that the chair is delivered as a roll and the end-user completes the setting-up process.

It is a typical example of a recurring Nendo theme – products which are completed when they are used.

Oki Sato adopts methods which are not actually suited for the materials he is using.

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Splinter is a collection of furniture with components that look like they're peeled away from wooden stems.

"We splintered each piece of wood as though peeling it away," says Nendo. "We kept larger pieces of wood at their original thickness to provide strength where necessary, and used thin pieces of wood that had splintered off for more delicate parts."

The Splinter range includes a chair, coat stand, side table and two mirrors. It is produced by Conde House, a manufacturer based in Japan's Asahikawa wooden furniture region.

PORTRAIT: OKI SATO

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This thoughtful, capricious and ground-breaking approach produces designs which are more than the sum of their parts.

It is easy to be deceived by the simple and playful appearance of the products, and forget the incredibly long and complicated process behind them.

During its first decade, the design studio has worked with an impressive number of products and interiors, taken part in exhibitions and brought home design awards. The latest is the prestigious "Designer of the Year" awarded by Wallpaper magazine.

Since it was launched ten years ago, Oki Sato’s company has produced a steady stream of design objects, and its owner has achieved celebrity status in the industry.

The company has been involved in whole string of successful collaborations, with partners including Camper, Cappellini, Swedese, De Padova and Foscarini.

Today, Nendo employs 30 staff in its studio in Tokyo. Since 2005, the company has also had an office in Milan. ●

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1. Coca Cola’s glass bottles inspired Nendo’s Bottleware collection. The collection includes bowls and plates with a distinctive low shape, as if they used to be the lower part of a glass bottle. ”We were fascinated by the special green shade of the glass, called Georgia Green, and by the tiny air bubbles and distortions which are a feature of recycled glass. So we decided to create a simple shape which highlights these characteristics”, as Nendo put it in a press release.

2. Splinter side table.

3. Nendo has designed a glass collection called ”Harcourt Ice” on behalf of Baccarat. The idea was to design an ice-like edge, then “melt” it. The edge was dipped in an acid which is normally only used in the last stages of the polishing process.

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PORTRAIT: OKI SATO

�Cape� creates the illusion of a cape draped over a frame. This subtle twist makes the chair stand out while it achieves a natural and simple look.

The extremely thin dimensions and low weight of the complex CAPE chair is the result of a collaboration between the furniture company, Offecct, and SSAB aimed at developing new steel materials.

DESIGN CLASSIC

�hanel No 5 When Chanel No 5 hit the shop shelves, it was something of a revolution in the perfume industry. A modern classic, elegantly packaged to appeal to the discerning user.

In the early part of the 20th Century, the phe-

nomenon of perfumes created by fashion companies was not as widespread as it is today. The idea of creating a perfume came to clothes designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel when she met the famous RussianFrench perfumer, Ernest Beaux. At Coco’s request, Beaux created two numbered series of proposed scents.

After trying them all carefully, Coco decided on number five in the first series. This type of perfume was the first with a completely synthetic base, which made the scent more intensive and long-lasting. The scent is orthodox, with top notes of jasmine, and heart notes of rose and ylang-ylang, and base notes of ambergris and patchouli.

You could say that, compared with its contemporaries, it was a unisex perfume, only just balancing flowery notes with the more muted musk. Despite her no-nonsense image, Coco was a bit superstitious. The story is that she justified her choice by saying: – I am unveiling my collection on the fifth day of the fifth month of the year, so we leave the name of the perfume as it is, it is lucky.

When Chanel No 5 was launched, it stood out from the crowd through its clean, uncluttered design. In the 1920s, perfume bottles were usually richly decorated, with elegant ornamentation, curlicues and

gold printing. Mademoiselle Chanel was well aware of the importance of packaging to the overall experience. The coolly-intelligent fashion icon, with her sure sense of style, went completely against contemporary taste and designed a simple bottle in a white box with black edges. The uncluttered label reflects Coco’s vision of simple and functional garments. Initially, consumers found it hard to accept the daring design, but it wasn’t long before Chanel No. 5 was a clear success. And you do not alter a winning concept – the product and packaging have hardly changed since they were first created. The shape of the bottle has changed gradually over the years, and today it is slightly less flamboyant. Initially, the bottle was made from crystal, but this was switched to glass to improve durability during transport. The bottle has always been transparent so that the perfume is visible.

