Journal de Nîmes Nº11

Journal de Nîmes Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE JANUARY 2015 WE SHARE A PASSION FOR THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE WWW.TENUEDENIMES.COM IN THIS ISSUE:

HANCOCK

THE FUTURE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP

THE GOLDEN AGE

OF WOUTERS & HENDRIX

CHARLES 'MEMPHIS' TENUE DE NÎMES JEANS

HEINEKEN

150 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

A DESIGN FOR LIFE SINGER VEHICLE DESIGN

PRINTED ISSUE € 5,-

COLOPHON

PUBLISHED BY

TENUE DE NÎMES

EDITOR IN CHIEF Menno van Meurs menno@tenuedenimes.com

Tenue de Nîmes info@tenuedenimes.com

Elandsgracht 60 1016 TX Amsterdam The Netherlands

CREATIVE DIRECTION AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Joachim Baan joachim@tenuedenimes.com

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Modderman Drukwerk, Amsterdam www.modderman.nl

Haarlemmerstraat 92-94 1013 EV Amsterdam The Netherlands

©2014/2015 www.tenuedenimes.com

+31 (0) 20 331 27 78

GRAPHIC DESIGN Myrthe van Meurs-Zuiderwijk myrthe@tenuedenimes.com

www.tenuedenimes.com info@tenuedenimes.com

COPY DIRECTOR Olivier van der Hagen

WE ARE OPEN

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR Rene Strolenberg rene@tenuedenimes.com

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

12/18 10/18 10/18 10/20 10/18 10/18 12/18

SOME CONTRIBUTORS OLIVIER VAN DER HAGEN COPY DIRECTOR While initially looking to continue his corporate career, Olivier did some soul searching and left the bank he had been working for. During his self-imposed sabbatical, he met his neighbors, Tenue de Nîmes and a friendship was quickly struck up as he finally found people who were passionate about their jobs. Before long, he was editing the Journal de Nîmes no 3, 4, 6 and this issue, as well as writing several articles, his own passion. He is now a freelance writer, contributing written pieces to at least one other magazine besides this one at the time of going to press.

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THOMAS TUKKER PHOTOGRAPHER Whereas most of the photographers in the world have moved on to digital photography, Dutch fashion photographer Thomas Tukker still embraces the analog method for most of his projects. He uses custom made 4x5 inch rangefinder cameras to simply outclass the digital quality of today. Tukker’s approach is as unique in concept as it is in the visual results he produces. Conventional 4x5 inch cameras demand a slow and tedious process in order to take a photo.

These custom cameras offer a huge advantage here, as they allow for a more dynamic and faster way of shooting because of their unique rangefinder function. The fine, artisan-like quality these cameras produce with their fixed, focal length Rodenstock lenses turned out to be a perfect match for Tenue de Nîmes’ good things in life. www.thomastukker.com

DIRK KIKSTRA PHOTOGRAPHER Kikstra was born in the Netherlands and raised in the United States, studied photography in California.

Since 7 years he lives in Amsterdam.

After graduating Kikstra worked as the assistant to the famous portrait and fashion photographer Richard Avedon. Dirk did a lot of nice fashion shoots magazines like LINDA, RED, JFK etc and great also international brands.

Hee loves LA and New York, especially the raw rough streets. the contraction of a beautiful model and the/her clothing and a dirty / trashy environment appeals to him. www.dirkkikstra.com

DEREK ROBERTSON WRITER Derek was born in Edinburgh.

After completing a Law Degree at Edinburgh University, he moved to Madrid, and later to Barcelona, where he taught English and began his writing career. Starting with several local blogs and the cultural newsletter Le Cool, he turned his passion for music into words on the page, reviewing albums, concerts, and interviewing bands for a number of UK websites and publications.

He has contributed to DIY, The 405, Dummy Mag, Art Wednesday, Loud & Quiet, and Drowned in Sound, and regularly travels to international festivals and to interview some of alternative music’s top acts. He moved to Amsterdam 18 months ago and, alongside music, now writes about sport, travel, and general culture as well. derekrobertson.journoportfolio.com

MARIKO OKASAKI ILLUSTRATOR Cover illustration & Page 82 Born in Tokyo, Japan. After completing her studies in architecture at Keio University and gaining valuable work experience at space design studios, Mariko moved to Amsterdam and graduated from Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2013 in the field of graphic design.

Currently based in Amsterdam/ Tokyo/London, she works in multiple disciplines on both applied and autonomous projects. maricomarico.o@gmail.com

JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

INTERVIEW

FEATURE

A DESIGN FOR LIFE AN INTERVIEW WITH ROB DICKINSON AT SINGER VEHICLE DESIGN

TENUE DE NÎMES JEANS

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FUTURE BRAND

THE FUTURE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP HANCOCK FACTORY VISIT P28

INTERVIEW

THE GOLDEN AGE OF WOUTERS & HENDRIX

P14

INTERVIEW

10 QUESTIONS TO ARNO TWIGT P40

CULTURE

WHEELS & WAVES FOLKERT HENGEVELD AND NAIA SALAMAH

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FEATURE

HEINEKEN 150 YEAR ANNIVERSARY P62

FEATURE

HANDCRAFTED MODERN Nº3

P54

P68

CULTURE

CULTURE

THE FUTURE

BY DIRK KIKSTRA

DENIM GIRLS

BY FARHAD SAMARI

P18

P74

FUTURE TREASURES

CULTURE

P86

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INTERWEAVING

BY MARIKO OKASAKI P82

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— OPEN NOW HAARLEMMERSTRAAT 92 —

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NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

Milestones WRITTEN BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS BRANKO & JOACHIM BAAN

During the first ever Tenue de Nîmes identity presentation that Joachim shared with René and I, he quoted Winston Churchill: "The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” This quote somehow followed us around over the past six years. We have great respect for all the ancient brands that gave us this industry. Tenue de Nîmes would not exist if it wasn’t for brands like Levi’s that established our beloved blue game over a century ago. But we believe it is time we acknowledge that we live in the 21st century and therefore, after a decade in which our entire business was looking at the past, we believe it’s time to look ahead. In our opinion we should be asking questions like: what does the future of fashion look like?

Where will product development take us in the coming years? What will be our most important focus points in terms of innovation? How will we be able to innovate the production side of fashion without compromising quality? Is it possible to innovate without destroying our planet? Or, as Yvon Chouinard, Founder at Patagonia put it: “do less harm to our planet”. All these thoughts have led to a Journal de Nîmes in which set out to explore the future.

In this Journal de Nîmes we show the brands that capture everything that is, in our opinion, required to be successful in the 21st century. Take for instance our friends over at Acne Studios, (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions).

They started off as a design agency conceptually exploring the dos and don’ts of contemporary denim design. As of today the Acne brand is considered one of Europe’s most successful read-to-wear fashion labels and the brand literally creates future (denim) trends. In this issue we take you backstage at the popular Acne’s Spring Summer 2015 fashion shows. On top of that we searched for brands which successfully use old production techniques in our contemporary world. In this respect we met with Ron Dickinson, founder at Singer Porsche, to find out how he prepared the air-cooled 911 for the years ahead and we visited the Hancock VA factory to discover the secrets behind

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the vulcanizing process in modern fashion design. Searching for an answer to the question which big brands from the 20th century will also be captains of cool in the future has been another great journey. We made a timeline of Amsterdam's most iconic brand Heineken that happens to celebrate its 150th anniversary this year. Three generations of Heineken became without a doubt one of our city’s most important sources of inspiration where it comes to: guts, vision and market upsets. Besides these exciting brand profiles we brought back some our all time favorite topics such as the Handcrafted Modern furniture design section and Ten Questions, featuring ‘explorer’ Arno Twigt, Founder and Director at QuA Associates.

Lastly, this 12th publication of Journal de Nîmes shows where we believe the future of Tenue de Nîmes lies. The magazine introduces the first full season of the Tenue de Nîmes denim and apparel brand. Over the last couple of months we have developed a new line of shirts made from the most exquisite Italian and Japanese fabrics out there. On top of that we finally ended our five year journey in search of the perfect Tenue de Nîmes jean. This spring we will introduce the ‘Mesdames’ and the ‘Messieurs’ denim in a line of hand-crafted jeans made from Italian and Japanese fabrics in Italy. And we are thrilled to announce the line of timeless Tenue de Nîmes classics will rapidly expand.

So although there is very little we know for certain about the future, there is one thing that is beyond doubt: the future looks absolutely amazing. See you there!

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INTERVIEW / Singer Vehicle Design

A Design for Life —

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROB DICKINSON AT SINGER VEHICLE DESIGN

INTERVIEW BY DEREK ROBERTSON CONCEPT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS TUKKER

The humble automobile has come a long way in 130 years. From the earliest motorized carriages to cherished status symbol, from convenient transport solution to catalyst for one of the greatest economic and societal revolutions in history, the internal combustion engine stands almost unopposed as the 20th century’s most significant technological advancement. And nowhere was its impact greater than in the United States. The wild, open spaces and ‘Land of the Free’ ethos that underpinned America’s restless soul suddenly became much more accessible, and affordable, mass-produced cars appeared precisely at the point where the pioneering spirit gave way to domestic stability and middle class dreams.

This shift gave birth to a whole new set of iconic images. While early 20th century culture still romanticized the cowboy and the Wild West, the last eighty years has seen cars become the main mode of transport. So while that may have changed, the lure of the open road, heading out into the great unknown, remains as seductive as ever. Think of Steve McQueen or James Dean, the Dukes of Hazard or Starsky& Hutch, and it’s impossible not to visualize the cars that were such an integral part of their popularity and enduring appeal.

The Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Chevy Corvette: design classics that have provided rich inspiration for music, literature and the silver screen, and become so much more than mere cars.

Everyone has their favorite but for many purists the most iconic of all – and one of the finest sports car ever produced – remains the Porsche 911. Based on designs sketched by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1959, the air-cooled rear engine design has proved as timeless as it is efficient; equally at home on the track or the road, no car even comes close to matching its race pedigree, handling abilities or sheer thrill that comes from just sitting behind the wheel.

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Dubbed an “everyday supercar”, its seductive curves and phenomenal performance won it legions of devoted fans and ensured its legacy: nearly one million sold, and remaining in constant production since 1963, are testament to that.

One such fan turned his passion for 911’s into more than just a viable business – one that he set out to perform a vital role in the preservation and celebration of what he calls “the most important sports car on the planet”. Rob Dickinson, solo artist and former front man of cult indie rockers Catherine Wheel, had long had a car obsession but when he put down his guitar in 2009 he founded Singer Vehicle Design, a company dedicated to the meticulous restoration of classic 911’s. Under the slogan “Restored – Reimagined – Reborn,” they’ve carved out a niche as the best in the business; instead of simply focusing on the mechanics, they collaborate with their customers to provide a near endless array of design and specification choices so that every owner’s whim can be satisfied.

Vintage 1970’s gauges, hand built engines, fifteen shades of blue alone; there is no detail that cannot be tweaked, or updated by Singer’s obsessive handcraftsmanship to look like the car has rolled fresh off the assembly line.

