A
PUB LICATI ON
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NI LORN
WO R LDWI DE
N o.
1/ 2018
COVER PHOTO Photo Olof Händén
Nilorn Worldwide is an international company, established in 1977, focused on adding value to brands by using
Styling Andrea Albertyn
branding and design in the form of labels, packaging and accessories. Customers principally represent the fashion
Hair/ Make up Natasha Papadopoulos
and ready-to-wear industry. Nilorn Worldwide offers complete, creative and tailored concepts in branding,
Model Charissa du Plessis
design, product development and logistic solutions. Satisfied customers are our principal asset, and it is therefore important to establish, maintain and enhance customer relations through first-class service. Nilorn Worldwide
PAPER
is one of the leading European players, with turnover of ca 60 M EUR0. The group operates through its own
Cover Tom & Otto silk 300g
companies in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Hong Kong, India, China,
Body Tom & Otto silk 150g
Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan and Italy. In addition, there are partner companies in Switzerland, Tunisia and USA.
Uncoated Edixion offset 150g Print Stema Specialtryck AB, Borås, Sweden
www.nilorn.com
www.calatura.it
salmingrunning.com
Salming EnROUTE MEN Black
Salming EnROUTE WOMEN Diva Pink
Salming EnROUTE WOMEN Black
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table of
CONTENTS
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WELCOME Dear Reader
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NILORN WORLDWIDE Belgium
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SANDQVIST Sustainability through repair
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ALL ABOARD Design collections event in London
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TOMORROWLAND The business of bringing people together
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CHAUD DEVANT Une belle histoire
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PANTONE - COLOR OF THE YEAR 2018 Ultra Violet - Coated / Uncoated
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT Four interesting fairs around the world with new inspiring meetings.
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TRAVEL IN STYLE Creative and stylish travel accessories
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GANT A legacy for the future
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PANTONE Coated / Uncoated
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18:1 DESIGN COLLECTIONS Product development and fashion shoot
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN PORTO Creative adventure in every sense of the world
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STRONGER TOGETHER Two Belgian fashion companies join forces
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PUMPHUSET A modern beer hall in an abandoned factory
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RECAP Kraft paper packaging
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HEADQUARTERS NILÖRNGRUPPEN AB Wieslanders väg 3 Box 499 501 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 88 Fax +46 33 700 88 19 info@nilorn.com www.nilorn.com
SUBSIDIARIES & PARTNERS NILÖRN AB Wieslanders väg 3 Box 499 501 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel: +46 33 700 88 00 Fax:+46 33 700 88 48 info@nilorn.com BALLY LABELS AG Schachenstrasse 24 CH-5012 Schönenwerd SWITZERLAND Tel: +41 62 855 27 50 Fax: +41 62 855 27 59 info@bally.nilorn.com NILORN BANGLADESH LTD. Millennium Castle, 12th fl. House 47, Road 27 Block A, Banani Dhaka -1213 BANGLADESH Tel: +88 02 8835912 Fax: +88 02 8835913 info@bd.nilorn.com NILORN BELGIUM NV Brusselsesteenweg 525 9090 Melle BELGIUM Tel: +32 9 210 40 90 info@be.nilorn.com NILORN DENMARK A/S Kongensgade 31B 5000 Odense C DENMARK Tel: +45 70 23 16 23 info@dk.nilorn.com NILORN EAST ASIA LTD Unit 1701, 17/F, Westley Square 48 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon HONG KONG Tel: +852 2 371 2218 Fax: +852 2 371 2629 info@hk.nilorn.com
NILORN GERMANY GMBH Itterpark 7 40724 Hilden GERMANY Tel:. +49 2103 908 16 - 0 Fax: +49 2103 908 16 - 99 info@de.nilorn.com NILORN INDIA PVT. LTD Plot no. 9c, Sector – 3 Parwanoo – 173220 (HP) INDIA Tel. +91 1792 235232 Fax +91 1792 233176 info@in.nilorn.com NILORN ITALY Via del Bramante 34 41012 Carpi (MO) ITALY Tel: +39 3381611351 info@it.nilorn.com NILORN PAKISTAN (PVT) LTD 2nd Floor, Yasir Chambers Gulshan –E-Iqbal, Block 13A Main University Road P.O. Box 75300 Karachi PAKISTAN Tel: +92 21 349 92151 Fax:+92 21 349 92153 info@pk.nilorn.com NILORN PORTUGAL – INDÚSTRIA DE ETIQUETAS, LDA Rua Central de Barrosas, 304 4585 - 902 Recarei – Paredes PORTUGAL Tel: +351 22 411 95 80 Fax: +351 22 411 95 99 info@pt.nilorn.com NILORN SHANGHAI LIMITED Rm 701, 288, Chengjiaqiao Road. Minhang District, Shanghai, CHINA Poastal Code 201103 Tel: +86-21 345 512 90 info@sh.nilorn.com
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NILORN TURKEY Baģlar Manhallesi 49 Sokak No: 50 K:3 Baģcilar/Istanbul TURKEY Tel: +90 212 657 76 76 (pbx). Fax: +90 212 657 75 10 info@tr.nilorn.com NILORN UK LTD 1A Acre Park Dalton Lane Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 4JH UNITED KINGDOM Tel: +44 1535 673 500 info@uk.nilorn.com NILORN USA LLC 3499 Meier Street Los Angeles, CA 90066 UNITED STATES Tel: +1 888-315 1875 info@us.nilorn.com
Dear Reader I am proud to present the first edition of our branding magazine for 2018 Nilorn has continued to expand our operation – today, we have 460 co-workers comprising production, offices and logistic centres in 15 countries. We had strong development in 2017 and, yet again, it was the best year ever in the history of Nilorn. There’s no doubt that, during recent years, we’ve seen that what we have to offer and our concepts are being well received by many brand owners and retailers all over the world – we are there to support and to help you improve your identity and branding. Our customers range from small start-up companies, to large retailers and brands that are globally represented. We export our products to more than 100 countries around the world. In a fast changing fashion world, it is more important than ever to be seen. If you are not visible you can disappear amongst tough competition and the large number of brands on the market. We have more than half a century of experience in creating and supporting brands, ensuring that they are more visible and successful. We can do the same for you and create a partnership between us – we aim to be your first choice in branding. In this edition, we have many interesting articles about the latest trends in branding, inspiring places to visit and our office in Belgium. There’s also a feature about our co-operation with Chaud Devant and an interview with the Creative Director of Gant – Matthew Wood – plus much more to inspire you. I hope you enjoy reading our magazine…
Claes af Wetterstedt
CE O
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AZZURRA&COMPANY
via lama di quartiolo,40 41012 Carpi (Mo) T. +39 059-692571
NILORN WORLDWIDE
Belgium
N I L O R N W O R L DW I D E all lights on
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NILORN WORLDWIDE
Villa Nilorn Three years, and six editions of BRANDING&design ago, an article was published on the very first Nilorn Belgium event, at the newly opened office. Fast forward to today, and the team in Nilorn Belgium have found themselves a nice, homely office at ‘Villa Nilorn’. WORDS: EVELYNN VERCAEMST
Until seven years ago, Nilorn Belgium, working for the Belgian, Dutch and French market, still had a production unit, as well as an office. Under Nilorn Nominette Ruga, the Belgian subsidiary produced woven and printed labels locally and had stock holding facilities. From 2002 to 2010, all production and stock were slowly scaled back, with looms and machines being moved to other Nilorn production units. From 2010 onwards, the main stock location for Europe was Hilden, Germany.
but also the worldwide distribution of all types of branding items such as woven and printed labels, wood, metal, packaging and accessories. That change in focus, and the omission of local production and stock at the Belgian office, resulted in less employees and the need for a smaller workplace. At that time, the office environment was evolving and companies started stepping away from traditional, rather impersonal offices, to warmer and more homely workplaces. With this in mind, Bart Van Trimpont, who had just been assigned Managing Director of Nilorn Belgium, started his quest for a new place. Taking into account the design aspect of the company, Bart hoped to find something unique and exciting. Within an hour, he stumbled upon a spacious, red and
Since then, Nilorn Belgium has evolved from being a purely production-oriented company to a fully fledged service company, offering a wide variety of products and services. This covers design, product development and production,
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NILORN WORLDWIDE
white villa from the 1930s situated outside the city of Ghent, close to the main road, with good connections to Brussels and Antwerp. After a few days, contracts were signed and the renovation could begin. In March 2011, the Belgian team could finally move into the newly renovated ‘Villa Nilorn’. With a large garden, homely kitchen and the former living and bedrooms used as offices, it was most definitely not just a standard office. The house warming party in December 2011 proved to be a great success. With each room decorated in accordance with a new collection, live music and finger food, the forty selected visitors could get a feel of where Nilorn Belgium would be housed from then onwards.