Now Chanel is once again bucking the trend. For the first time, a man represents Chanel No. 5 in advertising. And it is none other than the actor Brad Pitt who has become the face of the iconic perfume.

The company’s marketing was given an extra boost as early as 1953, when Marilyn Monroe was asked what she wore while sleeping. The answer? –Two drops of Chanel No. 5.

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Part of Life.

SIMONSLAND – THE CREATIVE FACTORY

SIMONSLAND– the creative factory WORDS: Anna Vörös Lindén PHOTOS: Anna Sigge and Sandra Kucher

THE CREATIVE FACTORY

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SIMONSLAND – THE CREATIVE FACTORY LEFT: Impressively high ceilings and fantastic natural lighting give ideal conditions for a pleasant and creative working environment.

BOTTOM LEFT: The façade of one of the buildings has been reclad with perforated steel plates. The pattern is taken from the pattern cards used with the old looms. The plates have been allowed to rust to achieve natural protection and a dark reddish-brown colour.

At night, hundreds of halogen bulbs are switched on behind the plates.

BELOW: A building in transformation.

From crisis to creativity, profitability and a firm belief in the future. The Textile Fashion Center and the Simonsland area are set to turn Borås into Scandinavia’s leading arena for fashion, textiles and design. This time, the small town in the west of Sweden is determined to maintain its position on the textiles world map.

– Borås and the Sjuhärad area is a

region where textiles have become part of the local DNA, and this is an incredible strength in the current development of the Textile Fashion Center and of Borås itself”, according to Nanette Espinasse, Operations Manager for Marketplace Borås. The Marketplace Borås Cooperative Association was formed in 2008, with the aim of 17

creating a network and a positive business climate to promote growth in the textile industry in the Sjuhärad area.

– The timing was perfect. The launch of Marketplace Borås resulted in representatives from the municipality, higher education and the business sector forming a triple helix partnership. At the same time, exciting ideas were emerging about what could be

SIMONSLAND – THE CREATIVE FACTORY LEFT: The Textile Fashion Center will be classed as a ”Green Building”, with solar cells on the roof and ventilation and lighting which only switch on when someone is present.

RIGHT: No attempt has been made to hide electrical cables and ventilation ducts – they have been left exposed to emphasise the industrial atmosphere.

»Just look at the amount of space – five metres from floor to ceiling, with light streaming in through the huge windows. This will be a fantastic place to work.« done with Simonsland, a former industrial area in the centre of the town.

A few years down the line, the Textile Fashion Center at Simonsland is about to become the new home of both Marketplace Borås, a large number of businesses, the Swedish School of Textiles and the Textile Museum. On 1 August 2013, the Textile Fashion Center will be ready to welcome its first tenants. The fact that, at present, it is still just a noisy construction site does nothing to dampen Nanette Espinasse’s enthusiasm.

– Just look at the amount of space – five metres from floor to ceiling, with light streaming in through the huge windows. This will be a fantastic place to work.”

The Textile Fashion Center is situated in the former Svenskt Konstsilke factory. In the past, the company was a subsidiary of Borås Wäfveri, and the two were important symbols of the growth and success of Borås.

Textiles have been the main business of the area for several hundred years. At its peak in the 20th Century, seven out of ten workers in Borås were employed in the textile and ready-made clothing industry, including by the famous companies, Algots and Eiser. The area was badly affected by the 18

SIMONSLAND – THE CREATIVE FACTORY

LEFT: The concrete cutters are kept busy.

BOTTOM LEFT: Nanette Espinasse, Operations Manager for Marketplace Borås.

BELOW: The transformation started with extensive decontamination of construction materials and polluted soil.

crisis in the Swedish textile and ready-made clothing industry in the 1970s, with companies filing for bankruptcy and factories closing down. Large companies were taken over or moved their production abroad.