“Our mission is to find the essence of air-cooled 911 and attempt to bottle it,” he tells me via email, and there are many satisfied customers who’d say he’s doing a pretty good job. Singer’s services may not be cheap, but to see one of these 911’s pristine and fully restored is to realize that it is not just a car but a philosophy, a way of being that transcends mere motoring. It is freedom, and that magical moment where man and machine meet in perfect harmony. You cannot put a price on that.

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INTERVIEW / Singer Vehicle Design

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INTERVIEW INTERVIEW / Singer / Singer Vehicle Vehicle Design Design

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INTERVIEW / Singer Vehicle Design

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INTERVIEW / Singer Vehicle Design

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INTERVIEW / Singer Vehicle Design It's quite a sideways move from rock star to car restorer. How did your love for automobiles come about?

'Rock star' feels a little grandiose – I sang and made records in a band for 10 years, and prior to that I studied and worked in car design, and prior to that I played drums and guitar in high school bands. So perhaps it was not the biggest of leaps. I’ve had a car obsession since as early as I can remember – my Dad was a car man.

Did you indulge your passion for cars while you were a recording artist?

I did eventually – Porsche 911's of course.

Lots of musicians do seem to have an obsession with automobiles and bikes – why do you think that is?

Recklessness, sex, beauty, danger, desire, independence, the need to express oneself – all these things apply equally to cars and rock 'n roll.

There are many beautiful, classic cars – the Ford Mustang, the Jaguar E-Type, the Aston Martin DB5. What makes the Porsche 911 so special?

It's unarguably the most important sports car in the world from all perspectives: cultural, historical and emotional.

The Porsche 911 is considered an icon, and rightly so. Are there any other iconic designs or products you’re a massive fan of, or fill your life with?

I love timeless, fashionless, elegant and functional design – Fender Stratocaster, Rolex Daytona, VW Beetle, Ray Ban Aviators, Triumph Bonneville…

What do you think is behind the passion people have for vintage products and brands? The more we head into the future, the more people seem to cling to the past, in terms of iconic design.

Simplicity, transparency, tactility, honesty, and emotional significance are all things 'modern' products can lack and these things are enormously important to why we become attached to things. 'Cool' is an overused term, and one that gets used a lot in such discussions, but it is useful. Cool is something or someone that exerts no energy in defining itself and many people understand things that are imbued with cool – on a primal level – without even knowing it.

These are the people we hope to connect with.

Can you remember your first experience driving one? What did it feel like?

Solid, German, fragrant, fast, and not a disappointment.

Are you still actively involved with the restoration work yourself, on a mechanical level? Or do you oversee things?

We have a team that ensures quality in everything we do – I still oversee various critical phases of our restoration process but only because I'm neurotic. We have incredibly talented people scrutinising every millimetre of the cars so I can go off and be creative and initiate plans for Singer's future.

Do you feel that, in a way, you are preserving an important piece of heritage that might otherwise be lost?

Absolutely. Porsche made 27,000 Porsche 964's from 1990-94 for the US alone and many of these have fallen into disrepair and are heading towards an uncertain future. We consider our work as a modest contribution to the recycling and reclaiming culture.

Do the refinements that you make mean that the cars become more contemporary or modern, as opposed to classics?

They become 'just right'. It provides, in our view, the ultimate air-cooled 911 experience with all of the virtues turned up to 11 and the negatives dialled back or eradicated altogether. Our mission is to find the essence of the air-cooled 911 and attempt to bottle it.

How do you choose the retro colours that you use? Are there any colours or tones you definitely wouldn’t use?

No, I love how any colour can push emotional buttons in us all and take us back to a certain time or even a place. We mixed 75 special colours for our customers to choose from – some classic Porsche colours and many of our

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own – and we spent 6 months in a 'mixology' process that was a fantastic experience. We mixed and experimented with hundreds of tones, and picking the 'winners' wasn’t easy! This explains why we have 15 blues alone in our collection, all of them to die for!

Would you ever work on a non-911 Porsche? If you had to choose another model to work on, which would you choose and why?

We have many options ahead of us and will be revealing some new ideas soon.

Does Porsche know of, or approve of, what you do? Do you think that they believe you are doing valuable work in preserving their heritage?

You would have to ask Porsche these things. We view the Company and the engineers and designers that have worked there with awe and amazement – Porsche are our heroes and all the work we do is simply to honour and celebrate their genius.

Porsche used to be known as a car that was equally as suited to the streets as the track, and within reach of the common man. The cars you work on are extremely high-end products; does this bother you? Did you ever consider doing more affordable modifications?

We did consider this at one point and may revisit the idea in the future. However, we have learned some very sobering lessons in the last 5 years as to the real meaning of the term 'quality' and what it means to achieve it. The 'value' in our work is not readily seen – I understand the car's reputation for quality but noone really knows the enormous effort and expense that is required to execute consistently at this level. Our work is amazing value in these terms.

Why is there a customised version of the Porsche 911? Does this make the restored Porsche contemporary or even futuristic?

I think our restored and modified Porsche 911's perhaps represent an important era captured in time – If an alien came down to earth and needed to understand why millions of people love the Porsche 911, they could do worse than to study one of our customer's cars.

How do you feel about the fact that you’re part of a movement that somehow started a global craze around the last air-cooled Porsche 911?

I'm a little uncomfortable in 'movements' – our work reflects a common obsession, and we simply attempted to do it at a level that perhaps had not been seen or even imagined before.

There’s a lot of options to choose from, for instance even the power of the engine - but I assume everybody that spends half a million dollars immediately chooses the best or craziest available?

People like 'the best' and we understand that way of thinking. However we offer many different levels of 'the best'!

We heard that you were part of the so-called ‘R-Gruppe’, a group of people customising Porsche cars. Is it true you were part of this group in the US, and you decided to start Singer Design when people started asking you about your refurbished Porsche 911?

I was indeed part of the R Gruppe here in Southern California, and being part of that scene massively inspired everything that Singer stands for today – nutball passion, creativity, engineering optimisation and pure air-cooled 911 visceral thrills. I knew within my bones that such passion was also deep in many Porsche enthusiasts around the world and that offering the ultimate in air-cooled 911 optimisation could have a much wider audience.

In terms of a career, have you left music totally behind? Or can you see yourself returning to it one day?

I'm sure I'll play and sing again one day – I'm simply not very good at multitasking. Singer requires my full attention and we would not be here today if I had attempted to juggle things – I'd had a strangle-hold on music for too long and needed a break. When the time comes to return I'll have something new to say.

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FUTURE BRAND / Mad et Len

MAD ET LEN

Mad et Len creates scented candles, oils and fragrances that take your breath away. In the best sense of the phrase, let’s be quite clear about that.

Husband and wife Alexandre Piffaut and Sandra Fuzier are the geniuses who founded Mad et Len. It took them years of traveling around the world to turn around their lives and dedicate themselves to scents, oils and candles. They undertook these travels as an escape from their day jobs.

Some time around 2007, the penny dropped for both Sandra and Alexandre and they said goodbye to their office jobs. ‘F*ck it, let’s go for it’, they thought (pardon our French as we cut a long story short). Sandra and Alexandre agreed they could - and should - spend their working life doing something closer to their hearts, something funner and more challenging.

Having travelled around the world extensively, the things they experienced and the scents they came across came together in a business idea which they then set about developing: they moved way down to the southeastern region of France to set up shop in a tiny place called Saint Julien du Verdon which is situated in a region with a long and widely recognized history in perfume making. They named their venture after Marcel Proust’s Madeleine.

Mad et Len aims to revive age old crafts and techniques, paying tribute to them by using these elements to come to truly unique end products. Using nothing but pure natural elements, they set out to recreate some of the magical scents that they came across on their voyages in the Far East and other regions of the world. And judging by how steadily their name and fame spread, their vision is shared and loved by many around the world. The fact that their website is as yet under construction has something charming about it. Word of mouth has stood them in good stead so far. Mad et Len is expanding yet they are still a small outfit.

Their candles are hard to miss and a sight for sore eyes. When you see it, you will know it’s a Mad et Len product. That sounds like a faded marketing phrase, but it can actually be applied literally to the packaging of the candles: they are made of cast iron, hand made and shaped by taking a hammer to each of the casings that come out of a mould and end up looking like the flasks and casings that were used in apothecaries from yesteryear. This elaborate packaging is not just to make it look pretty but is fully in line with the way the Mad et Len products are made: a group of biologists work in an atelier, using pure essential oils. Once treated, they are left to mature, so as to obtain their purest, most sophisticated scent.

TEXT BY OLIVIER VAN DER HAGEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOACHIM BAAN

These days are for all intents and purposes an age of nostalgia. Revivals of all kinds come at us at a rate that makes our heads spin. They are often based on trying to recapture the authenticity of the original so the phenomenon is understandable. But the key word here is “original.” Reviving anything comes out of a desire to either re-live or return to events, moods, experiences or even traditions. Mostly this is fun, well-intentioned and may be, sometimes, good for the soul. And while that may sound like the lamest thing you read since Queen decided to go on the road with Adam Lambert, there are examples out there of people reviving something that you wish them all the success with.

Mostly because it’s clear from the first thing you read about it that there is more to it. That these people have a vision, a hope - a passion! And, cliches be damned, isn’t that what attracts us? It’s exciting because it is authentic.

Do you still need clarification on what Mad et Len is about? Let us leave you with words from the master himself:

“But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more immaterial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.”

MARCEL PROUST, - IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME

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FUTURE BRAND / Mad et Len

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FEATURE / Tenue de Nîmes Jeans

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FEATURE / Tenue de Nîmes Jeans

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FEATURE / Tenue de Nîmes Jeans

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FEATURE / Tenue de Nîmes Jeans

BACKGROUND Since we started Tenue de Nîmes in 2008, six years have gone by at a dazzling speed. During those years, Tenue de Nîmes have been fortunate to collaborate with some of the world’s most inspiring brands. To name but a few: Converse, Momotaro, Rogue Territory, Tellason and just recently: Dutch Design legend Pastoe. These lovely projects made us realize just how many wonderful opportunities there are in a diverse range of production plants all over Europe, the United States and Japan. This awareness, compounded by a growing number of requests from Tenue de Nîmes’ friends, left one question to be answered: when would we release our ‘own’ Tenue de Nîmes line?

DENIM JOURNEY Before we explain what our first Tenue de Nîmes jean will be all about, it feels right to explain how Rene and I look at jeans in general. Many brands before us were successful by basing their jeans on something from the past or, quite contrary: futuristic jeans as rapidly evolving fashion items. We simply believe Tenue de Nîmes jeans must show great respect for the past, but should above all else serve the needs of individuals in the 21st century. One of the most mind-blowing conclusions we can draw is that after more than half a century of denim in fashion and style, denim has returned to its roots: work wear. We see denim as work wear for people in advertising, in marketing or for people teaching history at the University of Amsterdam. But also people in finance or lawyers show us that ‘Casual Fridays’ are behind us now and we created new, smarter ways to dress for work. And there it is again: wear denim to work!

So on top of the fact that denim becomes 21st century work wear, this incredible fabric is all about liberation once more. Nearly seventy years after the end of World War II, denim is about personal freedom again, the freedom of choice and personal functionality and the desire to wear what you prefer at work. Although every raw pair of jeans starts alike, the individual journey of each pair starts immediately after the pants are worn for the first time.