Consisting of ten employees in total, two of whom work from home in the Netherlands, Nilorn Belgium makes for a small but diverse and enthusiastic team. Although the company may be divided over two countries, Bart makes sure there are plenty of occasions for collective activities amongst the colleagues. There is the yearly Christmas dinner in the decorated entrance, the company trip to music festival Tomorrowland and the Nilorn summer party to kick off the second half of the year. Aside from all this, fresh fruit in the office and lunch break walks on Fridays keep everyone happy and healthy.
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NILORN WORLDWIDE
GET TO KNOW US TEN COLLEAGUES, TEN SHORT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TALENT? Martijn: According to my kids, I’m really good at renovating houses. Aside from that, I appear to cook a delicious ‘pasta di papa’.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL? Paul: I would have to go for mussels, I actually prefer them over oysters. My wife and I make them ourselves quite often, either natural or with white wine. Accompanied by some Belgian fries or a thick slice of bread, delicious!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON? Laurence: I love spring. Days get longer, trees and flowers blossom, and this season gives me some much needed energy after the dark winter months. Spring also means I can start growing vegetables my mini kitchen garden. Lovely!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
WHO INSPIRES YOU?
Evelynn: The south of Portugal, without a doubt. I have a never ending list of places I want to visit, but so far the Algarve really amazed me. The cliffs and sea, the laid-back atmosphere, the friendly people and the delicious food. It’s one of the only places I know I’ll visit again one day.
Bart: My mother, who was a wise and proud woman. She inspired me a lot because she knew so well when to speak and when not to speak. That is a gift not offered to many people.
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NILORN WORLDWIDE
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT FRIDAY NIGHT. Heidy: A cold winter evening inside with my kids, accompanied by a glass of wine and a bag of crisps, while watching a good TV show. WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE? Jasper: The Breakfast Club. It’s the first movie I watched with my wife and we watch it every year on the day we met. Other than that, every movie with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Best actor ever. WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO SWAP PLACES WITH FOR ONE DAY? Monique: Our Prime Minister, Charles Michel. Don’t ask me why, I just think it would be really interesting to see what he does for one day.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE NILORN BELGIUM OFFICE? Laaziza: Although I really like the big kitchen and the garden, I think I just like my own office room best. That’s where I feel at ease. I like how it’s decorated, and I love the moroccan painting on my wall, that we bought to support Beauty Without Irony. WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? Myriam: Running and mountain biking in nature, to enjoy the beauty of each season. I also like being creative: knitting and baking cakes with my sons. Creating things really satisfies me.
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SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH REPAIR Sandqvist has made a successful journey in the world of bags since it began in 2004. The company was founded by brothers, Anton and Daniel Sandqvist along with their friend Sebastian. The philosophy and vision of Sandqvist is the vastness and allure of Scandinavian nature mixed with urban city life. Sustainability and the environment are important aspects of the company’s work - which we delve deeper into in this interview with their Sustainability Manager, Henrik Lindholm. WORDS: PATRICK HJERTĂˆN
INTERVIEW
Repair shop
The work with sustainability is extensive at Sandqvist and as the cherry on top they have a repair shop available at their flagship store in Stockholm. The inhouse tailor, Amir, is on hand to repair customers’ bags and he also redesigns old bags that are for second hand sales. Bags beyond repair are salvaged for spare parts which then are used in the production of the redesigned bags. As a Sandqvist customer you can either have your bag repaired or hand it in to be redesigned and sold on to another person. The Sandqvist Repair Shop is the company’s effort to encourage the market to use their products for a longer time. This both benefits the environment and Sandqvist’s ambition to produce bags that are functional as well as long lasting.
Aside from the repair shop, Sandqvist work with sustainable and environmental issues in more ways. They only use organic cotton, for instance, and by fall/ winter 2018 all of the company’s synthetic fabrics will contain recycled fabrics, taking a further step towards their goal of becoming a world-leading example for sustainable fashion. The impact on environment, workforce and material resources should be as little as possible.
IS THE REPAIR SHOP SELF-SUFFICIENT?
At the present time, I don’t think that we are making a profit with this particular venture but we learn more about how we are going to produce better bags - with that perspective in mind the repair shop is profitable. The bags that our tailor manufactures are unique and therefore are attractive commodities. We also hope that we can inspire other companies to work with this concept.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY?
I don’t think that I have an exciting definition of the term. It is about something that should be environmentally and sustainably viable. We work with this viewpoint across the whole board. At the end of the day, it is all down to credibility.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING OPENING MORE REPAIR SHOPS?
It is our intention that there will be a repair shop in every one of our shops in the near future.
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INTERVIEW
IT CAN BE HARD WITH LEATHER – WHAT ARE YOUR PRESENT VIEWS ON FINDING SOMETHING THAT IS BETTER FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT?
So far we have not found any good replacement for leather. Leather is both durable and has the ability to age in a nice way, therefore we are looking at ways to reduce the environmental impact of the leather we use. A first step has been to start to shift production to tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group, an international multi-stakeholder group promoting sustainable practices in the leather industry.
WHAT DOES CHETNA ORGANIC MEAN FOR SANDQVIST?
It is a co-op in India for small producers of cotton and by buying through them we know that the cotton is produced at satisfactory terms. It gives us great security because we can ensure the whole process and can derive where the cotton comes from. We chose this particular co-op because we manufacture a lot in India.
ONE OF YOUR SAID GOALS HAS BEEN TO HAVE 80% SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL BY 2020. HOW IS THAT GOING?
We should already reach that goal by A/W 2018 where all fibres in our products are classified as sustainable and our classification of these are often harder than the ones our competitors have.
It is not only the material of the bags that is important for Sandqvist, but also that the products themselves are made under good working conditions and in a safe environment. To be able to ensure this, Sandqvist is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) which means that they are committed to implement the foundation’s code of labour practices to all of their suppliers. The FWF code stipulates minimum requirements for working conditions and they are based on principles from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN. These principles include workers’ right to become a member of a trade union, reasonable working hours and safe working conditions to mention a few. Through FWF, Sandqvist can access training for their suppliers as well as use FWF’s local audit teams to support their improvement efforts at factory level.
One step in that process is using organic cotton which means that the cotton is farmed without chemical pesticides, artificial fertilizers and genetically modified crops. The cotton in Sandqvist’s bags is bought through Chetna Organic, a farmers’ organisation in India and it is produced mainly on a small scale by self-sufficient farmers in Adilabad. Through this arrangement the farmers are better paid and the working conditions improve as well. In this way, Sandqvist can control that the money ends up where it is supposed to.
WHAT DOES THE COLLABORATION WITH FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION MEAN TO YOU?
FWF is an independent organisation that verifies working conditions at our suppliers. Through being members we subject ourselves to unconditional transparency, whether we want it or not, FWF will publish our performance to the scrutiny of our stakeholders. I think this is the kind of openness that is needed to gain the confidence of our consumers. The sights are set for a continued journey in the name of sustainability – and Sandqvist is on it, bag in hand. Weekendbag - “Jordan”
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INTERVIEW
Recently opened brand store in Berlin
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TÄCKEN GJORDA SKANDINAVISKA TÄCKEN GJORDA FÖRFÖR SKANDINAVISKA FÖRHÅLLANDEN KOMMER FRÅN HANSBO FÖRHÅLLANDEN KOMMER FRÅN HANSBO SPORT SPORT
COMFORT COLLECTION EN KOLLEKTION I ABSOLUT TOPPKLASS!
HANSBO SPORT står för design, prestanda och funktion. Enligt oss måste ett bra täcke nämligen besitta alla dessa egenskaper – vi kompromissar inte! Erfarenheten hos vår produktutvecklare är lång och tillsammans med våra sponsorryttare får vi en perfekt mix av nytänkande och gediget hantverkskunnande. Färger, snitt och mönster ligger i linje med kommande trender utan att ge avkall på det klassiska och stiliga vi förknippar med våra täcken. Till sist gäller det att komma ihåg att alltid prioritera de hästar som ska använda våra täcken. Rörelsefriheten måste vara stor och designen vara utformad så att djuren på bästa sätt kan bibehålla sina naturliga rörelsemönster och beteenden. COMFORT COLLECTION finns som vintertäcke, stalltäcke, övergångstäcke, regntäcke och halstäcke.