The textile industry in Borås was, however, so vibrant that it never quite disappeared. Instead, it reinvented itself. Logistics companies were set up and the number of mail-order companies increased. Giants such as Ellos and Halens turned Borås into the largest mail-order centre in the Nordic region, and one of the largest in Europe.

This is also one of the reasons why Borås, for its size, has an exceptionally high number of advertising agencies, photographers and hairdressers.

A large number of Swedish agencies and ready-made clothing business chains have head offices in Borås, and this is one of the reasons why the region has a higher percentage of foreign trade than Hong Kong. All areas of the textile industry are represented here, including home textiles, fashion, chains, sports clothes, work clothes, interior, design and various types of innovative textiles. Brands include Oscar Jacobson, Swegmarks, Svea, Didriksons 1913, Craft, Fristads, Segers, Blåkläder, Bolon and Gina

Tricot - the most rapidly-growing fashion chain in the Nordic region during the first decade of the 21st Century.

Over the past few decades, the Swedish School of Textiles has become a national centre for textile and design. It trains designers, textile engineers and economists in an environment the like of which can be found nowhere else in the world. At an international level, it is recognised for innovative research and new technology, including smart textiles.

– Today, Borås offers expertise in the whole textiles field, from the very first pencil stroke to the point at which the finished product reaches consumers. You won’t find this anywhere else in the world, says Nanette Espinasse.

She is not alone in believing that. In autumn 2012, members of Marketplace Borås listened to a talk by David Jones, a British business developer with more than 50 years’ experience of the fashion industry.

– David Jones told us not to be shy but to tell the world about the Textile Fashion Center. He believes that Borås is something totally unique, says Nanette Espinasse.

The property company, Kanico, invested SEK 0.5 billion in the first stage of the re19

development of Simonsland. This has involved 37,000 square metres which, eventually, will be expanded to 60,000 square metres of useable space. The former Svenskt Konstsilke factory was originally built in the functional style of the 1930s, with several extensions added later.

– We pretty much gutted the building, and removed everything other than the staircase. The whole building then underwent a thorough cleaning process. Outside, we wanted to recreate the 1930s facades and source old-style windows, says Hanna Lassing, Kanico’s Project Manager, an engineering graduate from Chalmers University of Technology in nearby Gothenburg. Giving us a guided tour, she points out examples of how the architects have used 1930s and 1940s colour charts on the centre’s contrast walls. The most important thing is to ensure that visitors really can see and feel that they are in an old industrial building.

– We are trying to create a raw environment with a lot of strong materials like concrete and steel showing. Inside, the walls have simply been cleaned and painted white. It is the people and operations in the building who should be seen and add colour.

Like other towns with a strong textiles in-

SIMONSLAND – THE CREATIVE FACTORY

A centre where the business sector, students and the community can meet and make things happen.

dustry, Borås was dependent on a water source. The River Viskan can be seen from several places at the Textile Fashion Center, even through glazed holes in the floor in some places, since it partly flows underneath the building.

– We will build several stages and bridges across the River Viskan. The restaurant on the ground floor will have tables both indoors, and outside along the riverfront, says Hanna Lassing.

The Textile Fashion Center will be classed as a ”Green Building”, with solar cells on the roof and ventilation and lighting which only switch on when someone is present. A 100 metre long and 12 metre wide “carpet” made from granite and other types of natu-

ral stone will lead visitors to the front door.

Future tenants at the Textile Fashion Center will include the Swedish School of Textiles, which will occupy rooms on all four floors of the building, and the Textile Museum which will be located on two floors. Marketplace Borås will also take up several floors.

– This is where our events facility, the Arena, will be located, says Operations Manager Nanette Espinasse, and points to an area covered in planks of wood and other construction material.

– It will feature a catwalk for fashion shows, and will be able to accommodate exhibitions and dinners.

Marketplace Borås already organises several recurring events, such as the FashionDAYS and the national Show Up Fashion Award contest, which is aimed at new companies and promising designers. The Textile Fashion Center will also include an office hotel for fashion and design entrepreneurs. Nanette Espinasse is excited about the studios and shops in the Fashion Gallery, which is another example of how Marketplace wants to integrate business and education.