Soon after we opened our store, many people from various countries and cities came to us with a very simple request: Please find me my personal ‘perfect' pair of jeans. Most of these people had either been searching for a very long time or were told that their all time favorite was not available anymore because fits and styles change every now and then. Or worse, the brand stopped making that particular fit and model all together. With that in mind we figured we had to create Tenue de Nîmes jeans for men and women alike that will stand the test of time. Why change? So for us it is time for a jean that we love and want to take care of for at least a couple of years. A pair that you tweak to better match your style, jeans you want to leave your keys and wallet in because you don’t want to spend a single day without it.

We want you to have a jean that you repair when it rips and will only wash when absolutely necessary. Our Tenue de Nîmes jeans will last, so if it is ever time for a second pair you will not be disappointed by news that we’ve run out of stock. Tenue de Nîmes jeans will not run out. In fact, the number of jeans will only grow.

TENUE DE NÎMES JEAN: CHARLES ‘MEMPHIS’ BLUE We are proud to announce that before year’s end, 2014 will mark the birth of our first Tenue de Nîmes jean. After a long process of design, pattern making, travelling to L.A. and back to Japan and Italy we can proudly say we made it! Our first Tenue de Nîmes jean for men and women will soon hit our Tenue de Nîmes stores in Amsterdam. It took us three years to develop a jean that will proudly feature on our denim wall, tucked in between industry leaders like Double RL and Acne Studios. Designed in Amsterdam, touched in San Francisco and manufactured in Italy these jeans really embody everything that Rene and I have ever felt passionate about in jeans. As we stated in the Milestones’ section of this Journal, we feel great respect for everything that the denim industry has provided us with. But for this particular project we really wanted to make something that would meet the demands of the 21st century denim aficionado. In a time in which lots of people seem to be focused on having more rather than less and seeking the cheapest option around, we hope to have succeeded in making something worth every penny and that you will keep with you forever. A garment that will feel like you’ve found that one true love. A pair of jeans that will make you let go of everything around you - just because it doesn’t matter anymore.

Finishing the pattern took us two years of long nights and early mornings.

Fitting and design sessions meant twisting, tweaking, trying and going back and forth so many times that I don’t even remember how many times we tried on the first prototypes before we agreed we got it, in November 2014 in a small factory in Italy. To give you an idea of how long the process was, our team in Italy could not even remember where we sent the fabric to. But it fills me with great pride and joy to announce that right now, as I am writing these words, local craftsmen in Italy are finalizing the first batch of sixty handnumbered Tenue de Nîmes jeans. We selected some of the finest Japanese denim fabric by Kurabo especially for this first Tenue de Nîmes run. We looked for a special bright blue - or Memphis Blue as we soon started calling it. A few months ago our good friend Marco showed us the color that we had been looking for all this time. The only problem was that the weight wasn’t right: the 12,5oz fabric was too light for our first Tenue de Nîmes jean. And although the comparatively tiny size of our production is way too small for basically every denim mill in the world, Kurabo decided to help us. They agreed to specially develop and weave a 14oz Memphis Blue for this first Tenue de Nîmes jean. The resulting color is a dazzling bright blue that reminds us of the 1970s jeans that our parents would put on and then slide into a bath tub to shrink them to fit, or rub them with hands full of sand to give the fabric a natural and personal signature. More importantly, you can’t overlook the Memphis Blue: it stands out from the widest ranging selection of denim fabrics you could imagine.

We are super fortunate to have gotten help from a few special friends and likeminded people who helped us construct this first of hopefully many Tenue de Nîmes jeans. Had it not been for them, these jeans would not have become what they are today. It was extremely important to us that our first Tenue de Nîmes jean would feel good wearing it. You can take the most extraordinary fabric in the world, but if the resulting jeans don’t fit perfectly, this ingredient becomes worthless.

The first Tenue de Nîmes pattern we made is best described as a slim straight, constructed in such a way that it ‘grabs’ you. Both the traditional waistband and the yoke have been transformed to a modern design. When you hold up the Tenue de Nîmes jean it looks like it was designed in 3D. The round shape provides comfort and places the back pockets where they belong: right on the backside. We added details that we believe meet and exceed the demands of a contemporary denim consumer, such as a double back pocket wallet holder and a firm fly button that was inspired by a coin from Nîmes as used in the days of the Roman Empire. Hopefully all these small details will help you find your perfect blue companion for the coming decades. We very much look forward to hearing what you think about it and we hope that you will share all your comments with us so that when we start preparing the second batch of Tenue de Nîmes ‘Charles’ jeans in Memphis Blue, these will allow us to take a further step towards denim perfection.

This first run of 60 Tenue de Nîmes jeans will be released at the absolute end of 2014. Pre-registration starts online very soon. Stay tuned at www. tenuedenimes.com —

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

THE FUTURE

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

DIRK KIKSTRA PHOTOGRAPHY DIRK KIKSTRA AT STICKY STUFF STYLING INGE DE LANGE HAIR JAN FUITE HOUSE OF ORANGE MAKE-UP SISLEY ANGENOIS AT HOUSE OF ORANGE MODELS SAADI & ERIK AT ELVISMODELS

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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THE FUTURE / Dirk Kikstra

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FUTURE BRAND / Hancock

THE FUTURE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP

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FUTURE BRAND / Hancock

Hancock Factory Visit TEXT OLIVIER VAN DER HAGEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANCOCK

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FUTURE BRAND / Hancock

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FUTURE BRAND / Hancock

The pedigree of Hancock, specialists in hand made, rubber bonded water proof coats is quite simply amazing. Not just because it counts among its regular clients some serious industry heavyweights such as Alfred Dunhill, Turnbull & Asser Gieves & Hawkes and E. Tautz but also, because it has only been around for just over two years. So under any other circumstances, the abovementioned list of brands would be considered shameless namedropping but here it counts more as a testament to what Hancock does, and how well they do it.

Allow us to deconstruct the brand and its short history before putting it back together again as seamless as its products. Earlier this year Hancock launched a website that presents an interactive, bespoke service by which users can add color of choice to their handmade water proof coat. It’s just the latest in a series of actions and achievements that are building an ever growing base of fans and loyal customers alike. Have a look at the site and then tell us it doesn’t look exciting enough to almost have you wish for the most horrendous weather this winter once you’ve placed an order.

If we rewind a little further, in February 2013 the ambitious brand won the Wallpaper* design Award for outerwear. Four months after that, it launched its Missoni collection at the Milan Fashion Week to commemorate the event’s sixty year anniversary. These guys are keeping busy. To achieve this in such a short amount of time means there are only three plausible explanations to it: Belief, relentless hard work and top notch quality. This might also explain why United Arrows saw fit to become official partner to Hancock that same year. This big time retailer has a number of mind blowing stores in Tokyo where Tenue de Nîmes love wandering around these places. Make sure you pay these guys a visit if you ever get the chance.

More to the point: United Arrows was aware of Hancock already, having keenly followed its development ever since it launched the year before. It was January 2012, at the first London Collections and Pitti Uomo right afterwards, that Hancock introduced itself to the world. United Arrows sat up and took notice as did Barneys New York. Both parties were sufficiently impressed to host special in-store events for Hancock. Not too bad for a fledgling brand!

March 2012 saw the establishment of the Hancock factory in Cumbernauld, Scotland. A local carpenter came in to build work tables and a mix of new and vintage machinery was brought in from various nearby factories that had gone bankrupt. As little as two weeks went by before the first AW12 collection was ready.

The three main pillars of Hancock are personified by Daniel Dunko, Gary Bott and Colin Oliphant. Dunko was Managing Director at Mackintosh, where

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he had developed commercial partnerships with luxury brands, because he already envisioned the appeal of an original hand made Mackintosh. He hit it off with brand manager Bott, who had been responsible at Mackintosh for global marketing communication, art directing various ad campaigns and collaborating with a number of high profile designers. Dunko sold the business in 2007, but they continued working there, developed a solid working relationship and a few years later, they went for it and Hancock was born.

Oliphant was brought aboard as a talented designer straight out of Edinburgh College of Art, having won the Hancock design competition. This is something Hancock makes a point of doing, so as to nurture and develop talents like Oliphant, plus it helps maintain the brand’s youthful and modern identity.

Hancock’s philosophy reflects it too: to create fresh, innovative rainwear in bright colors, such as banana yellow and raspberry pink.

At the same time, the three of them strongly believe in honoring the heritage element of what they do. Or, as Dunko himself put it: “The modern aspect is how we cut and create the shapes," he explains, "while the heritage element is that we are using a process of gluing and taping handmade coats that was invented almost two centuries ago."

As for the brand name, it too, reflects a piece of heritage: it was chosen as a nod to the philosophy of Thomas Hancock, commonly credited as being the ‘father of the British rubber industry’. This man was in business in the 1820s as a coach builder and therefore had a great interest in keeping people riding his coaches protected from the rain. He started experimenting with waterproof fabrics. He came up with various processes to develop such fabrics and eventually patented a method of vulcanizing rubber with sulfur to create a stronger material.

Back to the present, December 2014: Hancock announces its new collection which features collaborations with tailor Timothy Everest that will hit stores this spring. Even before that, in the short, dark days of January 2015, Hancock will for sure brighten everyone’s days with the launch of a collection of vulcanized fiberboard luggage at Pitti Uomo, in addition to a new quilted outerwear collection.

As we already mentioned, Pitti Uomo is one of the places where Hancock first introduced itself so, cliché or not, things have come nicely full circle for the brand. Imagine what they will do when their brand celebrates its first decade.

We can’t wait for the future to begin. For now though, we are delighted to be starting the fourth season of Hancock in our stores, with yet another superb collection of coats that will ensure its wearers are ready to face what promises to be a stormy first half of 2015 in style.

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FUTURE BRAND / Edwin

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FUTURE BRAND / Edwin

Edwin Further Man Crew A fine group of Edwin adventurers recently headed to the mountainous region of Les Vosges, France, to shoot their Fall/Winter ‘14 collection. They took along their bikes, i.e. the Blitz TW and the office TY’s plus a couple of Polaris Buggies for transportation. Dirt tracks, muddy hills and acres of pure white snow became the backdrop for all kinds of daredevil activities. Gentle mayhem ensued as these guys put the new garments to the test, not making much of an effort to avoid bone fractures or other inconveniences.

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TEXT BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWIN

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FUTURE BRAND / Edwin

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FUTURE / Mottainai Glasses

THIS SPRING

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FUTURE BRAND / Lee

Lee 125 Years Collection

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Lee’s 125th anniversary drives a series of special projects. Top of the guest list is a select group of brilliant people.

Each of these is a designer at the helm of Lee’s four favorite labels. In their own ways, they have helped the iconic denim brand reimagine its most popular fits and finishes for the Lee 125 Years Collection.

Because they all share the brand’s obsession with craftsmanship, quality and fit, these friends of Lee have brought their own left-field take on style to create four distinct elements of the collection. With each designer already the founder of his own successful brand, they perfectly embody the worker and doer aesthetic of this authentic denim brand. The all star lineup features Donwan Harrell, creative director of luxury denim brand Prps; Emma François of women’s wear brand Sessun; Swedish denim king Örjan Andersson, and Belgian design trio Sarah Piron, Carol Piron and Gregory Derkenne of Filles à Papa. The Lee 125 Years Collection is a truly unique denim experience, underlining both Lee’s genuine heritage and its vision on the future. Celebrating the milestone anniversary in the company of what Lee considers the world’s best contemporary creators can certainly be considered a perfect finale to the year.