Du hittar våra täcken hos utvalda återförsäljare, läs mer på hansbosport.se.
FÖLJ OSS!
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ALL ABOARD! On 21st September 2017, Nilorn UK turned host for a client event in London.
The Nilorn UK team invited customers and prospects alike to join them aboard the PS Elizabethan – an 1890s styled paddle steamer - for an evening cruise along the River Thames. Whilst taking in the sights of Central London under the setting sun, our guests were presented with the latest Nilorn Collections and enjoyed a variety of fitting entertainment throughout the journey – the city skyline providing the perfect backdrop. As guests boarded the boat at Westminster, they were welcomed with a drinks reception - and given the chance to get their sea-legs before departing the pier! There was an air of anticipation on the top deck as the evening began with a presentation from
Managing Director, David Hinchliffe, to welcome the guests, outline the evening’s events and explain a little more about the world of Nilorn. David also took the opportunity to introduce Nilorn CEO Claes Af Wetterstedt, who was able to join us at the event in London, along with colleagues from the Nilorn Worldwide design team. Guest Speaker Tina Stridde, from Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA), was introduced and engaged guests with a presentation. CMiA is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that helps small holder African cotton farmers to improve their living conditions – a great ambassador for sustainability.
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Image Courtesy of Thames Luxury Charters
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"ENJOYED THE WHOLE EVENING PRESENTATIONS AND FASHION SHOW - AS ALWAYS PERFECT HOSTS" SAM DORRIES - CASUALWEAR BUYING DIRECTOR, BMB
"JUST WANTED TO SEND YOU A BIG THANKS AND CONGRATS FOR LAST NIGHT - WE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME." GEMMA STRONGITHARM - FARAH, PERRY ELLIS EUROPE
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"THIS IS JUST TO SAY A QUICK THANK YOU FOR THE FANTASTIC EVENING WE HAD ABOARD THE ELIZABETHAN WITH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES FROM THE NILORN GROUP!" ANNA FELICITAS RÜCHARDT - COTTON MADE IN AFRICA
Throughout the evening guests were able to browse the latest Nilorn concept collections and chat with the Nilorn UK team – strengthening relationships with their usual contacts and getting to know other colleagues. The event remained informal to ensure guests were relaxed and able to enjoy the evening - exploring what Nilorn has to offer at their own pace. From TV screens showing some of our videos, produced and edited in-house, to our Company Presentation books – and, of course, the concept folders themselves. All were displayed for guests to peruse at their leisure and the Nilorn team were on hand to answer any questions. A BBQ buffet was provided on the lower deck where small trees adorned each table with a range of swing tickets from the concepts hanging from their branches. These gave further opportunity for guests to take a closer look at some of the samples and were a real point of conversation. Guests looked on in amazement as a magician made his way round the tables - entertaining guests and colleagues alike with close-up magic and sleight-of-hand. The evening wasn’t over yet and, once guests had been suitably astounded with the magic, it was back to the top deck for a fashion show, courtesy of our guests from Leeds Arts University (formally Leeds College of Art). Nilorn UK has a long standing relationship with the University and its students, so it seemed only fitting for them to join us at the event to showcase their work. The students had assembled a range of ‘looks’, using garments they had created, inspired by a few of our concept collections that were on display - captivating the audience, as they worked the catwalk.
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The event was a great opportunity for the students to meet with buyers and other key people in the fashion industry, many of whom gave positive feedback and advice following the fashion show - and some even offered student’s placements within their company’s to gain experience in a real setting. The energy of the fashion show continued into the night as guests and the Nilorn team danced and enjoyed the music of a ‘live’ DJ for the remainder of the journey. As the night drew to a close and the boat approached its final docking point back at Westminster, guests had been fully immersed in the world of Nilorn. A parting gift to our guests as they disembarked was a goody bag – filled with items such as a Nilorn branded notepad, chocolates and a copy of our latest Branding & design magazine. MD David Hinchliffe summed up the evening by saying, “It was really great to share the ‘World of Nilorn’ with friends old and new. The feedback we received was unanimously positive, proving we got the balance between business and pleasure just about right. We will certainly be repeating this event again in the very near future. Our thanks go out to everyone that attended”.
SPITFIRE MOODBOARD SPRING SUMMER 2018 /bioracerbelgium
@bioracer
@bioracerspeedwear
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The Business of Bringing People Together BRANDING
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WHY TOMORROWLAND IS AS MUCH ABOUT COMMUNITY AS IT IS ABOUT MUSIC In the book that I am currently writing about Community Marketing strategies for business, Tomorrowland is used as an example of a perfectly executed community marketing strategy. As this magazine is all about the power of branding and design, and these are two very important elements within any marketing strategy, I’d love to share with you the reasons why Tomorrowland is as much about bringing together a community of likeminded spirits, as it is about music.
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REASON
No. 1 NOT TARGETING AN AUDIENCE, BUT ENGAGING A COMMUNITY TOMORROWLAND SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFIED A COMMUNITY AND ITS NEEDS
In a recent (and rare) interview in Belgian magazine Humo, Tomorrowland founders Michiel and Manu Beers share the story of Tomorrowland’s origins. Four years apart in age, as teenagers the brothers found common ground in their taste in music. Michiel was lead singer and Manu played the drums in their own punk band Bottom Line. Thanks to their shared passion for music, they started hanging out together more often, until one day Manu wanted to organise a party to fund a trip for his scouts team. Michiel helped him out, and a year later the brothers set up another, bigger party. Led by their instincts, they put together a massive dance party in Antwerp in 1999, collaborating with the city’s numerous student organisations and dance clubs. The idea of a festival started to take shape in their minds, but instead of a traditional marketing plan, the Beers brothers started from what they knew. They didn’t like waiting in line, so they figured out a way
to avoid that experience for their visitors. They didn’t like the way other festivals provided dirty bathrooms or cheap food, so they negotiated with a supplier until they were the first festival to have actual flushing toilets and to offer premium gourmet food. “Tomorrowland had to become a festival we would love to visit ourselves”, says Manu Beers. Perhaps they didn’t realise it at the time, but in themselves the brothers identified the needs of a community of people that longed to be brought together around their shared love for music, but in ways that at the time were not available. The result was the formula for a festival pas comme les autres: one that featured not only famous headliners and ground-breaking new musical acts, but a complete experience through which music could bring people together.
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”IT’S AN EDUCATIONAL STORY FOR ANY BUSINESS THAT SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE POWER OF DESIGN AND BRANDING: THEY EXIST IN SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY – NOT TO YOUR COMPANY.”
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No. 2 ENVELOPING ITS COMMUNITY IN THE FABRIC OF A STORY TOMORROWLAND IS A MASTER OF STORYTELLING
Everyone who wants to bring a community together, knows it is far easier to do this by enveloping them in the fabric of a story. Tomorrowland is not just a music festival – it is a universe, with its own origin story, fantastical characters and ever-changing storylines. Each year is a surprise, an introduction to a fantasy world that is allencompassing, right down to the smallest details. From the bracelet visitors wear to the costumes of Tomorrowland employees, from the impossibly intricate background decors to the animation that seems to be everywhere, all the time. Festival goers are as delighted by the pauses between the sets as by the top DJ’s taking the stage.
and its visitors that has not been carefully thought through and specifically designed to leave an impression. There are thousands of YouTube videos showing the unboxing of the gorgeous bracelet and ticket, which arrive by mail in a special treasure case with lots of little extra goodies that slowly unravel the story behind that year’s edition of the festival. The bracelets are instant collector’s items thanks to their design, but have also grown increasingly innovative each year. Since 2015, they also replace cash at the festival, with built-in electronics that keep track of the visitor’s uploaded currency.
Since 2010, Nilorn has played a significant part in the way Tomorrowland spreads each story to its community. There is not a single moment of contact between Tomorrowland
As the festival attracts more than 200 different nationalities, around 30,000 of them arrive in Belgium via a Global Journey package that includes transportation all the way to the
festival terrain De Schorre in Boom. Those who travel by plane are treated to a magical experience thanks to a collaboration with Brussels Airlines, which already kicks off the party up in the air with live performances, special lighting and costumed staff. The airline even dedicated an Airbus aircraft to the festival – the Amare – which flies around all year. This year, another Belgian institution adds another layer to the infinite Tomorrowland story: b Post will launch a special Tomorrowland stamp with the slogan “Live today, Love tomorrow, Unite forever.”