– The Fashion Gallery will act as a market hall for fashion, design and accessories from around 20 brands, including Billy and I. Hopefully, it will help companies increase their profits while, at the same time, we cater to fashion-conscious customers. The 20

Fashion Gallery is aimed at attracting endconsumers to the textile cluster.

Marketplace Borås’ core values are collaboration, creativity and growth. The heart of the cooperative association is its members who, in spring 2013, totalled over 140 – double the figure of a year ago.

– Most of the member companies are local to the area or based in Sweden, but some foreign textile companies have also found their way here, including an organic cotton producer from Egypt.

Membership of Marketplace Borås means that many members who, in fact, are in competition with each other, can focus on working in partnership instead.

– I see this as a sign that we are moving towards a new corporate culture, with greater transparency and fewer walls. I really enjoy being part of a process which will ultimately lead to greater openness.

At the Textile Fashion Center, the past and present combine to create the future.

Nanette Espinasse feels that, at present, it is impossible to predict all the synergies of the project.

– The amazingly wide selection of players will make the Textile Fashion Center an incredibly strong platform. No textile company will be able to say that they were forced to move elsewhere to find the right expertise. Everything will be available right here in Borås. ●

RIDING WITH STYLE

eco . fair . social 21

WE LIKE...

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Paul Smith + Leica The Paul Smith for Leica collaboration brings together the technical excellence that is synonymous with Leica and the vivid visual appeal of Paul’s designs. This limited edition of the X2 has a bright orange top plate and an engraved light bulb image, hand drawn by Paul, reflecting the unusual pop-up flash on the top of the camera. The main body of the camera is wrapped in lovely racing green cowhide leather and the bottom plate of the camera is in contrasting vivid yellow.

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Simplicity

Watch Ou�

According to the new design company, Afterroom, their Chair #1 pays homage to Bauhaus and functionalism.

Although it has been reduced to the absolute essentials, it is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. www.afterroom.se

From chic classics to innovative time pieces, here are some of our favourite new watches.

1. Form and function with industrial influences from Melbournebased AÃRK Collective. www.aarkcollective.com 2. GANT RUGGER L.a.s is dedicated to the American fashion editor Lawrence A. Schlossman. The watch is available in three different colours: orange, brown and navy. www.gant.com 3. No.1 from TID Watches, designed by Form Us With Love. www.tidwatches.com

Organised & Tidy Bring order to your life with these new containers from House Doctor.

Exciting combination of metal and canvas. www.housedoctor.com

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WE LIKE...

Font Factory

Productive font manufacturer House Industries has conquered the world with its unmistakable aesthetics. These handmade wooden blocks were inspired by the original House Industries factory logo, and feature a selection of letters, numbers, and symbols from the famous typeface foundry’s font collections. Something which everyone, young and old, will enjoy. www.houseind.com

Less is more

Foldable kraft paper bag. Can be used for storage, as a basket, and can carry bread and eggs. www.merci-merci.com

Cool Parrot Even though Kay Bojesen’s world-famous wooden figurines aren’t exactly toys, the reintroduction of new animals to Bojesen’s well-known “animal circus” always brings out the inner child in design lovers. Say hello to The Puffin. The bird known in Danish as the “sea parrot” because of its colourful bill may be Kay Bojesen’s most popular “forgotten” design, which he brought to life in 1954 in collaboration with scenographer Svend Johansen. www.rosendahl.com

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Foodie Garden

is the growing kit for food lovers, chefs and gardeners alike. The kits feature a stylish rectangular tin planter, nicely packaged with a kraft board wrap. Three kits are available: “Basil-o-holic” with Sweet, Lemon and Siam Basils; “XXX Pepper”. The kits are complete with coco fiber wafers, seeds and instructions.

Once started, all the plants can be transplanted to patio containers or the garden to fully mature.

FOCUS: TEXTURES 1. Collect 2012 is a distinctive little cabinet for your favourite things. It has a fish scale patterned leather front. www.a2designers.se

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2. Raw Edges' TEX is their second project for the ceramics company, Mutina.

It is a rich, multi-coloured tile collection inspired by the textures of textiles.