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FUTURE BRAND / Lee

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FUTURE BRAND / Alden

The Future of Hand-Crafted Shoes at

Alden New England TEXT BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOACHIM BAAN

The legendary Alden Shoe Company was founded in 1884 by Charles H. Alden in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Alden started out as a company specializing in orthopedic shoes for men who had suffered an accident at work and kids who needed customized shoes because of feet and back problems. Over time, inspired by European chic, the brand rapidly became known for its high quality dress shoes as well. Unlike many other brands that searched for ways to lower costs in the post-WWII period, Alden remained focused on top quality, excelling in specialties such as orthopedic and medical footwear. In 1970 Alden opened a new factory in Middleborough where the company still produces to this day.

In 1901 Alden started working together with Brooks Brothers who were in search of ‘Gentleman’ shoes to complement their collection. This partnership opened the market for ready-to-wear shoes based on European lasts. However Alden did something extraordinary with these lasts. Basically, they cut two lasts (a C and an E last) in half and attached those together. In other words, they combined the two lasts in one boot. This is why even today you will see the C/E code inside any Alden shoe. It refers to the back part being a C last and the forefoot being an E. This sort of construction makes sure that the back of the foot is properly supported at the arch and heel. It also helps provide maximum freedom and comfort in the front part of the shoe.

Another top quality feature of the Alden shoe is a layer of cork paste which is put in between the insole and the outsole. The heat of the foot activates the paste which gives added comfort and support. Your foot will create its own pre-formed foot bed. The great advantage of a natural outsole is that it provides flexibility, support and it breathes. If there is a downside, it’s that these soles wear out over time and therefore need to be replaced every once in a while. But when you get these repairs done by an official Alden cobbler the shoe will never lose its originality.

Alden Shoes are made with a so-called ‘Good Year Welt’. This technique means the last is placed upside down with the leather pulled over it and then welted around. The outsole is then attached to the welt. There is an alternative, more modern method to doing this, which is to glue a sole to the shoe but this means the quality standard will be lower.

A lot of people wonder why the iconic Alden 405 boot is referred to as ‘Indie Boot’.

The shoe thanks its name to a former construction worker from California by the name of Harrison Ford. He ordered six pairs in a size 10,5 for a movie called Indiana Jones because he used to work in them so comfortably. Since then the Indiana Jones series exploded and the Alden Shoe 405 became an indispensable part of the ‘Indie’ legacy.

The Alden of New England family uses only the best natural leathers available to make their shoes. The main difference between a natural leather and most of the treated leathers in mass markets is the color variations of natural leather. When people mass produce, let’s say, fifty thousand blue shoes, all of them need to match in terms of color. This matching is achieved by adding a chemical named ‘chrome’, which according to Mr. John Happ at Alden fixes the color like egg-white does to paint on canvas. Alden however uses vegetable tanned leather which is more expensive but never 100 percent consistent in color. Now this may sound negative but in fact we believe this is, in addition to the hand work discussed above, another unique feature of Alden shoes. So a batch of 403 Indie Boots delivered today might look slightly different in color from another batch delivered in a few months.

The process of buying the best leathers available gets more and more difficult. There are two important reasons that may well be causing this. First of all we generally eat less meat and therefore use fewer animal hides. The second reason for the global price increase of high quality leathers is the huge volume of leather, acquired annually by countries such as China so as to keep up with the ever-growing demand for luxury clothing and other products like leather car seats.

By far the most iconic leather used by Alden Shoe is known as ‘Cordovan’. This type of leather comes from the backside of a horse and is sturdy and robust. Where the rest of all the horse leather is generally drier, more fibrous and often used for leather jackets, ‘Shell’ Cordovan leather is known for its robust feel and for the fact it does not wrinkle! Cordovan leather breaks in in what we like to describe as ‘waves’. There is less need to polish Cordovan shoes because of the leather’s fattiness: it contains plenty of natural oils. Cordovan leather is exclusive, expensive and global availability is very limited. So although many shoe aficionado’s would love to purchase a pair of ‘Shell Cordovan’ shoes because the color goes with everything and the leather takes care of itself, they often have to wait several months before they can make a purchase. At the risk of being superfluous though: they are worth the wait.

At present Alden is still a privately owned company, by now run by the third generation of Tarlows.

Grandfather Tarlow was one of the original partners of Charles Alden. Today’s mister Tarlow is an unbelievably passionate shoemaker who spends 80% of his time on the factory floor.

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FUTURE BRAND / Alden

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

10 QUESTIONS TO ARNO TWIGT

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Arno Twigt is founder of QuA Design in Amsterdam. It wasn't until we had known each other quite a while that I realized he is the Director of QuA Associates, a design company with a global clientele that includes Shell, the Van Gogh Museum, Porsche and BASF. Before I discovered this, I just thought he had walked straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. Each time he visited our Elandsgracht store he would regale me with more of his travel adventures, without fail, so I always hoped that Arno would come back again soon with more of his stories.

After a while he told me that his house, just around the corner of the store, was not really his favorite place to live.

He’d much rather spend time with his two boys on board of a former Dutch Navy ship that he had transformed into a house. When I learned this, I realized it was high time to get to know this inspiring man better. Time for some questions…

INTERVIEW BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS TUKKER

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

1.

3.

2.

The Namibian trip was what we called a "color safari". We used the photos we took in the desert and created a book about the use of color - we were very lucky because it had rained in the desert and there was a fresh pale green filter over the red sand. Beautiful!

Later on we developed this into a new color pallet which we used in a campaign together with McLaren F1 and Akzo-Nobel.

Would you please introduce yourself and tell us about your background?

At 23 I founded my design company, QuA Associates. My first serious client was MEXX, doing their retail design. I wrote a letter to Rattan Chadha, telling him that he fit into my future profile. He laughed about that but gave me an opportunity and my first big client was there. From Rattan I learned to think, respect other cultures and to act quickly. He sent me around the world to design his shops with small local teams – sometimes five countries in as many days. It’s a way of working that’s stayed with me all these years.

The thing I enjoy most is to meet and work together with great people - and I’m lucky that I met Jim, the most creative brain I ever met, and we’ve been working as partners for almost twenty years now.

It was some time before I found out you are an architect.

At first I thought you were an explorer or an adventurer.

What are your secrets of travelling?

Your first impression was an adventurer, I'm proud of that! But my work is in architecture and design. Luckily that involves travel, and for me traveling was the first thing I wrote down when I made my own future plans. Travel broadens the mind – you learn that lots of things that you think are important are irrelevant in other cultures. I am the proud father of two boys - my youngest son wants to be an explorer and adventurer, and I believe he will be.

I’ve heard of a Porsche trip to Switzerland, a tour with twelve guys in six trucks across the Namibian desert, sailing to the Isle of Wight. Is all this what you would call Business As Usual?

It is! I like to make traveling a business trip. We drove the Porsche across Europe when we were working on their brand vision. We took the latest model and drove the passes that feature in movies like Goldfinger and The Italian Job. Jim was the mastermind behind this plan of course - I'm not a car person but I have to admit they make fantastic machines (Jim hated the fact that we were overtaken by three Lamborghini's at almost 300 kmph, I was just happy we survived). When you now look at the campaign for Porsche’s 24 hours of Le-Mans for example, you can see our work there.

Sailing is great (I should have made that into a profession!) and the Isle of Wight has some of the best waters to race the old lady (my sailing boat). It’s nothing to do with business. When you have a look at the America's Cup now you see that the innovation is at such a high level that the world will benefit from the technology.

Much like we did from the space race in the 60’s. It’s not just a hobby, sometimes there is a reason behind the things we may see as fun.

4.

5.

In your opinion, what are the main advantages of living on a boat as opposed to living in your house by the canal in the heart of Amsterdam?

People behave differently on board than in a house. The Eems is not big, but it can accommodate up to sixteen people. When you give someone a bunk it becomes their home, and they behave as if they are at home, and I love that - someone will ask me "do you want a coffee?" and that’s what makes me feel at home.

The other thing is self-sustainability. You have to take care of everything yourself, living on a ship. Water doesn't come out of the tap without pressure. There’s no warmth without generating heat, and the electricity is not just there, you have to use a generator.

My boys learned to live on board from an early age. They now launch the RIB from the deck with the heavy crane, pick up friends, and are hosts to unexpected guests. They miss TV and WiFi sometimes but mostly they don't even notice these things are not there.

But the house is nice too and mostly we live there now. Daan goes to a classic school opposite Paradiso, and Kuuk is happy biking under the Rijksmuseum every day - they get to know city life.

6.

If you had to choose between life on land or offshore, what would you prefer?

I think you can guess the answer! Life offshore is more free. It’s about the sun rising and setting, that’s all. In town you’re in a rat race before you know it. It’s like poison..not so much the one you die from though - perhaps more like a drug.

For this interview we met on your former Dutch Navy ship the ‘Eems’. Could you please tell me the story behind this wonderful floating residence?

The Eems was built for the Dutch Navy in 1961 so we are the same age. I've renovated the boat, and redesigned the interior for living. I divide my time between living on board and in my house in Amsterdam.

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

7.

If we were to ask you to tell us about your all time favorite trip, which one would you pick?

Several! New York, not because it’s my all time favorite, but it’s a city I visit to get my feet “on the ground” again. The moment you think you do something special here in Holland you can easily become arrogant. Go to New York and walk around; the buildings are so big that you feel small again – for me it’s all about the energy that city gives you. In Mumbai I feel at home, in Cape Town I feel relaxed, in Buenos Aires I enjoy the way of life, but in New York I get inspired. I try to stay at the yacht clubs in all of those cities. You come off a busy street and enter into another, more relaxed world, almost as if from another age. These places never change.

8.

What is the most bizarre situation you have ever been in while travelling?

We had a dinner date in Carmel, California. Travelling as guests with someone I consider a real gentleman, and together with a former Le Mans winning driver, our plane had technical trouble at Schiphol and we were facing a serious delay. KLM made up some time when we finally did take off though and we arrived in San Francisco only two hours behind schedule, but we still had to make that appointment! Somewhere over the Atlantic our guest called and arranged a private jet which met us at the end of the runway. We switched planes on the tarmac and took off before the last passengers were out of the Boeing. We were on time for dinner, and our host was delighted!

Two days later, we walked on the beach just before leaving again. The water of the Pacific Ocean was freezing cold.

Later that same (long) day, we found ourselves on the border with Syria in Southern Turkey, on the riverbanks of the Euphrates.

Europe, North America and Asia, flying in private jets, watching races in Laguna Seca, visiting museums in Gaziantep, and coming up with a campaign for free bread for new Türk Telecom customers, all in one week: I consider that bizarre.

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You have almost thirty years experience in brand environment design. Could you explain what exactly it is you do for brands like Porsche, BASF and Akzo Nobel?

Jim and I try to develop a deep understanding of a brand. It does not matter if it is a watch, car or chemical brand - we are free in our opinion. With a deep understanding you are one with the client, but remain independent and honest.