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No. 3 AUTHENTICITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TOMORROWLAND PUTS THE NEEDS OF ITS COMMUNITY FIRST
Of course Tomorrowland is a successful company that must have made the Beers brothers a nice amount of money by now. But far more important is the social relevance of the festival, which for starters had created around 700 extra full-time jobs in Belgium by 2016. Realising the huge impact of the festival on its environment, Tomorrowland created the Love Tomorrow foundation to spread its values of responsibility, nature, innovation, health and respect. Love Tomorrow is a platform for Tomorrowland to inspire and share its experiences with other companies, multinationals, schools and universities, governmental institutions or festivals - and bring together similar ideas and initiatives. The festival also takes measures to implement its values in each edition of the festival. They made an attractive game out of recycling with its Recycle Club, and collaborated with the University of Antwerp and VITO, a leading European independent research and technology organisation, to create Waterville. The latter tool allowed
the festival to reduce its water consumption on the camp ground by 20% in year 1 and simultaneously made the festival goer aware of their water usage. Tomorrowland also introduced its FlowerBins and LoveBins: successful attempts to convince festival goers to put their disposable items in the trash to keep the festival grounds cleaner and make waste easier to recycle. Collaborating with recycling organisation Ecoso, Tomorrowland created the Camp 2 Camp initiative, gathering all usable camping materials that were left behind on the camping grounds, cleaning them up and putting them up for sale in a second-hand store. This way, not only waste was limited, but Ecoso could provide jobs to people without employment. Last but not least, The Love Tomorrow Foundation has plans to build a music and arts school in Nepal. The school is being built in cooperation with CUNINA, a Belgian independent development organisation, using funds raised by the festival’s Secret Restaurant.
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REASON
No. 4 UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY TOMORROWLAND REACHES ITS GLOBAL COMMUNITY
The Belgian festival succeeds in bringing 200 nationalities together in Boom, and has become a truly global phenomenon. In 2017, the festival was proclaimed the biggest social media music event in the world, with more than 1 billion online touchpoints reaching at least 200 million unique people over two weekends. Tomorrowland connected the world by using a multi-channel live stream through its official website and app.
one of the key ingredients: the music itself. But in doing so, Tomorrowland successfully integrates into each phase of their audience’s customer journey: from having them discover the festival from thousands of miles away, to gaining their trust by allowing them access to what they are passionate about and encouraging them to actively take part in their movement by spreading the love for Tomorrowland themselves.
Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest traffic drivers for Tomorrowland. Throughout the festival Tomorrowland went live to deliver full sets, created exclusive Instagram Stories with festival highlights and took over the official Instagram account. “Working with the DJs, and capturing the enjoyment of the visitors, Tomorrowland created authentic and engaging content for Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, to bring the millions of music fans from around the world even closer to the festival,” says Glenn Miller, Entertainment Partnerships for Facebook in EMEA.
In short, Tomorrowland’s founders have successfully left the old marketing adagio ‘attract, engage, convert’ behind them and are a fine example of a business that truly puts its community in charge. Tomorrowland’s visitors discover, start to trust and then decide to become an advocate for the festival all on their own – and this is possible because Tomorrowland respects them enough to go the extra mile to prove itself to its community, instead of trying to feed it propaganda. It’s an educational story for any business that seeks to understand the true power of design and branding: they exist in service to your community – not to your company.
“The love for electronic music is really booming in Asia and more specifically in China now,” says Dimitri Vegas, resident DJ of the festival for many years. “Those new markets are discovering and embracing this culture and are now heavily tuning into the event online as well.” Because China has its own digital ecosystem, Tomorrowland partnered with Tencent to bring the magic there. Unique viewers and reach increased 2.4 times compared to the previous year. “It’s a crazy idea that people in Shanghai and Beijing are watching our performance on the subway, at home, or maybe even at work,” Dimitri adds. In this way, Tomorrowland is ‘giving away’ part of its experience to members of its community all around the world. It is in fact
TOMORROWLAND 2018 FACTS AND FIGURES • THIS YEAR’S THEME IS THE STORY OF PLANAXIS.
• MORE THAN A 1,000 ARTISTS PERFORM ON 16 DIFFERENT STAGES
• PRE-REGISTRATION STARTS ON 9/1/2018, THE WORLDWIDE PRE-SALE KICKS OFF ON 27/1/2018 AT 5PM CET, FOLLOWED BY THE WORLDWIDE TICKET SALE ON 3/2/2018 AT 5PM CET.
• TOMORROWLAND 2018 WILL TAKE PLACE ON TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS: 20-22 & 27-29 JULY
• 2019 WILL MARK THE FESTIVAL’S 15TH BIRTHDAY
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ARTICLE
UNE BELLE HISTOIRE At Nilorn, we always strive to go the extra mile for our customers. In some cases this can be taken quite literally, when solutions are sought and found across borders. Enter the story of Dutch chefwear brand Chaud Devant and the cooperation with Nilorn Belgium, Nilorn UK and Nilorn Sweden. WORDS: EVELYNN VERCAEMST
Chaud Devant founder Bianca van der Lee in the Amsterdam office.
START
Chaud Devant was founded in 1996 by Bianca van der Lee, after she saw the need for high quality yet fashionable chefwear when a befriended cook ripped his trousers during service. Bianca wondered if there were no trendier garments available in the catering industry and, with a background in textile and jeans, she decided to start developing professional and trendy chefwear herself. Soon after, Chaud Devant was born. The company owes its name
(literally translated “hot front”) to a phrase used in French kitchens to warn other staff when someone is passing with a hot plate, meaning as much as ‘watch out’. This also had a double meaning, a sort of underlying warning to other brands in the workwear industry, to let them know there was a new competitor on the market. More than twenty years after having started on her own, Bianca now runs a successful
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business in Amsterdam with over thirty employees. Remarkably, up to five years ago, Chaud Devant consisted of women only. Lara Fletterman, Product Manager, says this was not at all a conscious decision of Bianca, but just happened naturally as it was mostly women who worked in the fashion and textile industry in the Netherlands. It was definitely unique to have such a powerful company with only women making it a great success.
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“SHOW COOKING AND FOOD TV SHOWS ARE MASSIVELY POPULAR. RESTAURANTS AND BRANDS PUT MORE EFFORT INTO THEIR LOOK, SO WE WANT TO MEET THEIR DESIRES AND MAKE OUR COLLECTIONS TRENDY.”
FASHION
According to Laura Spijker, Product Coordinator, Chaud Devant notices a real trend when it comes to the relation between fashion and workwear. “Specific patterns, materials and fits get picked up from the fashion industry and incorporated in the design of work clothing. Fashion and workwear becoming more and more intertwined - and that is exactly what makes it such a challenge. Besides the style aspect, certain requirements such as washability, heat-resistance, and mobility have to be kept in mind.” Chaud Devant anticipates fashion trends, but also tries not to change their collection too often. “Restaurants don’t want you to come with an entirely new collection every year, while getting rid of older items. They invest time and money in the look and style of their staff. Each employee needs several sets of clothing, and when someone new joins the team, they have to be able to still get the same outfit.” says Lara. “When we add pieces to our collection, they tend to
stay in our range for several years. This gives us more time for the development, we don’t have to rush as much as in the fashion industry.” Sven Oyntzen, Marketing Director, adds that the importance of branding has increased a lot in recent years. “Show cooking and TV programmes involving cooking are massively popular, and as a result restaurants and brands put more effort into their look. So we have to meet their desires and make sure our collections are trendy. It really goes in both directions: we suggest them pieces to wear, but they also ask for certain items or styles. It’s also nice to see that although we might provide the same items to different restaurants, it works as a sort of blank canvas. They incorporate the pieces into their look in a certain way and give them a totally different feel.”