The tiles are rhomboidal in shape, acting as a simplified enlargement of a basic knitted stitch which aligns to create the "fabric". www.mutina.it 3. Havet is a pinewood cabinet. The surface treatment resembles a stormy ocean at night. The pattern is chiselled by hand using an angle grinder.

Each cabinet created will be unique. www.snickeriet.com

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Tactile textures

4. Doodle Sofa by Front for Moroso. www.moroso.it

Clean lines with exciting surfaces made to be stroked.

5. Handmade white porcelain bracelet. This bangle is unglazed, leaving a soft satin matte finish. www.etsy.com 6. The Lyngby vase – a true classic relaunched.

Available from www.stilleben.dk and other quality suppliers.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

�ilorn Product Developmen� On the following pages, we will present our latest collections.

Our aim is to provide our customers with inspiration and ideas on how they can take their labels and branding to a new level.

At the same time as we are looking for new materials and production techniques, we are also fine-tuning the interaction between design, production and logistics.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

01.

CLOUDBERRY

The target group is working women who are well e足 ducated, hold responsible jobs and have an active social life. They care about their well-being and have money to spend on themselves. These women p 足 refer high-end fashion, classic clothing with a unique touch.

INSPIRATION

The inspiration is classic luxury with a modern touch, simply classic with a twist. The concept has clean l足 ines with creative details for a unique touch. Timeless r足 omance with soft materials and colours work together with slightly edgy details, such as oxidized metal and copper foil.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

02.

Ashcroft

Ashcroft is a casual (rebel) brand.

Trendy Jeans and cool t-shirts mixed with canvas and chinos. ”The Ashcroft man” values his career and is a little egocentric.

Exclusive and trendy. Slightly retro, authentic f­ eeling, with attractive details and high quality. Early adopters but – at the same time – value the old and genuine.

Independence is a strong ingredient. To be true to yourself and have the confidence to do what­ever you believe in.

INSPIRATION

Los Angeles ”City of Angels”, California – a place of hopes and dreams. The beautiful weather contrasting with superficiality.

Leading world hub for business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media and fashion. Inspiration is also drawn from concerts and big city holidays.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

03.

PIETRO BOSELLI MEN'S WEAR

Pietro Boselli has a solid pedigree,

and offers elegant and sophisticated products.

The brand stands for timelessness, quality and excellent craftsmanship. Despite the apparently strict style, the garments have often unexpected and creative detailing. The wearer will be entertained by a bright neon lining, jokey labels or buttons in a totally contrasting idiom.

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The design team seeks inspiration from classical men’s fashion, and then contributes innovative cut, patterns and materials.

INSPIRATION

Each collection is inspired by a place, a feeling. The place may be a library in Milan or a street in London, or perhaps a restaurant in New York’s East Village.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

04.

COWCOW

The girl next door… she dresses for comfort, but doesn’t want to blend into the crowd. She knows just what suits her and has very strong views on what she wants to wear. It must be the right style and the right colours. Even when things don’t seem to match, a lot of thought goes into the look.

Clothes are carefully selected to create just the right level of random style. Sheer and tough fabrics and materials are liberally mixed to create a more exciting look. The CowCow girl spends a lot of time searching for vintage pearls to accessorize her up-todate wardrobe.

INSPIRATION

Country music, southern USA, heat, animals and farmland.... the dust stirs, the sun beats down. Lemonade on the front porch, rough plaid shirts, worn jeans and rawhide – natural fabrics and materials, where the keyword is durability.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

04.

PEBBLE CREEK

Pebble Creek is a range of modern, classically-designed outerwear, reliably functional and perfect for countryside or town. Style, function and durability are crucial. While the garments keep out the cold, the rain and the wind, they radiate fashionconsciousness and cutting-edge design. With the right clothing, the countryside becomes more pleasurable, and the way home from the cinema on a cold winter evening feels shorter.

The garments are made to be used every day. A well-thought out simplicity and everyday functionality are the basis for an idiom which, combined with carefully selected materials and painstaking details, gives the garments a long life.

The North American wilderness is a great source of inspiration. The colour range is drawn from mountain and valley, majestic forests and peaceful meadows.