With that know-how we look at a brand and advise them what they should do, how they should look, and how they should present themselves to the world.

We have the skills of architecture, interior architecture, graphics and multimedia and work together with a large number of colleagues we have known for decades. The best reference you can have for your work is from a client.

The director of Porsche is also a board member at BASF, and advised them to "take these guys, they are awfully small and expensive, but they can capture the essence of the brand and work it out for you". We got the job, and are now responsible for the BASF brand in 3D worldwide.

10.

And finally, what are your upcoming travel plans?

Next week I’m off to Russia. I’ve never visited St. Petersburg before, which I’m seriously looking forward to. There is a chance that we will be working for a Russian client in the near future, so you could also call it a business trip.

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

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INTERVIEW / Arno Twigt

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FUTURE BRAND / Woolrich

ICE COLD WINTER

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FUTURE BRAND / Woolrich

WOOLRICH AT TENUE DE NÎMES

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CULTURE / Wheels & Waves

Wheels & Waves

WHEELS & WAVES has become one of the most anticipated events in the custom motorcycling scene after just a few years. It all happens in Biarritz, surrounded by the magic coastal landscapes of the Basque country where the wavy Atlantic Ocean meets the rough Pyrenees mountains. A breathtaking place for anyone but Heaven for all motor riders!

PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY FOLKERT HENGEVELD AND NAIA SALAMAH

With its fine blend of mechanics, vintage, surfing, art and music, there are no rules regarding what’s hot and what’s not. WHEELS & WAVES shows us an eclectic mix of styles and scenes coming together, like one big family. The passion for motorcycles and the creativity it ignites brings a great vibe to the whole event which is centred in and around The Lighthouse of Biarritz.

The custom bike scene is all about creativity. Inventing new styles, surprising and inspiring combinations of all kinds mingle and meet here. You could stumble upon European custom bike garages like Blitz, El Solitario and La Corona. Approaching their work as pieces of art, each shop shares their latest creations with a curious and excited audience. Among them you will find such style Influencers like Men’s File’s editor in chief, photographer Nick Clements, or bloggers like The Vintagent (Paul D’Orléans).

We kick-started our own WHEELS & WAVES experience on a sunny morning, lying on the beach, where we witnessed a chill surf contest with the Bee Gees licking our ears. It nicely set the tone and vibe for the days ahead.

The Punk’s Peak race, on the Jaizkibel Mountain was surreal. Just the ride there was a treat in itself!

Above the clouds, amongst the ponies and the cows, we found ourselves in the middle of an old school street race! We could smell the burnt rubber and gasoline while cheering the racers. It was fucking excellent.

An exposition at the old Garage Foch was the perfect place to appreciate art and meet new people and run into artists like Stevie Gee, Paul D’Orléans & Susan Mc Laughlin, Lost and Found and so on. What’s more, stunningly beautiful motorcycles were presented. The opening was impressive and once again: good vibes all around and motorbikes as far as the eye could see.!

The cherry on top was the sun sinking into the ocean as the backdrop to a concert of Californian surfer and singer Brian Bent who put a smile on everybody’s faces! We had an absolute blast. Climax to the max at the lighthouse!

All in all, WHEELS & WAVES was crazy, overwhelming and full of inspiration and joy, giving you a glimpse of what direction the motorcycle scene is heading in. It was heart-warming to meet all the friendly like-minded people from all around the world. A truly great experience!

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CULTURE / Wheels & Waves

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CULTURE / Wheels & Waves

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CULTURE / Wheels & Waves

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INTERVIEW / Wouters & Hendrix

The Golden Age of Wouters & Hendrix

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INTERVIEW / Wouters & Hendrix

INTERVIEW BY OLIVIER VAN DER HAGEN PHTOGRAPHY BY JOACHIM BAAN

You know someone has mastered their craft when, whatever raw materials they are presented with, they see themselves designing, going to work with fluent yet measured movements, a knowing eye and the confidence that something new and exciting will emerge. Unburdened by what logic might dictate or, sillier still: what fashion or trends would have you believe is ‘hot’. At the same time, mastering your craft is a never-ending process so perhaps the above statement can only be made by people observing from the outside.

Nevertheless at some point, through dedication and unrelenting hard work, having created a growing awareness of your brand among the more discerning customers, you do realize that this is why you are not like so many who briefly hogged the spotlight, proclaiming themselves to be the biggest thing since Graham Alexander Bell decided he urgently needed to speak to someone, hundreds of miles away.

Yet...Wouters & Hendrix don’t seem to be interested in contemplating this. Which makes good sense when you are at the centre of what you do: it only distracts from the work that needs to get done; plus, it’s not even relevant for those who create in general. That said, to an outsider like myself, setting up a business that carries your name, having nowhere to hide and then spend three decades perfecting your craft, enhancing your designs, while more and more people fall in love with your work is simply quite extraordinary. Having achieved that without screaming ad campaigns or catering to the masses...surely that’s worth shining a spotlight on, no matter which outsider or insider says so.

Best friends and business partners Katrin Wouters and Karen Hendrix honed their skills and knowledge over time. This started when they met while attending Royal Academy of Fine Arts in their home town of Antwerp. 2014 marks the thirty year anniversary of their eponymous business and brand. You read that correctly: this jewelry designer duo have followed their gut feeling and make what they love since the mid-eighties of last century.

It’s enough of an accomplishment that Wouters + Hendrix enjoys this kind of longevity but what’s especially commendable is that their clientele has always grown yet the brand itself has remained fairly low key. Everyone wants to wear their pieces and tell their friends about it, but at the same time keep it their little secret. It's lovely how the design duo Wouters & Hendrix are becoming a household name yet retain their exclusivity - accessible but not overexposed - and that begins and ends with understated, subtle, highly detailed products. No false modesty or hollow gimmicks. Karen and Katrin just let the raw materials, the crafts (wo) manship and the end products do the talking.

Their adventure started in 1984, when the two best friends decided to go into business together. Semi-precious stones and silver became their prime ingredients. As recently as 2007, Wouters + Hendrix also started incorporating pure gold in their pieces. Working diligently, their business gradually rose to prominence in the Antwerp fashion scene, and not long after, spread beyond the city limits and then beyond Belgium’s borders. They release two collections a year but their "My favorite" line, mainly timeless sterling silver pieces, is permanently for sale. Wouters + Hendrix is here to stay. And, for this edition of the Journal de Nimes, they kindly agreed to answer some of our questions to finally get to know them a bit better.

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INTERVIEW / Wouters & Hendrix

Congratulations with the 30th anniversary of your brand.

Did you perhaps treat each other to a unique Wouters & Hendrix piece, perhaps?

That’s the first time someone’s asked us what we gave each other to celebrate our thirty years of working together. We’re just really happy to be doing this work every day – that does not merit a present, really.

So you’ve been around since the mid-eighties and the brand does not seem to suffer from a diminished demand.

In fact, you may well be gaining demand and reputation across the continent – and beyond, which is no small feat. What do you think is the reason for this?

We think it’s mostly down to the joy we get out of what we do. Designing and making jewelry is our passion. And we’re surrounded by likeminded, young people who’re equally excited about what we as a company are doing. We do not sit back and look around, or rest on our laurels. There is no shortage of challenges that we see or are faced with. Which is good – we need that. We keep each other alert and aware.

What do you consider the best part of your jobs?

We love that we get to make jewelry for discerning customers – the fact that they choose to wear us. We really feel that any piece we sell becomes part of who ends up wearing it. Very rarely do people wear jewelry that does not have a story to it. That’s another thing we love about what we do: people get 56

attached to jewelry – they have clear favorites among what they have. They treasure those pieces and perhaps even pass it on to someone dear to them. Often it is given as a gesture of love, a memento, a heartfelt gift, to express gratitude – these are all precious moments and occasions!

What do you strive for with your brand and which each design that you make – specifically from a personal, rather than a business point of view?

We just keep trying to make jewelry that is timeless. Designs should be recognizable as being Wouters & Hendrix pieces. We are quite stubborn and, although the bar is already high, we always seek to raise it even further. With every collection we put out, we want to reinvent ourselves, or at the very least do something we’ve not done before.

In the three decades that you’re in business now, can you signal an evolution in your designs and a change in how you approach your target audience? Do you have some examples to illustrate?

We’ve definitely grown since we started making collections together. They have grown in size, and each collection carries different themes within each of them. And trends or patterns have shifted a lot since the 1980s. We were way into large earrings and huge bracelets when we first started out. During the 1990s we moved into more delicate pieces that required more technical skill and a good eye for detail. Nowadays

demand for larger pieces is growing again. In terms of materials used, the sky is the limit. We attend an international fair in Paris twice a year, which we started doing early on because from the start we said we wanted to reach as wide and international an audience as possible. We are fortunate to have managed that but it’s our continuity that earned us a large following of loyal customers who value and truly appreciate what we do.

Your website states that your work is described as "...A dialogue between ostentation and austerity, between shadow and light." I also saw this phrase come back on several other sites of shops that carry your pieces but could you perhaps put in your own words what this means? How should we interpret this?

Thirty years on, we see a common theme in what we have done.

We made five capsules, with qualities and trademarks that kept popping up in every collection: Romanticism, humor, nature, surrealism and contrast. Bringing together these themes mixed in with our personal touches, that are directly relatable to our characters are the main elements that lead to what we put out there.

Your goal is to fill a gap between cheap supermarket “jewelry” and classic, exclusive pieces. For the laymen among us: how do you go about achieving this goal? What are the traps and pitfalls of running a successful jewelry brand?

JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

INTERVIEW / Wouters & Hendrix

We design the same way a couturier designs and cuts his or her garments. We look for the perfect shape and fit, a symbiosis between the human body and each piece we design. Plus, we try to add layers to the designs by using various materials, creating our own images, writing our own stories through our jewelry, but whomever buys a ring or a necklace for example can give it their own twist and create their own story for it.

Finding a balance here remains a big challenge because we feel it is crucial to get this right. Similarly, quality and a degree of exclusivity matters a lot but having said that, we do aim to stay within a certain price range so as to speak to as many (potential) customers as we can. In addition to quality and exclusivity though, we also feel that things like the store where you buy our stuff, how the shop assistants treat you, the wrapping of our pieces, the shop displays, the website and so on, are very important to us and we pay close attention to these aspects.

We do believe that this helps us stand out from a lot of other brands.

What we thought was very lovely was reading on your website that "putting soul into soulless matter remains the ultimate challenge." How do you add ‘soul’ to a piece of jewelry? Or rather: what do you do that adds soul to the pieces you create?

I do believe that we put our all into our pieces, so that includes, in a sense, a bit of our souls, but this is very personal. We have passion for what we do, and exude that in everything, every day.

JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

We do what we love doing, which shows through in our designs.

Whoever ends up wearing our pieces adds some of their own personality, or soul. That’s the beauty of it. This is how each piece becomes unique and gains some soul of its own, which is what lasts.

Would you please describe your creative process? How do you come up with new, fresh ideas? How do you unite both your tastes and preferences in new concepts and designs?

Katrin and I like to go exploring a lot. We go to trade fairs and fairs fully focused on gemstones where different companies present themselves and show you their own techniques and methods of production. We exchange ideas a lot, like what feeling or atmosphere do we want to create and bring across?