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ARTICLE
DIGITAL PRINTING
As a market leader in Belgium and the Netherlands, Chaud Devant has quite a well-known following. Nick Bril (The Jane, and DJ at Tomorrowland), Peter Goossens (Hof van Cleve) and Roger van Damme (Het Gebaar) are only a few of their loyal customers. Chaud Devant believes that who they work with, their desire to be trendy and the fact that everything from design to warehouse is housed in the Amsterdam office, is what sets them apart from their competitors. On top of that, they deliver everything from stock, which is a real advantage regarding delivery times. To be able to digitally print their product cards
in small batches, which allows them to respond quickly to market demands, they called in the help of Nilorn. After already working with them for their printed care labels, they decided to contact Nilorn for a more elaborate branding cooperation, and to see where Nilorn could help in the digital printing. Bart Van Trimpont, Managing Director of Nilorn Belgium, says: “The set-up for the digital printing process involved quite a lot of challenges. Text and pictures had to be variable, while we had to meet fast delivery terms and sometimes deal with small quantities per version. When ordered
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on Monday, the product cards have to be translated to printable files and produced by Wednesday, in order to arrive at Chaud Devant on Friday. It really is a tailor-made solution. We agreed to something that was completely new to us, but we believed it would be a huge step forward for us as well. Because of the short delivery time, China or Turkey were not an option, so we decided on Nilorn UK. Initially, they purchased the digital printer specifically for the Chaud Devant project. Where Lee Newton is the mastermind behind the production, it’s Laura Procter who specialised in making the templates for the digital printer. Behind
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all this is a really strong backing of our IT team in Sweden, to provide all the technical support and knowhow. So it’s a real cooperation between all Nilorn offices internally, as well as with Chaud Devant. Since everything has been set up, Laura Spijker (Chaud Devant) and Laura Procter (Nilorn UK) are in direct contact over any changes on the product cards, which makes communication very efficient and time-saving.” Laura Spijker adds that everything feels very up-to-date with the current techniques, thanks to the digital printing. “Previously, we used stickers on our product cards to
mark the different products and sizes. That took a lot of time, and is obviously really outdated. Today, it’s like pushing a button. It’s unbelievable how much faster it goes. This project is really innovative, and we have not been able to get this from any other supplier.” Although it might seem like just pushing a button, Mark Newton (Nilorn UK) clarifies that even with the new techniques, not everything can go fully automatic. “The temperature and humidity in the printing room are different every day. So every day before we can start, we have to calibrate the printer, to make sure we get the correct colours.”
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When looking at the finalised digital printing process, the positive input of all Nilorn and Chaud Devant members involved, as well as the newly gained knowledge on this matter, it’s fair to say that this cooperation was and is a truly innovative learning case for all parties involved.
Scan the QR code, and watch the 20 year anniversary video on the history of Chaud Devant.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
PLACES YOU MUST VISIT Our ‘places you must visit’ pages offer an insight into just a few of the interesting fairs and events we visit around the world that inspire us here at Nilorn.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
100 % design “100% Design is the largest and longest running design trade event for industry professionals in the UK.
First staged in 1995, the show is the cornerstone event of the London Design Festival, with over 27,000 visitors to the show across 4 days in September; taking place in one of London’s most inspiring venues, Olympia London. Visiting the award-winning show is a unique audience of architects, designers, specifiers, retailers and developers, as well as multinational companies looking to source directly for their latest projects.
As the outstanding meeting place for business and design, 100% Design features an unrivalled talks programme; Talks with 100% Design, bespoke installations, and a showcase of carefully curated world-leading brands.”
www.100percentdesign.co.uk
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FASHION WORLD TOKYO J A
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For the first time Nilorn East Asia has taken part in the FASHION WORLD TOKYO, is a comprehensive fashion marketplace in Japan, which consists of 7 specialised fairs; fashion wear, bag, shoes, fashion jewellery, men’s fashion, apparel sourcing and textile. It provides the fashion industry with abundant trading opportunities.
On the following pages, we focus on two of the exhibitors we met at the fair that work with art in fashion to create inspiring, innovative products. NEXT: APRIL 4-6 2018 - OCTOBER 22-24
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
LeFugu is a different kind of apparel t-shirts and sweatshirts that make an impact. Originality with passion and a special touch. The initial inspiration was the product of friendship and curiosity to explore the world and, when mixed with art and fashion, LeFugu was born. It’s a free spirit, vibrant and tireless. Fashion is art - and this art is graced with creativity and frenzy.
CONTACT Álvaro Prieto +34 662 450 295 www.lefuguart.com.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
WWW.WALDO.COM hi@helen-yau.com
WÄLADO ™, a young and energetic brand, was founded by Helen C.Y Yau in Hong Kong to celebrate the beauty of colourful, whimsical and unique designs.
ABOUT WALADODO & BEAR TOTO
WÄLADO is Helen’s childhood nickname and a word that is thought to have magical powers and bring good luck. The brand carries the curiosity, creativity, dreams and passion from Helen’s childhood. Through the designs, Helen aims to bring people happiness, youthful energy, magic power and good luck. The uniqueness of the WÄLADO shoes also allows people to be expressive, build confidence and stand
The main character in the WÄLADO family is a girl called Waladodo. She is smart, energetic, curious and friendly. Waladodo and her good friend bear Toto always have adventures together. They want to make the world a better place.
out from the crowd. It will give those who wear it the opportunity to be unique – by displaying their own true colors.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
Première Vision For the first time in six years, Nilorn Belgium has taken part in the bi-annual fashion event Première Vision, held in the capital of fashion: Paris. WORDS: EVELYNN VERCAEMST
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After previous attendances at Première Vision and other well-known fairs such as Tissu Premier, Nilorn Belgium decided to join again from 19 to 21 September 2017. According to Managing Director Bart Van Trimpont, the focus for this edition was to create an open space and welcome the visitors warmly. “At events such as these, everyone is working in the same business and has similar things to present. We tried to be different by creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for our visitors. The design of our stand, created by Standbeeld, was Scandinavianinspired with some touches of colour. We wanted an open stand, with the aim to make it really accessible and easy for people to walk in and out, without barriers. Purposely we also left the stand quite airy and not too full with labels and collections. We had a few collection books and some labels and buttons on display, but we did not want to overload the visitor. Mainly because the fair is hectic and busy already, with lots of impressions, so we wanted to be a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, not showing everything you have to offer straight away, arouses the interest of the visitor.”
PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
”NILORN BELGIUM CONCLUDES THAT THE FAIR WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT EDITION ON 13-15 FEBRUARY 2018.”
Left side: The Nilorn stand, designed by Standbeeld - Upper right: An impression of the Première Vision fair - Bottom right: Laaziza, Martijn, Laura and Heidy
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
Première Vision fair
Something Nilorn Belgium also focused on, was to be both paper and laptop-free during the fair. “We see it too often at other stands, where the table is covered with papers, pens and laptops taking up a lot of space. We got rid of all of those, and just took notes on our smartphone. We use the sales management tool i-snapshot anyway for client visits - and now we could use it for trade show reporting as well. This way, we could spend more time actually talking with the visitors and again, this aided in the feel of an airy, open stand” says Bart. Première Vision welcomed more than 60,000 guests, from almost 130 different countries. For Nilorn Belgium, most visitors came from France, Belgium, The United Kingdom and The Netherlands - with some guests also from Italy, Denmark, Germany, America, Sweden and Switzerland. In total, Nilorn Belgium made 136 new contacts, including some well-respected names in the business, but also a lot of start-up companies.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
“Pleased to meet you!” AN INSIGHT INTO OUR EXHIBITION AT THE MUNICH FABRIC START TRADE FAIR WORDS: CHRISTINA WALTER
“Do you have sustainable trims?” “We want our products to become more environmentally friendly. Can you help us with the right packaging?” “Do you have eco-certified labelling solutions?” Just three of the many questions we were asked during our exhibition at the Munich Fabric Start fair last September. In actual fact, every second discussion was about sustainability - or the right strategy to become a more sustainable brand. It’s crystal clear – the sustainability movement has become a big wave with enormous pull effect.
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
MAKING PRODUCTS VALUABLE, TIMELESS AND REPAIRABLE IS THE BEST WAY TO SAVE RESOURCES AND LOWER THEIR ENERGY FOOTPRINTS.
Many fashion companies want the world to become a greener place and Nilorn agrees with them. We understand that producing environmentally friendly products involves recycling, sustainable production and the reduction of both energy consumption and transport across the entire supply chain. We’re constantly working to find commercially viable alternatives that are good for the planet. “How to visualise our sustainability concept within branding?” Labels and trims are only a small part of the whole garment. From choosing the right material to being open about the company’s activities or making the production process behind every single garment transparent – a clean branding concept has the potential to reflect your brand’s unique sustainability story. GO FOR INSPIRATION AND EXCHANGE
The Munich Fabric Start is a great opportunity to meet our clients and prospective customers for creative exchange. It’s a highly inspiring meeting point for fashion people
from around the world. Since Autumn 2016, an entire hall – Key House – has now been dedicated to innovation and sustainability. You can go there and listen to one of the many lectures and panel discussions or have a look at a wide selection of suppliers’ certified organic fabrics and sustainable novelties - such as funghi leather or flexible fabrics made from wood and stone. We met a remarkable Indian / Dutch -based company, Seven Senses Fabrics, specialising in handspun and handwoven denim fabrics with a unique approach to sustainability. They are dedicated to reviving, preserving and sharing India’s craft traditions with the world. Made in the indigenous way of Khadi, Seven Senses is an interpretation of the historic and traditional heritage of India – hand-spinning and hand-weaving. Every fabric has its own personal journey which leaves an individual trace of craftsmanship, making it unique and exclusive. SPOTLIGHT ON SEVEN SENSESFABRICS: 100% HANDMADE, 0% CHEMICAL
Traditional Khadi is hand-spun and handwoven, a human process in which all senses work together. Hand-spun yarns with counts as high as 200, almost invisible to the human eye, are hand-twisted and
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PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
handwoven into beautiful fabrics. The quality difference of a thread that is formed between two fingertips epitomises the fabric’s unique character and identity. These techniques can only be mastered by few due to their difficulty. A minimum of 10 spinners are required to support a single handloom and 64,000 metres of yarn need to be spun for 3 metres of fabric.
in much brighter and more intense shades of blue. A process that takes time and attention to detail, but enhances the denim’s unique appearance. This is why Khadi fabrics are unique in terms of production and impossible to compare or copy by machinemade fabrics.