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TRAVEL: NEW YORK

7.45 AM. BALTHAZAR. This popular restau-

rant in the busiest thoroughfares in SoHo is well worth a visit at any time of the day.

It’s a crowded and noisy place. But if you really want to enjoy the great atmosphere at the restaurant, you should rub the sleep out of your eyes and start the day with a breakfast visit. The waiters are friendly and attentive, and you can enjoy classic breakfast dishes, such as Eggs Benedict and freshly-baked French bread.

80 Spring St.

New York does not suffer from a shortage of restaurants. Here are some excellent suggestions for staying replete and satisfied from morning till night.

10.30 THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER. This cosy café on the Lower East Side offers an extensive list of freshly-pressed juices – a healthy, high-energy option which will give you the kick you need to ease you through your shopping trip. 19 Kenmare St. 13.30 FIVE LEAVES. One of the pleasantest eateries in Brooklyn is located on Bedford Avenue. Five Leaves serves food with

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Mediterranean and North African influences, from breakfast until evening.

18 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn.

5.15 PM SATURDAYS SURF NYC

Enjoy one of the best cups of coffee in New York at a surf store in the middle of SoHo. Discuss the best wax or check out the latest surfing fashion in the long, narrow store.

As well as its own clothes collection, the store also sells books, magazines and a great selection of knickknacks.

31 Crosby St. 8.15 PM BUDDAKAN

Buddakan is situated in the middle of the Meatpacking District, an area famous for its wide choice of restaurants. With its spectacular interior and a menu which makes for countless combinations, you are guaranteed an enjoyable end to the day.

The menu has a clear Asian focus, and is full of new taste sensations. 79 9th Avenue.

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OSCAR OF SWEDEN

�he Perfect Shirt Wasn't Made In a Da�

Oscar of Sweden is probably one of Sweden’s most dedicated fashion companies when it comes to shirts. Let's find out more while we dive into the art of materials.

Oscar of Sweden is a family-owned company that makes essential shirts for the fashion forward modern man. Founded in 1949, it was run from a small basement in textile town Borås, on the Swedish west coast. The owners Per and Eva Åhman started out early, pressing collars and cutting threads under their father’s watch. They soon learned the necessity of putting consideration and thought into every part of the work. Today shirts from Oscar of Sweden are sold all over the world, but are still designed in Borås.

Oscar proudly stands for craftsmanship, design and quality, which is particularly noticeable in their premium collection 1949.

– We wanted to create a collection that stands out from everything else on the market. In order to take our shirts to the next level we have gone back to our roots. I guess you could say that Rome wasn’t built in a day and that really shows, says Fredrik Samuelsson, Sales Manager at Oscar of Sweden.

»The collection unites exquisite fabrics with strict and sober design inspired by the post-war aesthetics.«

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The collection unites exquisite fabrics with strict and sober design inspired by the post-war aesthetics. 1949 is all about the art of materials, so they only used superior textiles such as Egyptian Cotton and Sea Island Cotton. The mother of pearl buttons had to have the right combination of thickness, shine and quality.

In pursuit of perfection, even details and packaging needs to be absolutely flawless. Since the collection is a tribute to Oscar of Sweden’s history and heritage, it was important to work with an experienced partner from Borås. Knowledge of adding value to fashion brands was a requirement. Nilörn produced the stitched, neat labels and pure hangtags of paper with the 1949 logotype on. Nilörn also created exclusive, white boxes to go with the sober and classic shirts.

– Despite our experience, to create the perfect shirt is a state of mind. You need to evolve to stay on top, and 1949 is definitely a part of the constant development, says Fredrik Samuelsson.

ICH LIEBE NATUR

Foto: Damiano Levati

Ich liebe Performance

Women’s Kabru Jacket

Vajolet 25

Green Shape ist deine Garantie für umweltfreundliche Produkte – aus nachhaltigen Materialien und ressourcenschonender Herstellung. Unser Ziel ist das Beste für Mensch und Natur.