What feeling do we want to express? Plenty of things inspire us, whether it is cooking, gardening, visiting exhibitions or admiring feats of architecture. All of that, and more, inspires us and makes us want to start a new story. When we get to the design phase, we work directly in metal. Hardly ever do we sketch things out first. We need to know how a certain design will look on a body. Each body is unique, and every piece we make is unique too so we try to puzzle these together and exchange opinions, views. Sometimes the result is a case of serendipity: getting inspired and making something that the other had an idea about. Or your own design becomes even better because of something the other added. We complement each other and

this always results in a fusion of both our ideas – you can’t tell anymore who made what, and we don’t need to. It is this that makes every of our pieces a true “Wouters & Hendrix”.

Would it be fair to say that what Wouters & Hendrix makes, and perhaps the way it is made is a reaction to, or a challenging of, the world around you? Why (not)?

Katrin and I look at the world around us for sure. We could not not take note of what happens around us, near or far, so it will very likely influence our collections.

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FUTURE BRAND / Acne Studios

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JOURNAL DE Nร MES / Nยบ 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

FUTURE BRAND / Acne Studios

Acne Studios Back Stage at the Spring 2015 fashion show at Palais de Tokyo, Paris.

We just can't wait!

JOURNAL DE Nร MES / Nยบ 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

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CULTURE / Music

-Tenue de Nîmes PlaylistTEXT BY RUDY ROSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMY KUIJPER

THE FUTURE SOUNDS OF COUNTRY & WESTERN MUSIC EVERY YEAR AS THE DAYS TURN COLD 'N DARK AND SNOW BEGINS TO FALL, THE CHANGE IN SEASONS IS BEST SURVIVED BY LISTENING TO GOOD OL' COUNTRY MUSIC. EXCEPT THIS YEAR WAS DIFFERENT. I TOOK OFF FROM AMSTERDAM FOR A LENGTHY TRIP THROUGH TEXAS THIS SUMMER AND CAME BACK A FULLY-FLEDGED COWBOY, PEARLSNAPS AND ALL. I'M AFRAID IT'S A FEVER THAT WON'T BE CURED ANYTIME SOON. LUCKILY 2014 HAS BEEN A TRULY GOOD YEAR FOR COUNTRY MUSIC: ALL THE RIGHT ARTISTS HAVE RELEASED THEIR BEST EFFORTS SO FAR. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT STYLES IN COUNTRY AND WESTERN INSPIRED MUSIC. YOU WILL FIND ROCKABILLY, GOSPEL, BLUEGRASS, BLUES AND FOLK AMONG THEM. HERE ARE MY TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS OF THE PAST YEAR AND THAT GROUNDBREAKING CLASSIC ALL Y'ALL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IF YOU DON'T ALREADY DO. THANKS FOR LISTENING FOLKS! RYAN ADAMS - RYAN ADAMS When country music became extremely commercialized in the 90's with artists like 'Barf Brooks', it was a group of young punk rockers that picked up the authentic spirit of country music and started something new. Ryan Adams was one of the leaders of this punk-infused country music, being the frontman of Whiskeytown. His latest eponymous solo effort was released in August of this year and offers late seventies classic rock reminiscent of the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty yet very Americana-inspired. It's completely hilarious to read that he never really cared about country music even when he was playing it, and certainly doesn't want anything to do with it now. Well, Ryan, thanks for leading the pack anyway.

Favorite Track - "Stay With Me.."

DANIEL ROMANO - COME CRY WITH ME STURGILL SIMPSON METAMODERN SOUNDS

The cover photo says it all. Daniel Romano means it and makes no bones about it. Although you might find a hint of humor in his lyrics, he presents his music straight up and with the utmost precision. Daniel Romano is the method actor of classic country. His interpretation of country is accurate and his sound is not so much retro as it is a time capsule, transporting you back in time. It has the kind of consistency in terms of authenticity and attention to detail that uplift Come Cry With Me to the highest level. Just like all the country classics it's a sad and haunting record full of heartache. Only during the track ‘Chicken Bill' does he leave his path of the slow register sad songs.

Even though it feels like a sea of heartbreak, pain and misery, Romano still offers the listener a fun and sometimes even hilarious record to listen to.

Come Cry With Me has an infectious quality that makes you listen closely and experience the true soul of classic country music.

When she left me, she thought that I was hurting She heard that I've been crying to her friends.

But the truth I just got a new job acting So any tear that rolls my cheek is just pretend.

Favorite track - 'He Lets Her Memory Go (Wild)'

NIKKI LANE - ALL OR NOTHING Nikki Lane brings back the nostalgic sounds of 1960's country done by diva’s like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Her western twang mixed with sugary sweet studio orchestral arrangements with just a right twist of pop hooks. This was all balanced expertly, like ingredients in a delicate recipe, by producer Dan Auerbach, whom you might know as frontman for blues combo 'The Black Keys’. He put his signature on the bottom but never took over too much. All Or Nothing for sure is a Nikki Lane solo effort but all songs stand strong by themselves anyway. Auerbach also duets with Lane on 'Letters Of Love’. Shivers down your spine! Originally from South Carolina but having re-located to Nashville, the world's capital of Country Music, Nikki Lane does not shy away from showing her southern roots. Every breath she breathes has a southern twist to it. She puts her own spin on this dusty genre and may have released one the most diverse records this year. There's even some country-funk to be found here. And the way she dresses, still having her own vintage clothing stall "High Class Hillbilly' makes my heart grow fonder of her. Fringes for the win!

Favourite track - "I Don't Care" 60

With Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Sturgill Simpson doesn’t just fill our ears, he also fills our imagination. He challenges the listener to sit down, close his eyes and surrender to this record. He really wants us to hear what happens beyond those microphones.

Musically he treads were nobody has gone before. And lyrically he makes you think that this guy must have lost his mind to marijuana and LSD. "There's a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this plain, where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain." Whoa now! But Simpsons truly shows his craftsmanship as a wordsmith and here he presents many beautiful written words."You play with the devil, you know you're going to get the horns". The production is honest and unpolished. And it's done on purpose so don't believe the words in "Life of Sin" when he sings, "The boys and me still working on the sound" since it's all put together so, so well. The recordings have a live approach, with the entire band in the studio, and were done straight to tape, the way it used to be done in music recording. Sturgill Simpson and Daniel Romano are the saviours of true Country Music.

A picture’s worth a 1,000 words, but one word ain’t worth a dime..

Favorite track - 'Living The Dream' Dedicated to Jacques Voss JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

CULTURE / Music THE SADIES - INTERNAL SOUNDS

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER LATENESS OF DANCERS Workin’ hard and payin' your dues.

Reflecting on back breaking labor, on jobs well done and celebrating with a bit of whiskey and kicking' back with some soulful country-folk.

That's the overall feeling this record evokes and it's surely the same feeling that comes over me when I'm at home with that bit of AnCnoc 12 by a shaded lamp with Lateness Of Dancers on my record player.

Bringing regional folk and country traditions with hints of R&B, these songs create a bunch of sparks and strings of emotions. This should not come as much of a surprise since M.C. Taylor has been working in the music business for nearly twenty years and contributed his fair share of song making. Having started out in hardcore bands like Ex-Ignota, he moved on to San Francisco outfit The Court & Spark and has now joined forces with Hiss Golden Messenger. Bringing together many friends and family (William Tyler, Megafaun) to help write and record his 4th solo record, Lateness Of Dancers is soaked in the inspiring North Carolina and Memphis musical history. Listening to this record, you may find yourself experiencing a spontaneous unrehearsed sunday afternoon jam on Taylor's front porch but maybe it's just the whiskey talking.

The Sadies’ 2013 delivery of Internal Sounds is a return to their earlier sound, though really every Sadies album and song is different to a certain extent, you'll find a heavier folk influenced package. This group was highly influenced by the Byrds who were the very first to connect pop to folk to country but these well dressed cats are the guitar slingers of Country and the outcasts of folk music. Too rough and loud for both. Their dark and psychedelic songs, drenched with mood altering rhythms and melodies that are both melancholic and uplifting, send you to another time and place. Brothers Dallas and Travis Good are a wild duo on guitar and vocals, while their rhythm section pounds away like a herd of wild buffalo. If you've seen them live, you know what I'm talking about. After playing a powerful two hour set, they still have enough energy to end the night with a ten-song medley of obscure sixties garage songs in just 10 minutes.

Favorite track - 'The First Five Minutes'

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE SINGLE MOTHERS When your dad happens to be Steve Earle and names you after Townes van Zandt, there's no way you won't end up being one hell of a songwriter. Earle's efforts on his recently released album 'Single Mothers' leans more towards bluesy rock than to oldtimer country and gospel that he does so well. Luckily it all goes perfectly with his typical lazy phrasing, very emotive voice and hammer-on style guitar playing. We find Stones-influenced rhythms, slide guitar blues and a Billie Holiday homage. This album may be very different from his former release and I'm not sure if it's my favorite yet but it's definitely showing JTE is on the move. Justin Townes Earle has kicked some addictions but it seems that songwriting is the only medicine that still works.

Favorite track – Mahogany Dread ‘I shoulda learned better I'm old enough to know Slippin' and slidin', feelin' low Now I'm waking up feelin' bad again I'm losing patience with my only friend Why do I try my luck?

I should never touch the stuff..’

Favorite Track "Worried Bout the Weather'

THE BYRDS - SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO It's very easy to say that 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo' was the very first country/ rock album, and many music critics will take this view. But the thing is that country always rocked. It always had its swing but the fact is this iconic album paved the way for many to follow. Finding themselves without Crosby, the Byrds searched for a new band member until bassist Chris Hillman convinced band leader Roger McGuinn to hire Gram Parsons. This led to the recording of Sweetheart of The Rodeo, a record that combined old-time classic country and bluegrass with 60's electric guitar music. It is clear Gram had more than a hand in this, since he had just left the International Submarine Band, which was already headed in a similar direction at the time. This album contains covers of many bluegrass and country folk traditionals but also some of the band’s own. 'One Hundred Years From Now' may well be the best song Gram Parsons has ever written but don’t take my word for it - give it a listen and judge for yourself.

‘Everyone said I'd hurt you, they said that I'd desert you If I go away, you know I'm gonna get back some how Nobody knows what kind of trouble we're in Nobody seems to think it'll all might happen again’ Favorite Track - 'One Hundred Years From Now'

CALEXICO - ALGIERS

Talking about funky tunes. White's Lazaretto opening track 'Three Women' is one hell of a seventies country-funk stomper: heavy bass with some barrel house piano and lap steel guitar to top it off. It's difficult to say what direction he's aiming for on any album he produces. Frankly, sometimes it feels like he pulls the old spaghetti-to-the-wall trick just to see what sticks. Not everything fits seamlessly together, but we can for sure say there's enough honkytonk to make Hank Williams shuffle his feet. We know 'Jolene' is always peeking around the corner in White's song writing. Hurt-filled ballads and many other tracks are a throwback to blues, country or folk classics. Even lyrically he boldly walks in Woody Guthrie’s footsteps on folk masterpiece 'Entitlement' for instance: “There are children today who were lied to, told the world is rightfully theirs..” almost a counter-cultural anthem we won't hear from any other pop idol of this day and age. Therefore White has truly separated himself from the MTV pop artist. He doggedly follows his own path. I have to say though, not every track on this album is easy to digest,. Some sounds or song-structural breakdowns even annoy the crap out of me so I might skip a few songs on the next one, but maybe that makes the good ones even greater.