Dyeing is done by using natural Indigofera Tinctoria. The plant is processed into One Hundred percent natural indigo powder. Each yarn hank is hand-dyed which results
One can imagine how elaborate and time consuming the production of these fabrics is. It takes 1 to 2 days to warp the loom and another 9 hours of hand weaving
THE VALUE OF TIME
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on a wooden loom to create 3 metres of selvedge denim fabric. Natural indigo color fermentation requires 10 to 15 days. Each hank group is individually dyed by hand in several dips, stretching the dying process to more than 10 days. Handicraft, investing in and taking care of built-to-last goods, is exactly what our grandparents did. Making products valuable, timeless and repairable is the best way to save resources and lower their energy footprints. It helps the world to become a greener place.
PLACES YOU MUST VISIT
1. Nilorn booth ready for the show 2. 100% Vegan and sustainable: Products in funghi leather by ZVNDER 3. Yarn and handwoven denim swatches by SEVEN SENSES FABRICS 4. Apple Chan (NILORN HK) and Alessa Araiza (SEVEN SENSES FABRICS) 5. High end sneakers in flexible wood from NAT-2 6. Impression from the bluezone exhibition 7. Made from fruit waste: FRUIT LEATHER ROTTERDAM
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TRENDSPOTTING
TRAVEL IN STYLE WHEREVER WE VENTURE, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO HAVE CREATIVE AND STYLISH PRODUCTS BY OUR SIDE. HERE’S A SELECTION OF THE LATEST TRAVEL ACCESSORIES WE’RE LOVING AT NILORN.
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+d - 1 MIMI PET - EARPLUGS IN THE SHAPE OF A DACHSHUND - www.plus-d.com BKR - 2 WATERBOTTLE - www.mybkr.com ACNE STUDIOS - 3 SUNGLASSES MUSTANG - www.wakakuu.com SNEAKY STEVE - 4 LUGAGGE TAG - www.sneakysteve.se SANDQVIST - 5 HOLLY - BELUGA, WEEKEND BAG - www.sandqvist.net SMYTHSON - 6 NOTEBOOK NY LONDON MILAN PARIS - www.wakakuu.com SUPERFUTURE - 7 PRODUCE A RANGE OF URBAN TRAVEL TOOLS FOR GLOBAL SHOPPING - www.superfuture.com MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS - 8 SNEAKER SCOUT - www.wakakuu.com STEAMERY - 9 CIRRUS NO.2 TRAVEL STEAMER - www.steamery.se
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INTERVIEW
GANT A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE The great story that is GANT started at the beginning of the 20th century with the Gantmacher family in New Haven, USA. Back then, New Haven was one of the most important cities when it came to the manufacturing of clothing in America – due to the fact that a lot of Italians lived there who were well versed in the business. WORDS: PATRICK HJERTÈN
In the beginning, the Gantmacher family made clothes for other brands but, after the second world war, Bernhard Gantmacher was encouraged by his two sons to start their own line of shirts - so GANT inc was introduced to the market. Marty, the eldest son, was the business administrator and Elliot took care of the marketing. Combined with their father’s sense and dedication to quality, this proved to be a winning combination. Perfectly tailored shirts were the start of the multifaceted brand we see today.
Matthew Wood, the Creative Director of GANT. Wood was born in the UK in 1971 into a family who worked with textiles and fashion, so it was only natural that Matthew Wood would walk the same path. He studied at The London College of Fashion in the early 1990s and went on to take a Master’s Degree at the Royal College of Art. His career has given him experience of most aspects of the fashion business, having worked in different global markets, before going on to work with GANT. Matthew Wood’s experience in both fabric and construction led to innovation within the already successful brand.
Today, GANT’s Head Office is located in Stockholm, Sweden where we interviewed
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INTERVIEW
WHAT’S THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF GANT?
GANT is preppy American but also with influences of Europe. It is a lifestyle brand. The challenge is to be current and to attract new customers, a new audience.
Matthew Wood
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE A CAREER IN FASHION?
WHAT DOES THE GANT CUSTOMER LOOK LIKE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
My mother worked with textiles. I had it around me all the time and it was quite natural that this was going to be what I would work with. I started my education at LCF and then continued at Royal College of Art.
I think it is an interesting time for the brand. There are a lot of shifts. We have the loyal customers that have been around for a long time. And we love them dearly. In Scandinavia we see a lot of younger guys who are interested in GANT because they like the brand image and the preppy style.
HOW HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN?
I think that the interaction with the customers is important and it has given and gives me so much. The same goes for the people I have been co-working with and they have been a veritable mix from all over the world.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING BRANDS WITHIN THE BRAND?
At the moment I think we want to keep it calm and we want to be GANT first and foremost. GANT has certain brand qualities like preppy and sport, and of course it is a lifestyle brand as well. We do what we know best.
HOW DID YOU END UP AT GANT?
We wanted to leave Australia where we had lived for some years and move back to Europe. We came back to London in 2014 and I got the idea from a friend that GANT needed a designer for menswear. In London, I started looking at what was on the market since there had been some years since I was in Europe. I investigated GANT and for instance looked at their shops - and I also looked at the people that shopped there.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Often it is people. We have a fantastic team of people and I see great teamwork. That is inspiring. I have been super passionate about the environment and the footprint we leave on it. There are lots there that I want to work with. I am a custodian to make sure that the brand is around in the next 70 years. That means coming up with strategies today to make that happen.
Matthew then made contact with GANT in Stockholm to introduce himself and that was the start of a fruitful cooperation. He got involved in all aspects of the company, not just the design but also the actual business side. He then went on to take care of GANT Rugger which later led to what he does today - being the creative force for the whole GANT brand.
HAS SUSTAINABILITY COME TO STAY?
I can’t see any other kind of future. That is the way forward, beautiful fashion made with sustainable raw material.
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INTERVIEW
”MATTHEW WOOD AND GANT ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN AND MORE OF THEIR COMBINED CREATIVE INNOVATIONS WILL HIT THE MARKET IN 2018.”
WILL WE SEE NEW FIBRES AND MATERIALS?
Yes, that is absolutely so. There is still a way to go but more and more new materials are in the pipeline. Also, how we can take care of clothes that have been used and what we can make out of them. WHAT IS BRANDING TO YOU?
WILL WE SEE A MORE TAILORED GANT IN THE FUTURE?
GANT has a logo with an extraordinary heritage but we are also forward thinking and look to the future. That is what is important to infuse into the brand.
Yes and no. GANT is more about mixed separates. It is not the brand you go to for buying a suit. In its base, it is American sports wear.
WILL PACKAGING ALSO CHANGE WHEN WE CONSIDER SUSTAINABILITY?
YOU ARE IN SO MANY MARKETS. WILL YOU HAVE TO ADAPT THE STYLE TO DIFFERENT CONSUMERS?
We need to get smarter about how we package things and minimise waste. We think about the packaging’s first life but also what can happen to it the next step after that.
Perhaps not when it comes to style. When you travel, you can see that style is, in a way, universal. On the other hand, we need to adapt to climate, sizes and body shapes.
FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO TO WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVELLING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE GANT’S BIGGEST FUTURE CHALLENGE?
I’m a south Londoner and I’m fascinated with Stockholm and how easy you can get to the countryside. That is not something you can do in London. I like it here in Sweden.
The competition in the fashion industry is big and so we need to stay true to ourselves. We need to be flexible and fluid because no one has a crystal ball that they can use. Never stop learning.
WHAT DO YOU DO APART FROM FASHION?