VAUDE ist Partner des WWF Deutschland: 1% der Erlöse aus der VAUDE Green Shape Kollektion fließt direkt in die Naturschutzarbeit des WWF. VAUDE – engagiert für (d)eine lebenswerte Welt. kabru.vaude.com

INDIGO

WORDS: Henrik LindĂŠn

Indigo is probably the best-known of all natural dyes but, despite this, the legendary pigment perplexes the chemistry experts. True indigo is extracted from the leaves of various bushes and herb plants, mostly from the Indigofera tinctoria which originates in Asia, India and South America.

t

he origins of indigo can be traced back to several different cultures around the world.

The story is embedded in legend, and history shows that it had positive connotations in the economic, political and social spheres.

The colour blue is rare in nature. Blue flowers are not as common as, say, yellow flowers, and there are no blue edible substances. This may be one explanation for why blue has held such special associations.

(2500 - 850 BC). This was extracted from a plant called woad. It has since been established that these plants contain chemical indigo, but due to other chemical compounds in the plant, it does not produce the same pure and concentrated blue dye as the Indigofera. Another difference between true indigo and other dyes is that it is better for dyeing plant fibres with poor absorption.

Production

Indigo from the Indigofera tinctoria plant has been used in India for the past 4,000 years. Phoenician traders and migrating people gradually brought the dye with them to the Mediterranean. From there, indigo spread throughout Europe. Indigo was a luxury item held in very high esteem. In northern Europe, a different blue dye was used from the Bronze Age

It is primarily the plant leaves which are used in the production of indigo. The plant pulp undergoes extensive processing to produce the valuable blue dye.

Indigo provides a colourless, glucose-based substance called indican. During fermentation, this glucose turns into blue indigotin. INDIGOTIN reaches the market in the form of a fine powder or pressed cakes 36

INDIGO

which are not water-soluble. The water in a dyeing bath must undergo reduction, which means that the oxygen is removed. Textiles are immersed in this reduced form and are then hung up to dry. When exposed to air, the dye oxidises and the intensive blue colour emerges as if by magic. The whole process has a mystical aura, and the dyers have been careful in sharing their knowledge. synthetic indigo

In the 19th Century, global consumption of indigo was very high. In 1866, a German chemist called Adolph von Baeyer began to study the pigment. After many years of painstaking research, he eventually succeeded in understanding its chemical structure, and synthesising it for commercial use. By the late 19th Century, Germany could produce synthetic indigo carmine more cheaply than the natural dye. For a time, true and synthetic indigo existed side by side, and both versions had their adherents. But by 1913, natural indigo had been almost completely replaced by the synthetic dye. This was due to several factors – availability, price and even politics. Globalisation, the spread of western fashion and the urbanisation of younger generations also speeded up the process.

Initially, the traditional dyers were sceptical about the artificial indigo. When they gained access to the new, modern dyes, they continued, unsuccessfully, to use the same methods as before and this fuelled the distrust of the new dye. But over time, most people accepted the synthetic dye and used natural indigo only as a natural medicine and in religious ceremonies.

ÂťA significant part of what makes a pair of jeans is the deep, blue colour. Today, synthetic indigo is used for almost all mass-produced denim. Jeans dyed with true indigo are something for the connoisseur.ÂŤ During this period, demand for artificial indigo fell.

The market was saturated with other blue dyes. Natural indigo was saved after World War II by the passion for jeans, which spread like wildfire, and reached astronomical proportions. A significant part of what makes a pair of jeans is the deep, blue colour.

Today, synthetic indigo is used for almost all massproduced denim. Jeans dyed with true indigo are something for the connoisseur. These are more expensive due to the advanced process, but are believed to have a unique colour which cannot be achieved with artificial indigo.

The manufacture of synthetic indigo is highly monopolised, with an annual production of around 20,000 tonnes.

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INDIGO

»yarn dyed with natural indigo has to go through the dye baths several times to get the deep & dark indigo tone, and the process consumes more energy and water.« INTERVIEW Kristin Rosenquist Olsson is Senior Product Developer at Kuyichi. She is responsible for Kuyichi’s collection and we asked her how natural and synthetic indigo differ on the boutique shelf.

is the original way to dye the yarn of the denim. As the natural indigo was both expensive and rare and could not match the growing demand, the synthetic dye was developed.

B&D: On the shelf, it is very hard or even impossible to tell the difference between natural and synthetic indigo dyed jeans.

