2_0_ScanMag_70_Nov_2014_Text:Scan Magazine 1
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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | ViSSEVASSE
responsible for organising. On a bit of a whim I thought it might be fun to have a stall of my own,” explains the 43-year-old, who has a career within fashion and design as well as graphic illustration behind her, and adds: “I thought it would be cool to create something that had a connection to the area and a feeling of familiarity to it, and cycling past Langebro my eyes fell upon the perfect motif. I created the Langebro poster – and it was received very well.” Experiencing a great interest in her posters, Mathiesen began developing a series of motifs that, similarly to Langebro, captured the essence of an area. The work involved a great deal of research. As part of this the designer cycled around asking people what they thought characterised their part of the city. Her research, memories and photographs are what form the foundation for her works.
In April 2013, the mother-of-three created her own brand, ViSSEVASSE. Today her posters, which include motifs from all over the world as well as a series of retro kitchen motifs, are sold through the company’s own website as well as 70 other outlets. Trendy design or pure nostalgia Unlike many other design brands, ViSSEVASSE’s customer base is very diverse. Featured in numerous design and lifestyle magazines, the posters are, of course, popular with young and design-savvy women, but a lot of men and elderly people also find their way to the web shop. “It goes without saying that there are many young and trendy design enthusiasts among our customers, but we also have a lot of elderly people calling because they don’t have a credit card but want to buy the posters,” Mathiesen says and adds: “Often people buy several posters: one
from the area where they grew up, one from the area where they studied and perhaps one that reminds them of a special holiday. The motifs bring back memories, and it’s the emotions they bring out that speak to people. Often it’s a very strong feeling of community – for instance, people from Vesterbro always buy a motif from Vesterbro even if they think there is another motif that’s more beautiful.” Not long after the launch of ViSSEVASSE, the owner decided to focus all her time on her new business, which she soon relocated from her home to a bigger site. But although the business is expanding quickly, and Mathiesen is focusing on her designs and new developments, she has not left the business side of things to strangers. Her boyfriend Karsten Noel manages accounting and administration while their three daughters, their cousin, and Mathiesen’s sister help out with the packaging, sending of the posters, marketing and sales. For more information, new designs and ideas please follow ViSSEVASSE on Instagram or Facebook, or visit: www.vissevasse.biz The web shop delivers worldwide.
Issue 70 | November 2014 | 17