On a Studio visit

Annemarij Thijssen — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 09:09:45 +0000

21-02-2021
By Annemarij,
Hostess of Storytelling-Design

On a Studio visit

My favorite thing to do is sparkle in my Pop-Up Shops. Collect beautiful products around me from designers I love and tell about them. My heart skips a beat when I’m allowed again!

But my work has even more fun sides.

I think it is very important to get to know my designers and their products well. After all, the more I know, the more beautiful the stories I can tell in the Pop-Ups become. That’s why I go on a studio visit. Under the guise of: “it’s part of my job” it’s mostly fun for me. And that starts with the first appointment. Sometimes it’s a new designer I visit, other times a designer I like to spar with, because exchanging ideas always makes you richer. Usually I try to combine different appointments. These are long journeys for me, because I live in South Limburg. And then I get into my car early in the morning for a ride of 2 or 3 hours.

Good conversations.

For example, a while ago I left for Veenendaal, to Irma Borgsteede. Irma has been working as an independent fashion designer for over twenty years, with small collections that she produces in-house. She mainly sells her clothes at LIVStores in Utrecht and at Storytelling -Design. Corona time means that less is sold, which means that she has (temporarily) picked up painting again. What I like about it is that the lines in her paintings are reflected in her clothing. So nice to see that and I think we will do something with this in the next Pop-Up.

Despite the fact that she enjoyed painting again, designing and making clothes is and remains her passion. Irma has a delightful studio in the attic, full of fabrics and patterns.

The fabrics, always leftovers, slide through her hand and tell her what she is going to make. One fabric would like to become a dress, the next fabric feels like a jacket or the fabric would like to become a nice Home Stay(f) sweater. Irma makes clothing that fits comfortably, from beautiful fabrics with each piece its own touch, sometimes stitched, sometimes dyed, but always unique.

A good conversation part 2

Heeten is “only” 1 hour’s drive from Veenendaal, so I also pay a visit to Ore Design, designers of the most fantastic nutcracker. Mannie and Frans live in the outskirts of Heeten, in a beautifully converted farmhouse. They have turned the stable/shed into an office/exhibition/reception/meeting room. Despite the size and height of the room, it feels warm and comfortable.

And outside in the garden is a shed, old and overgrown with ivy, Frans’s forge. Inside, this space turns out to be anything but small. Today the fire was out, but it must have been pleasantly warm in recent weeks, because Frans has been working hard with his nutcrackers. Created by a combination of factors; out of love for good tools, with a passion for food, looking for the ultimate nutcracker. “Experience the whole note”

It’s nice to see their process and to be shown around their world. A world that encompasses much more than just nutcrackers and cheese cutters. And then I get back behind the wheel for a drive of almost 2 ½ hours home, with a warm heart from the warm receptions and the beautiful conversations.

Thank you to:
Irma van Irma Borgsteede – Wearable Art and to Mannie and Frans from OreDesign!

Het bericht On a Studio visit verscheen eerst op STORYTELLING DESIGN.

A Special Collection

Annemarij Thijssen — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 10:10:49 +0000

15-03-2021
By Annemarij,
Hostess of Storytelling-Design

A Special Collection

Two years ago around this time (March 2019) I was busy organizing my first Pop-Up Shop. The TEFAF in Maastricht seemed an ideal moment for this. We opened the Pop-Up with a nice group of designers. I was so proud, such a beautiful collection, such beautiful names and Design. It really was a dream come true!

Before I organized my first Pop-Up Shop of Storytelling-Design, I had been working in the design world for about 5 years, getting to know many designers and their products. My heart goes out to the diversity of these products. It is therefore important to me that the collection of a Pop-Up Shop from Storytelling-Design also consists of this great diversity. I love clothing, jewelry and bags, but I also love beautiful tables, special chairs and cabinets and also beautiful fences and lamps.

From 17 designers

And we managed to present the work of 17 designers in the Pop-Up shop part 1 with this great variety of disciplines, from cabinets to jewellery, from lamps to clothing and from garden sets to bags. And I was allowed to tell all the beautiful stories behind the products.

The story behind the kitchen set “Bella Salmonella” by Mariëtte Wolbert, The how and why of a triangular garden set from SPARX Living, the surprise when you look at the jewelry from Marian Sturkenboom were allowed to squeeze. How I enjoyed it, but above all, how the visitors enjoyed it!

Grown to 43 designers

We are now 6 Pop-Ups further and the Collection has expanded considerably. Storytelling-Design has grown from 17 to 43 designers. The designers come from all over the Netherlands, from Maastricht to Groningen, from Arnhem to Callantsoog and everything in between.

The nice thing about such a large Collection is that it changes per Pop-Up Shop, one time this designer has time, the next edition another. But it also happens that a designer does not find the product suitable for the event that Storytelling-Design has joined. Due to this variation, the Pop-Ups remain surprising, varied, yet recognizable.

Untold stories

Unfortunately Pop-Up part 6 went during the DDW in Eindhoven due to the Corona measures. I was allowed to visit the shop of MLY fill with the Storytelling-Design collection. The store was located at Strijp-S, the main location of the DDW. A wonderful opportunity for me and my designers to present our work to a large design-loving audience. Unfortunately it was not to be. But because of this, a number of Designers have not yet been able to present their work at Storytelling-Design. Very unfortunate, because also the stories of Jeanet Metselaar, Lempe, De Geus Bags and Made at van Eeden are more than worth telling.

I can’t wait until we can open another Pop-Up and tell all these beautiful stories. But for now I have to wait and see.

What remains is a very great sense of pride and gratitude for the current Collection of Storytelling-Design. Grown from 17 to 43 designers in a year and a half and I get to tell their stories.

P.S. The nice thing is that the Storytelling-Design Collection is still growing behind the scenes. We still have very nice surprises in store for you!

Looking forward to new stories!

Hopefully see you soon!

Annemarij.

Het bericht A Special Collection verscheen eerst op STORYTELLING DESIGN.