Formed in 1990, Calexico has gone through many changes since. They started out as Friends of Dean Martinez but when that outfit lost some of its members they became somewhat of an indie rock rhythm section for hire. Their style of music has been influenced by traditional Latin sounds of Mariachi, Tejano, Cuban Jazz, Gypsy Jazz, Southwestern American Country & Western as well as 50's and 60's jazz. They took these influences and created their own type of music: "Desert Noir". The first time I heard Calexico must have been around 1998. Back then they were more or less an instrumental band providing soundtracks for movies that didn't exist. Their latest release Algiers is vintage Calexico: their sounds and techniques don't differ much from earlier albums, but this album does offer perfectly well-rounded songs and not just Mexicana soundscapes to accompany the burial of the unnamed masked hero. The orchestrated settings are mind blowing, containing string quartets and brass sections that cut off heavy feedback of electric guitars.

That loaded cello outro of Algiers last track 'The Vanishing Mind' says it all..

Welcome to Casa de Calexico.

Favourite track - "Entitlement"

Favorite track - 'The Vanishing Mind'

JACK WHITE - LAZARETTO

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FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

Heineken 150 Year Anniversary TEXT BY MENNO VAN MEURS ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS BY HEINEKEN

1864

February 15th The Heineken story starts 1864 in Amsterdam. Gerard Adriaan Heineken, a well dressed young man with impeccable moustache and whiskers, founds Heineken & Co by taking over the Hooiberg Brewery in the Dutch capital. Not everybody has as much faith in Heineken’s move as he himself has: how would a 22-year-old without any brewing experience lead a large company?

Heineken does not waste time asking those kinds of questions. Using his healthy self confidence and entrepreneurial spirit, he forges ahead.

Brewing soon becomes his life and before long a new tradition is born, right there in Amsterdam.

A good name and ditto product were of great value to Heineken.

Following the takeover of Hooiberg Brewery, Gerard Heineken presents himself in writing. He writes a letter and allegedly stated something along the lines of: ‘My beer is great.

If you are not happy with it, you can have your money back.’

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1868

Heineken opens the new Heineken Co. brewery on the Stadhouderskade in Amsterdam.

1870 The client knows best!

Thanks to a growing demand for a true gentleman’s beer, Gerard Heineken starts brewing Pilsner. He wants to create a pilsner unsurpassed in taste, color and clarity. Instead of top-fermentation, Heineken’s pilsner is made using bottom-fermentation, resulting in a clearer beer that keeps longer. And although most of the Dutch brewers stuck to their time-tested methods, i.e. top-fermenting, Gerard felt things needed to change.

1875 1873

Gerard Heineken officially incorporates 'Heineken Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij NV’ and erects a new brewery in Rotterdam. Enlisting the help of Director Wilhelm Feltmann, a 26-year-old technical genius, he combines strength of personality and perseverance. Together they are looking to expand the brewery to become the largest in Europe.

From 1875 the Rotterdam brewery concentrates on creating a nonperishable bottled beer by means of pasteurization. The French chemist Louis Pasteur had created a technique that involved a bottled beer being heated to 50ºc to 60ºC to kill off any bacteria. This was to make a huge difference to the shelf life of a Heineken beer. Needless to say that by applying the pasteurization process Heineken opens up the export market and along with that, literally, a world of opportunity.

1880

In December 1880 the members of the supervisory board of HBM approve the purchase of a Linde Ice Machine. Mechanization means an enormous breakthrough in the brewery business as the production no longer depends on expensive natural ice. What’s more, Heineken no longer needed to equip large cellars to store that ice in. With the help of this machine, Heineken cranked up production as they can now keep going all year round, as opposed to being bound by the winter months.

JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

‘My beer is great.If you are not happy with it, you can have your money back.’

1882

Due to a first price war, Feltmann advises Heineken to introduce a cheaper beer in the market. The brewery soon launches Gerstebier, a lighter, bottom-fermented beer containing less alcohol.

1884

The Heineken Brewery officially registers its export label.

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1889

‘A’ Yeast In August the brewery proudly announces they have been awarded the Very Highest Distinction of Dutch Beers at the World Fair in Paris: the ‘Diploma of Honor’. The company regards the award as an acknowledgement of the years of dedicated research that went into finding ways to improve the brewing process and getting to the bottom of the ‘secret’ of beer. Heineken, in typical pioneer style, upsets the market with refrigerators and laboratories.

1892

Brewery becomes investor.

HBM obtains ownership of an outfit that runs coffee houses, hotels, restaurants and buffets. With this purchase Heineken becomes the proud owner of some legendary outlets such as Café Monopole on the Heiligeweg and Mille Colonnes on Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam.

Properties in other Dutch cities and even in Paris soon follow.

1893

Gerard Adriaan Heineken dies very unexpectedly and although there are many pretenders to his throne, his 43 year old widow Lady Mary Tindal decides not to sell the exceptional block of shares she inherits. Instead ‘Her Majesty’ decides to hire J.D.A. Petersen as the third Director. In January 1895 Petersen and Lady Mary Tindal get married and Petersen becomes the stepfather of eightyear-old Henry Pierre Heineken.

1914

In October 1914, at the age of 28, Henry Pierre Heineken is appointed as Director. A mere three years later he is appointed Chairman of HBM.

1920

When bacteriologist Jan Emmens joins the company on 1st October 1920, he is assigned the task of implementing a meticulous quality control system. Combating and eradicating so-called beer infections is the first order of business because these infections severely impact the quality of their beer.

As it turns out, these infections are the result of rotting barrels.

Emmens found that sterilization of the barrels and a special siding on the inside would take away all the quality concerns. In that same year, Heineken and fellow breweries Amstel and Oranjeboom form the ‘Driehoek’ (the Triangle), a strategic corporation. Over the course of that decade, Heineken becomes the largest brewery in the Netherlands in terms of both turnover and size.

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FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

1931 1927

1923

Under the leadership of Henry Pierre Heineken the brewery reinforces the social path it had embarked upon. At his specific request a pension fund is set up to mark the company’s fiftieth anniversary in1923. In addition to an old-age pension HBM also starts paying out widow and orphan pensions.

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'Red Brewer' World citizen, in possession of a doctorate in chemistry, artist and passionate pianist: Dr. Henry Pierre Heineken was more than a classic brewer. He represents the second Heineken generation. Between 1917 and 1940 Dr. Heineken is Chairman of the board, navigating the company safely through the rough 1930s. Henry Pierre Heineken is an internationally oriented man, fluent in French, German and English, who would feel perfectly at home abroad. The purchase of a Brusselsbased brewery in 1927 was the first step HBM took on the world stage. On top of that Henry Pierre Heineken became known as the ‘Red Brewer’, famous for his social involvement.

Luck, Daring, Wisdom It can be said that it is sheer luck that Heineken director Pieter Rutger Feith meets John Fraser and David Chalmers Neave in Singapore in 1931. Eventually, they set up Malaysian Breweries Limited together – a daring move, as it was more or less unheard of to set up a brewery on the other side of the world. It is sheer wisdom however that leads Dr. H.P. Heineken to appoint Dirk Uipko Stikker as the new Director on 01 July 1935. This former banker would grow in stature to become the absolute number one, whirling through the company like a tornado.

His efforts and achievements lay the foundation for HBM to become a permanent player in the global market. Ingenious networks enabled the company to acquire ownership of Cobra, an international brewery investment company. After this the company focuses strongly on export.

1932

Singapore In order to avoid risks, beer in Singapore is not sold as Heineken but as ‘Tiger’. The Chinese associate the tiger with strength and in no time the beer becomes very popular. Before long it is served in Thailand and Hong Kong too.

1933

When the Prohibition comes to an end, Heineken is the first imported beer to get back in the US market. A huge part of the success of Heineken in the United States is the great effort of ‘Dutch Baron’ Leo van Munching. Under his guidance Heineken becomes the bestselling imported beer on the American market. Van Munching Co is eventually sold to Heineken in 1991 by Leo van Munching Jr. who leaves the company in 1993.

1938

The 'Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor’ is established and all the Dutch breweries join. The motto was to join forces: ‘start the war and end it together’. The supply of raw materials during this time is very limited.

The little bit that is available is distributed through the CBK network, based on the quantities the breweries are allowed to brew.

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FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

1946

Heineken re-enters the American market.

1944

‘War Beer’ Due to the severe shortage of ingredients, the quality of beer compared to pre-war beer is very weak. But with popular drinks such as coffee, tea, wine, spirits and lemonade in very short supply, this war-time beer soon becomes very popular anyway.

From 1944 onwards, brewing slows down dramatically. It becomes even harder to continue as serious shortages of ingredients, materials, packaging and spare parts make running a brewery practically impossible. Liberation in May 1945 at last enables the Netherlands to start rebuilding.

JOURNAL DE NÎMES / Nº 11 THE FUTURE ISSUE

Heineken introduces a special green bottle on the US market that exudes a charming honesty and sets it apart from the rest. Although many other breweries decide to keep brewing their beers locally, Heineken realizes that it should wear the ‘imported’ badge on its sleeve, to keep that air of exclusivity and the Dutch element alive.

Due to various events such as Alfred's mother getting divorced and the big chunk of money that the tax man reclaims from the family’s fortune, the Heineken family shareholder’s position in the company is greatly diminished. It became ‘Freddy’ Heineken’s personal mission to ensure that a majority of the HBM shares would be bought back by his family. This however had nothing to do with the ambition to become rich. Alfred Heineken has been quoted as saying he could live just as well on a couple of hundred guilders as on several million.

1948

Heineken Hell Emotions run high when Heineken decides to upset the beer business by putting Heineken beer on the shelves of grocers in the Netherlands. Many beer agents and café’s were outraged by the idea that shops would get a piece of the pie.

‘When your own name is at stake, you don’t want other people to start doing strange things with it’.

Upon his return from the States in 1948, Alfred H. Heineken and his sister acquire 20% of the HBM shares and simultaneously inherit a mountain of debt from their father Henry Pierre Heineken. Following the example of his grandfather, Gerard Adriaan Heineken, it was all or nothing for ‘Freddy’: he bought himself an expensive Jaguar with lots of wood paneling. After all, if you go and talk to banks you might as well show them you do well for yourself.

A bit of bluffing did no harm.

1949

December 27 The Hooiberg already exported to The Dutch Indies in 1864 and start brewing local beer in 1937. This is the first time that beer is brewed by the company outside the Netherlands. Centuries of colonialism come to an end and the Indonesian government obtains sovereignty in 1949. The name of the Heineken brewery at Surabaya is subsequently changed to ‘Heineken’s Indonesian Brewery Company’, while the brand name is changed into Bintang, the Indonesian word for ‘star’.

1950

Heineken makes history in the 1950s in Africa as they start shipping millions of bottles there.

Brewing beer under hot tropical sun was work for real pioneers. The results are in the tasting: Star, Primus, Gala en Gulder are African beers of an outstanding quality. To this day the company is the second largest brewer on the African continent.