Matthew Wood and GANT are a match made in heaven and more of their combined creative innovations will hit the market in 2018. Even more exciting things can be expected in 2019 when GANT celebrates its 70th anniversary. The legacy continues.
A lot of exercises, running for example. We at GANT actually live the lifestyle of the brand of being active and sporty. HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF THE INTERACTION WITH THE CUSTOMERS?
I think it is important that we meet the customers where they want to meet us. I think that in the future we will see digital solutions but that we will also have the shops, the bricks and mortar so to speak.
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INTERVIEW
GANT´s showroom in Stockholm
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BELGIAN FASHION
Antwerpen • Bonheiden • Brasschaat • Dendermonde • Diest • Eeklo Knokke • Kontich • Oostkamp • Roeselare • Waregem • Zoersel
www.commeca.be
SPITFIRE YELLOW FLUO BAR - photography: Mandy Louwet - www.bioracer.com /bioracerbelgium
@bioracer
@bioracerspeedwear
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PANTONE 5787 U 14-0223 TPG CMYK 32, 17, 50, 2
DESIGN COLLECTIONS
18:1 DESIGN COLLECTION
CREATIVE LABELS AND BRANDING On the following pages, we present our latest design collections. Our aim is to provide our customers with inspiration and ideas on how they can take their labels and branding to a new level. We are always on the lookout for new materials and production techniques, whilst continuing to finetune the interaction between design, production and logistics. In this issue we asked photographer Olof Händén together with the stylist Andrea Albertyn, to interpret one of our latest collections, ’Statement’.
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Head Scarf Afraid Of Mice Blouse - Jacket Afraid Of Mice Trousers Second Time Around
Hat Crystal Birch Jersey Second Time Around Blouse H&M Dress Witchery Socks Edgars Shoes Country Road Bag Zara
Hat Crystal Birch Head Scarf Afraid Of Mice Dress Stefania Morland Top layer skirt Stefania Morland Bottom layer skirt H&M Socks Top Shop Sliders Country Road
Earring H&M Mesh blouse Stefania Morland Jacket Afraid Of Mice Trousers H&M
Head Scarf Second Time Around Jacket Zara Turtleneck Country Road Strap top Zara
Hat Crystal Birch Jacket Zara Belt H&M Pants H&M Socks Top Shop Sliders Country Road
Photo Olof Händén Styling Andrea Albertyn Hair/ Make up Natasha Papadopoulos Model Charissa du Plessis
DESIGN COLLECTIONS
Enjoy life to the full! No compromises and no excuses, just full steam ahead towards your heart´s desires. STATEMENT: Coveted and attractive pieces which clearly state who you are and in which part of the world you belong.
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
To truly appreciate nature and the world you must go out on a limb. Sharp cliffs, rolling streams and thick forests are only few of the challenges that will be encountered if you decide to take on the natural world around us. We tread the paths of ancestors, rediscovering what they have found before.
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
Denim jeans, like us, come in all shapes and sizes. Loose fit or skinny, dark blue or light blue, classic or trendy. This sturdy material lends itself well to a variety of treatments and is a staple in most wardrobes. You can take on every day and every challenge in a pair of jeans. Your denim is a part of you.
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
In Pietro Boselli, the classic menswear pieces have a light modern touch. Heritage is of the utmost importance but a nod needs to be made to the contemporary world around us. That fusion creates a strength that lends itself to its wearer.
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
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DESIGN COLLECTIONS
Holy Habits - No7 – Bayou la Batre weaves a story of incomparable quality and a quirkiness that only can come from the sea. The classical maritime feels is presented with a twist which makes the Holy Habits accessories unique and tell a story of their own.
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The snow-covered hills, rugged terrain and cold harsh winds; nature can be tough and uncompromising - Beacon ensures you can handle everything in throws at you. A “Beacon Man� faces life head on, kick starts his engine and rides to the hills and beyond.
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Nomad - We all started out as nomads, moving with the seasons and where nature led us. Layers are part of the equation, where natural fabrics are combined together to create a story of their own. With a pinch of folklore added to the mix, you have something that speaks to the truest sense of who we really are.
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The atmosphere of Melbourne, Australia descends on the brand and makes its mark on its vision and philosophy. Clear as Mud has that down-to-earth quality which is almost unique. The effortless craftmanship and natural materials create something that is both relaxed and comfortable.
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Credits: är Stylt Trampoli - Old factory pump house in Boras, read more in the article Pumphuset at page 128-130
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Aware - A luxurious feel mixed with an environmental touch makes for an unbeatable combination. Layer upon layer of mixed materials create something unique. A statement that is individual from woman to woman, that tells the world who each and every one of them is.
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN PORTO CREATIVE ADVENTURE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD WORDS: ELIZABETH SAMPAIO
A remarkable company needs to celebrate in a spectacular way - and what better way than to do it at Porto Cruise Terminal. Located at the edge of the port’s south jetty, in the Atlantic Ocean, it is a great setting for a memorable event. What could be more gratifying than looking out over azure blue water whilst breathing in the salty sea air? This special event was to bring together more than 100 colleagues from 15 different countries. The annual Sales Conference in August 2017 was everything that was expected - and a bit more. The actual building at the Porto Cruise Terminal is a vertex between three main locations; the new cruise ship quay, the new marina and the new street linking to the city. It also includes the ‘Science and Technology Park of the Sea’ for Porto University as well as event spaces and a parking area. It’s style, is a mix between art deco and science fiction with clean lines and graphic shapes.
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The architecture with its curved blades echoes the flowing waters in the ocean. Its elongated shapes are an anchor between land and water where the light catches the surface of the building. Inside, a helical ramp conveyed everyone to the terrace where our designers presented our new collections, animated by a fashion show augmented with rhythmic music. The colours of the clothes and accessories
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were in stark contrast to the muted colours of the surroundings. The warm setting sun painted the sky orange, providing the perfect backdrop for the wonderful colours of the garments. The joy of being in a creative environment surrounded by like-minded people made for a spectacular event that will be remembered and will inspire for years to come.
STRONGER TOGETHER TWO BELGIAN FASHION COMPANIES JOIN FORCES WORDS: STEPHANIE DUVAL
In an industry that is rapidly changing and becoming an increasingly largescale, global affair, two Belgian family businesses are teaming up to strengthen their position in the market. Both Gigue and Terre Bleue have a long history of producing quality mid-segment fashion, but felt they could do more by partnering up, than by doing it alone. We sat down with Audrey Wyckmans, the designer of Gigue and daughter of the brand’s original founder Jo Wyckmans, Peter Perquy, son of Terre Bleue’s founder and CEO Dirk Perquy.
The story of how the partnership between Terre Bleue and Gigue came to be began on both sides. After six years of financial restructuring to establish growth for the company, the collaboration with Gigue’s partner Cedric De Quinnemar had come to an end and the search for a new partner could begin. “We had gone through a beautiful evolution together, but we asked ourselves: do we need another financial partner after this, or do we need a partner who knows the ins and outs of the fashion industry and can help us develop in other ways”, says Audrey Wyckmans. The management team quickly decided that the latter would be preferable, and they set out to find the right party.
Peter Perquy, for his part, had come to a similar realisation when during his time as an MBA student he was surprised to find out that Belgian fashion label Mer du Nord was sold for what he considered to be a very reasonable and manageable amount. He realized Terre Bleue had to be aware of opportunities like these in order to be able to estimate and consider whether a takeover would be desirable to expand the family business. “The market evolves so quickly, so many investments are needed to keep up, it just made sense to me that as a small player in a world market, Terre Bleue would one day start facing structural difficulties”, explains Peter Perquy. “I was also convinced that our stable and capable management team could handle more than just one brand, so after my return to the company we started looking out for acquisition opportunities.” Terre Bleue looked at a dozen of such opportunities, and even studied two of them very closely, but it wasn’t until an anonymous description of the Gigue company ended up on Peter’s desk in 2016 via a financial middleman, that things started moving. “Even from the anonymous description I was fairly certain that it was Gigue and I convinced my parents we had to take a closer look at it. We signed a nondisclosure agreement, which was the start of a very interesting and exciting, though at times nerve-wrecking, process”, says Perquy. Wyckmans didn’t join the negotiations until after the financial details had been thrashed out, but as soon as she met the Perquy family, she knew they had found the right partner. “I noticed right away that it was a family business much like ours, where honesty, transparency and correctness are important values and people are treated with respect. The fact that most of our team members have been around for 25 years shows that they feel good and appreciated at Gigue, so I didn’t want anything to change that”, says the designer. Perquy also felt reassured after meeting Wyckmans: “When you take over any business in our industry, it is so important to include the heart and soul of the brand. If Audrey hadn’t been part of the deal, it would have been considerably more difficult to turn the acquisition into a good investment.”