What's the difference?

B&D: Natural indigo dyed jeans are often sold as a premium product at a higher price. Why are they more expensive than jeans dyed with synthetic indigo?

Kristin: You are right, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the two nowadays. The difference is basically as simple as in the name; Natural indigo is a dyestuff that is extracted from plants and it

Kristin: Part of the reason why the natural indigo is more expensive is, as I mentioned above, that it is a natural product. It is also not as readily available and the dyestuff is more expensive to make.

Apart from that, yarn dyed with natural indigo has to go through the dye baths several times to get the deep & dark indigo tone, and the process consumes more energy and water. It also demands an even production process, as any unforeseen stops in the dying process causes irregularities in the colour of the yarn, and it has to be scrapped.

With a synthetic indigo dye, the yarn goes through the dye baths once, or a few times at most, as the dyestuff is absorbed by the yarn much faster. The energy and water use is less and a stop in the production line does not affect the yarn in the same way as it does with natural indigo. ●

FACTS The genus Indigofera, the third

from Arabia to South-East Asia

At present, the crop is still

largest in the family Legumi-

and in Australia. In Madagascar

cultivated for dye production on

nosae, consists of almost 800

it seems to occur wild, while in

a small scale in India and in some

species. The species are mostly

most other Indian Ocean islands

parts of Africa, southern Arabia

shrubs, though some are herbs,

it probably has been introduced

(Yemen), Central America and

and a few can become small

and sometimes naturalized.

Indonesia. The most important

trees. Leaf sizes vary from

In tropical America it certainly

present-day centre of indigo

3–25 cm. The flowers are small,

has been introduced. Due to

production from Indigofera is

produced on racemes.

its historical exploitation and

probably the northern part of

cultivation it is now distributed

Karnataka state in India.

It occurs wild or naturalized in most countries of Africa, in Asia

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pantropically.

FOR WORK. FOR LIFE. Ein Mann. Viele Aufgaben. Verschiedene Rollen. Der moderne Lebensstil verlangt Flexibilit채t. Der Mann braucht Kleidung, die ihm Freiheit gibt. Kleidung, die ihn in all seinen Rollen begleitet. Bei seiner Arbeit. In seiner Freizeit. Das neue WORK.LIFE.POLO: Mit kr채ftigem Kragen, markantem Schulterschnitt und sanftem, b체gelfreien Material.

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FOCUS: DENIM

Selvage Pillow

Handmade pillow in high-quality Japanese indigo denim with selvage details. Size: 550 x 550 mm. www.bluejeanscompany.com

Denim is hardwearing and becomes better and better looking the more use it gets. Free from social and creative limitations, the familiar blue fabric has spread far beyond clothing. It’s everywhere - from home interiors to book covers.

Denim Apron

Denim indigo apron with two front pockets and distressed details. www.gant.com

Cutting-edge Hardware Incase and A.P.C. have joined forces to create a capsule collection that combines the finest selvage denim from Japan with superb device-driven design. These accessories have been designed especially for Apple users who appreciate refined fashion and relish the latest technology. www.goincase.com

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FOCUS: DENIM

Unbreakable Fun interior design detail in the form of a hardwearing denim ”balloon”.

Made by hand from recycled fabric.

Every balloon is totally unique. www.bluejeanscompany.com

Stay Dry

Blue Denim canvas umbrella from London Undercover. Traditional Beech wood shaft & handle.

Traditional industrial strength frame. Metal runner & tip cup. www.londonundercover.co.uk

50 Shades of Blue

A fine handmade blank book, bound in denim and soft calfskin.

Use it as journal, diary, sketchbook or doodle book.

Design Jonathan Day. www.etsy.com

Back Pack

Blue Eyes

MAC Jeanius Eye Shadow comes in 4 limitededition denim shades that colourfully shape your eyes. Wear them with your favourite jeans.

Herschel Supply Co. Little America. Fullylined with custom red paisley liner, contoured shoulder straps, thoroughly-padded and fleece-lined 17˝ computer sleeve pocket, magnetic closures, tan pebbled leather details. www.herschel.com

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www.talkingfrench.com