In 1950 Alfred Henry Heineken sets up the 'Heineken Beleggings- en Beheermaatschappij’ (HBBM).He had started buying HBM shares in secret and deposits his minority stake in HBM in this fund. He bought out his sister Cesca, a move that increased both his stake in HBM as well as his debts. Alfred, not being able to make good on his debts in the short term, took a wild gamble by seeking to convert these short term debts into long term loans with comparatively low interest rates, pledging his shares as collateral. He walked a tightrope by doing this: either he would become very successful or very bankrupt.

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FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

1960s

1952

November 1st In 1951 Henry Pierre Heineken resigns as delegated member of the Supervisory Board and his son Alfred takes over. On November 1st 1952, Alfred continues his one man crusade as he threatens to fire the entire board - an absurd situation being the youngest member and officially a lowly assistant in the advertising department. The reason for this conflict was a set of plans to take over the Amstel brewery.

Estimated costs of this move would run as high as five million guilders, which was expected to be mostly financed with new Heineken shares.

In order to retain his stake Alfred H. Heineken needed to acquire at least half of these new shares but his options are severely limited, considering the debt he was already in. The board eventually bows to the demands of the most important shareholder.

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On January 1st 1968 the first Heineken ad appears on Dutch television. The television and the fridge makes home consumption of beer very popular as they allow people to combine beer with pleasure: Heerlijk Helder Heineken.

1954

Heineken returns It is thanks to the young pioneer Alfred Henry Heineken that the family regains control of the company and expands to have the brand name become globally recognized. The Heineken ‘brand’ may be considered ‘Freddy’ Heineken’s life’s work. In 1954 he changes the brand name from Heineken’s into Heineken and includes his typical three ‘smiling’ e’s.

A decisive measure by Alfred Heineken: In 1954, the label with the big red star (from 1931) is replaced on the Dutch market by a new green Heineken label. ‘Green reminds people of trees, it’s the color of safety.'

1958

Alfred H. Heineken is appointed elevated member of the Supervisory Board. He now has the right to veto any important decisions.

1964

Summer of It is around this time that Ed Arentsen, who is head of the advertising department, designs the 'Heineken lips’: two red semi-circles above and below the black Heineken stripe.

1967

During this year, Heineken finds himself under attack from an English competitor. Could the Dutch king of beer be dethroned? On 25 August 1968 Heineken en Amstel join forces and Heineken requests approval of the merger in a letter to the Minister of Economic Affairs.

The brewery claims that a possible takeover by Allied Breweries would be good for neither Heineken nor for The Netherlands. The takeover agreement is signed in Loenen aan de Vecht and gives Heineken a domestic market share of 56 percent.

1971

Seven years after Alfred H. Heineken joined the Board of Management, he becomes Chairman of the Board in 1971.

He will continue in this capacity until his resignation in 1989, at which point he is the third largest brewer in the world.

‘My time in the United States changed my life. I discovered that price plays an important role in market perception. I hadn’t come across this in the Netherlands: consumers who paid more than double for a Heineken. In America the beer was a ‘prestige item’.'

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FUTURE BRAND / Heineken

‘I had to fight for six years to get rid of that ’s’.

It was an endless struggle. I wanted everything to change. When I realized the trucks bore the words Heineken’s Breweries, I asked: Are we selling breweries, or beer?

1980s –

From segment leader to broad leader.

In 1989 the Berlin Wall comes down, opening up the eastern European market for Heineken. The company chose to open local breweries in countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland because the ‘Imported’ label was not as crucial in Europe as it was in the US. So, a more efficient method (producing locally) is initiated. After production in Italy started in 1976, the Spanish market opened in the 1980s. In 1981 Heineken starts brewing beer in Greece and Amstel would become the country’s most popular beer.

In 1983 Heineken takes over the Murphy’s brewery and transforms the antique brewery into a modern company. Ten years later Heineken gains a foothold in Switzerland by acquiring a number of shares in Calanda Haldengut, the second largest brewery of the country.

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1990

s Paint the world ‘Green' The ambitions during the 90s are as clear as the brand’s beer itself: to become the strongest brand worldwide and the best performing international brewery. New markets come into focus: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok slowly start coloring Asia Heineken-green. Eventually the same happens in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires in South America.

1997

Heineken becomes the Nº1 imported beer in China.

1999

Alfred H. Heineken is lauded as ‘Advertiser of the Century’ in The Netherlands.

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DESIGN / Handcrafted Modern

Handcrafted Modern Nº3 We will always remember the first time we met with our good friend Leander during an opening at Gabriel Rolt's Elandsgracht gallery.

Whenever he starts talking you can only listen and enjoy all his bold theories on business, arts and vintage design. Leander explained that in his opinion Wharton esherick's staircase and a Hickoree Stripe overall

by Lee have more in common than you would believe at first sight.

WRITTEN BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLOOMBERRY

MID-CENTURY SOFA ULLA

BY CARL MALMSTEN SWEDEN, 1940s The sofa was designed in 1938 for an exhibition in New York . Its designer, Carl Malmsten (1888-1972), devoted his life to the renewal of traditional Swedish craftsmanship, inspired by Swedish country manors and rustic styles. Malmsten's influence on Swedish furniture design is still particularly visible as a result of the schools he founded; the Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies in Stockholm and Capellagården in Vickleby, both of which are still very much operational. It was Malmsten's wish to restore elements of the old master - apprentice institution that united professionalism with an education in craftsmanship. Carl Malmsten was an individualist who strongly opposed functionalism, which blossomed during the 1930s. As an alternative he put forward a totally different program to reinvigorate architecture and the design of goods for everyday use. He fought for the right of humans to experience beauty.

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DESIGN / Handcrafted Modern

RARE INDIGO BLUE EDITION OF THE FIRST FRENCH FIBERGLASS CHAIR BY J.T. PICARD FRANCE, 1960s This is the first French chair in fiberglass, designed by J.T Picard and produced

by SETA. A very rare edition in a wonderful indigo blue.

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DESIGN / Handcrafted Modern

RARE STUDIO FURNITURE CHAIR WITH HEAVY SADDLE LEATHER UNITED STATES, 1950s

Wonderful studio chair. Iron frame with heavy saddle leather. The leather on the backrest is curved directly around the metal. The seat has a wooden frame and tilts back slightly, which makes you slide into the chair. Combined with the slightly inward curved armrests that widen towards the front, the chair really takes you in. Minimal design with studio furniture qualities, it offers excellent comfort and a stunning patina.

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DESIGN / Handcrafted Modern

PAIR OF GEORGE NELSON CHESTS OF DRAWERS WITH MARBLE TOP UNITED STATES, 1950s Two chests of drawers by George Nelson for Herman Miller with white ceramic pulls, hairpin legs and marble top.

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FUTURE BRAND / Libertine Libertine

Libertine SPRING

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FUTURE BRAND / Libertine Libertine

Libertine 2015

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

DENIM GIRLS TEXT BY MENNO VAN MEURS PHOTOGRAPHY BY FARHAD SAMARI

Farhad Samari was born in Iran, raised in southern California and lives and works in Los Angeles. Farhad became a photographer as a natural extension of his love for everything creative. He describes his style as a mixture of fine art and photojournalism. It is inspiring to see how Samari’s work is influenced by his passion for music, cinema, architecture and timeless style. I guess this is why his denim-related portraits are such strong storytellers.

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

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CULTURE / Denim Girls

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FUTURE BRAND / Levi's Vintage Clothing

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FUTURE BRAND / Levi's Vintage Clothing

Levi’s Vintage Clothing

In the early 1950s, with the birth of Rock ’n’ Roll the youth of America cast off the heavy shackles of the wartime past and began to create, explore and shape the future of pop culture in ways previous generations hadn’t thought of. With fast cars, drive-ins and bowling alleys, teenagers influenced an era and the nation as a whole with their music, style and fast living that would go on to define them forever. In Spring 2015, Levi’s Vintage Clothing pays tribute to the emergence and spirit of these rock and roll vanguards.

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CULTURE / Interweaving

INTERWEAVING 岡崎 真理子 Mariko Okasaki

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CULTURE / Interweaving

Ever since I moved to Amsterdam from Tokyo, not a day has gone by that did not include an encounter with something I had never seen before or was unaware of. I met people of various backgrounds from many different countries with values and ways of thinking that were completely unknown to me. They had grown up in cultures that I had no idea about.

I therefore started to translate, both literally and metaphorically, anything I was unfamiliar with into something more familiar that I could identify with or relate to. It is just like a manual translation from one language to the other rather than using Google translator: translate one word at a time, using a dictionary, while also comparing two different systems of grammar.

At first things just seem too different from what I know, making them hard to relate to. However, as soon as I take my time to observe and examine all these things closely, I usually find something fundamental that I can connect with. This is how I developed a broader interest in finding a universality that apparently totally unrelated items or persons turn out to share.

“If I abstract and simplify any two things that appear utterly unrelated at first sight, would I be able to identify surprising parallels?”

Ever since I studied architecture and graphic design, I have enjoyed comparing two different fields, always trying to find parallels between them. I’m also forever curious about many other disciplines: literature, music, philosophy, fashion, psychology, visual art, mathematics, film, folklore, photography…I could go on and on.

Sometimes, I come across corresponding and recurring notions in various disciplines, or an identical theme in different art forms that developed individually in totally different times and places. Those in turn made me wonder whether everything may in fact be connected at some level. As a graduation project at the Gerrit Rietveld Akademie, I used that idea as a starting point and decided to take the classical hand weaver’s pattern book as my source. The collection of historical patterns from all over the world and all different times is very wide-ranging, but at the same time the patterns are just variations based on one and the same principle. Simple but diverse.

The weaving technique itself is universal, unchanged since ancient times and its essence will most likely remain the same in the future. Although weaving is very much an analog process it has striking resemblances to the digital system: Charles Babbage invented the first computer called ‘Analytical Engine’ which was based on the system of the Jacquard loom.

My project is called Interweaving, which can be taken literally or metaphorically.

Taking weaving structure as a pivot, I wanted to ‘interweave’ different media (weaving, printing and music), analog and digital, old and new, by linking and superimposing a discovered common structure within them. The work consists of four parts, the first of which is a series of nine silkscreen prints where the weft and warp of weaving have been translated into layers of ink.

Then there is a black-and-white poster that combines analog and digital elements (using the Jacquard loom as weft and the Analytical Engine as warp), with a link between the resolution of image and thickness of thread. Third is a video on a CRT monitor that produces the sound of the pattern by using a combination of four different tones. The thicker the thread, the longer the tone. Lastly, there are corresponding books: one shows the patterns ‘woven’ by an inkjet printer, the other shows the musical score based on the patterns.

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CULTURE / Interweaving

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FUTURE / Treasures

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Eight & Bob - Eau de Toilette with Book Lisa Witte - Black Soap Bomb Alden - Blucher Long Wing Grenson - Clara Wouters & Hendrix - Necklace Lisa Witte - Bodyoil G.H. Bass - Weejun Layton Moc Tadao Ando Complete Works Cubebot Monitaly - Quilt Blazer Lapka BAM

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s k l s ' o F g n y i p W p a d H Re e v o L

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