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to see that we’re not randomly changing things but we are actually all working together to improve the business.”
SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
Terre Bleue may have taken a majority stake in Gigue, but Perquy is careful not to bulldoze his way into the company. “I think you always have to be considerate of who you are dealing with, and the AngloSaxon way of taking over Gigue would probably destroy much of what makes the company so valuable today”, he explains. So the approach he’s taking is that of careful observation and analysis before taking any action. “Any change always provokes feelings of insecurity,” says Wyckmans honestly. “I even feel it myself sometimes, but I also realise that change also means progress, and that this is very necessary in our rapidly changing industry.” “We started by sitting down, talking and developing a few ideas of how we can improve both brands. We are in the process of analysing what we each do differently - and determining whether one way or the other would be more beneficial or efficient”, explains Perquy. With its 17 mono-brand stores and dedicated team, it is only natural Terre Bleue will take over the day-to-day management of the Gigue retail unit, for example. “Our team has been working alongside Gigue’s team for a while now: learning how they work, observing and listening. After three months, I want to analyse what is working well, what could use some improvement and what needs to be developed urgently to win efficiency. We’ll always give priority to the changes that have the least impact on people, so we give them the opportunity
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Likewise, there have also been meetings during which both companies compared producers and suppliers, with the intention of streamlining their production units as much as possible. “We’ve learned a lot from this exercise and we have discovered new suppliers this way”, says Wyckmans. “It is very rare to get an insight like this into another business’ secret recipe. It’s not something a competitor would ever disclose”, concurs Perquy. But the examination of each other’s suppliers also taught them to tread carefully in order to avoid both brands growing towards each other. “It is very important to us to safeguard the separate identities of both brands”, says Perquy. “In the creative department there can’t be too much interaction or collaboration, or we’ll risk ending up with two brands that are too similar.” DEFINING GIGUE’S IDENTITY
Audrey Wyckmans’ most important task right now is formalising Gigue’s identity. “We think it’s very important to invest in this, because no matter how much may change or how quickly it may change, it is important to stay true to the DNA of the brand”, claims Perquy. The formal document Wyckmans is creating will serve as a guideline to anyone working on any part of Gigue. “This way, Audrey doesn’t always have to be physically present when certain decisions need to be made, she doesn’t have time for that anyway. So many brands have gone through difficult times after they hired another designer. Of course I hope Audrey will find pleasure in what she does for as long as possible, but if for some reason one day she decides to step away from the brand, we need this DNA to be able to continue her legacy without her”, Perquy adds. For her part, Wyckmans is happy to join forces with a partner who agrees that the devil’s in the details. “Spending this much time on the branding of Gigue feels so good. It’s something we haven’t really had a lot of time for because we were too small of a company. There were just not enough of
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us to do everything”, Wyckmans relates. “I can’t remember for how long we’ve been saying we need to take another look at our labelling, for example. But either we didn’t have enough time to create something new, or some people in the company didn’t think it was important enough to spend time or money on. It feels good to know that these things are important to Terre Bleue too, and they fully respect the importance of these little details.” Peter agrees wholeheartedly: “Neither Gigue or Terre Bleue are cheap brands: we both take a lot of care to pay attention to the details, to make sure every finishing touch is in place. So it’s only logical the same amount of attention goes to the labels. People first look at the garment in its entirety, but in nearly every case the label is the second thing they see: whether it’s to check the brand, the price or the size. We need to make sure every label affirms the values our consumers expect from our brands.”
Terre Bleue in East-Flanders, red.) but they share the same culture. We try to do things in a mindful, considerate way, without becoming immobile and risking decline by not moving forward. A lot has changed at Terre Bleue over the past ten years too, but our core values have always stayed the same. We don’t allow political games within our company: we are a team and everyone is working towards the same goal: making sure that in 20 or maybe 30 years’ time there is still a Gigue and Terre Bleue.” ID KIT PETER PERQUY After working in consulting and private equity, Peter Perquy joined the family business in 2009. He briefly
MUTUAL RESPECT
left Terre Bleue in 2013 to pursue an MBA abroad and returned a year later as the company’s Commercial
Terre Bleue and Gigue may take great care not to look too much alike in the future, but behind the scenes it is obvious how similar both companies are. “There is definitely a lot of mutual respect in this partnership”, says Perquy. “We don’t want to invade Gigue in an aggressive way simply because we understand it would ruin more than it would do good. In that sense, our companies may be from different provinces (Gigue has its headquarters in Antwerp,
Director in charge of sales, marketing and its retail division.
ID KIT AUDREY WYCKMANS Having always been fascinated by fabrics and fashion in general, Audrey Wyckmans started working at the company her father had founded in the ‘80s right when she graduated from high school. As Head Designer of Gigue she has stayed true to its brand identity of more than three decades, but has infused it with her own ultrafeminine spirit.
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WORDS: STYLT TRAMPOLI
The town of Borås, once the heart of the Swedish textile industry, was hit hard by decline in the 1970s. But now Borås is back on its feet and is once again home to a range of successful design and fashion companies. The old industrial estate known as Simonsland, where artificial silk fabrics were once made, is now home to several of Sweden’s leading textile training and education programs - the Borås College of Textile Science, the Borås Textile Museum and a business incubator focusing on design and textile innovation. Simonsland is also were you’ll find The Company restaurant, another Stylt project inspired by local history. Right next door, by the river Viskan which bisects the industrial estate, is the old factory pump house. As the textile manufacturing process consumed enormous amounts of water, the pump house was the heart of the entire operation.
Kanico, the owner of the property, wanted to turn it into a modern yet rustic beer hall. The ambition was to create something different from the town’s existing, more predictable offerings of pubs and sports bars – a watering hole with a difference, rooted in the local industrial heritage. The priority was to preserve the unique atmosphere of the building, along with all its charming details such as the old pumping equipment, pipes and electrical fittings - leaving all the natural wear-andtear intact. The old concrete floor was dyed in patches – a nod to the old days, when it was said that you could tell the season’s fashionable colours from the hue of the river Viskan. Occasionally the river would break its banks and stain everything in its path.
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Credits: Stylt Trampoli
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Credits: Mecka
The name was a given - The Pump House. The first thing you see as you enter is the long bar, built around one of the water pumps. With around 120 kinds of beer available, including some locally brewed, beer lovers are well catered for, but of course wine and food are also served. Bottles, crates and barrels are kept in full view of the guests, forming part of the decoration.
Credits: Jens Eliasson
The interior is dominated by materials with integrity, materials that will, or that already have, aged beautifully, many of them reclaimed or repurposed. Generously proportioned tables, made for sharing, contribute to the hospitable and welcoming feeling of a genuine beer hall. The foundation of an old cistern has been transformed into seating which can also, if necessary, be turned into a small stage. Two of the walls have been covered in murals that tell the story of the noble fluids now running through the Pump House’s pipes. The Pump House has already become the most individual drinking establishment in Borås – a modern beer hall in an old industrial space, filled with a sense of community.
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L A B E L W ILTAHB E IM L PW AC I TT H F IOMRP A PC ET O PF LOER APNEDO PNLAET U A RNED N A T U R E
C O TC TO OT NT O N M AM D EA D IEN I N A F RA IF CR AI C A
100% SUSTAINABLE 100%COTTON SUSTAINABLE FROM AFRICA COTTONUSED FROMFOR AFRICA TEXTILES USEDWORLDWIDE FOR TEXTILES WORLDWIDE
IN COOPERATION WITH IN COOPERATION NILORN WITH NILORN
cottonmadeinafrica.org cottonmadeinafrica.org
KRAFT PAPER Here is a recap of kraft paper products from our previous Nilorn Collections A versatile material used for packaging in a range of sizes with varying construction and print techniques.
LA BOHÉME LB 110
RECAP
DECO MODA DM 014
DECO MODA DM 013
CLUB CADET
RUMBLE & GOODS
CC 118
RG1 14
SAVAGES SA 016
ABEL BROOK
ASHCROFT
BRO 12
ASH 014
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DESIGN AND CRAFT DURING HALF A MILLENNIUM No future without a past. We always look back in order to look forward and take pride in preserving our heritage. Together with well-known designers like Arne Jacobsen, Andreas Engesvik, Cecilie Manz and others we make trends and traditions go hand in hand by creating textile design that lasts.
www.georgjensen-damask.com