In the background I’m slowly working, building on this concept of a clothing brand (and sometimes an online gallery/store). Fleeting thoughts get stored away into a section where they brew until they have formed into a more substantial idea. Soon, I will have to capture some of them, for I can’t risk loosing them. But I have also realised that for me to actually progress towards these concepts of entrepreneurial endeavours, I have to mostly create and action things. It is important to get my thinking straight (and formalised into writing), but it shouldn’t stop me from progressing with intuition. The next steps are therefor not in order, but give a general overview of things to finalise and start semi-simultaneously;
• Write down core business manifesto/principles • Ideas for business operations (how things are sold) • Ideas for brand identity
• Start designing (print-out inspiration, create mood-board and draw designs)
• Educate myself on clothing making • Pattern drafting course
One big change has been that my almost decade long ‘obsession’ and main focus on China as an inspiration and reference point, has made way for other wider arrays of interests and inspirations. This, to be honest, has been a big step in the right direction for my ideas of starting up the clothing brand that I keep envisioning. To be able to have a broader range of inspirations to work from, gives me a wider scope and that is something I needed right now. It is motivating and I’m looking forward to see what I’ll be looking at for inspiration and will come up with in my designs.
One of my favourite places in London is Dover Street Market (probably my No.1 favourite place to be honest). I have been going there for many years to soak up the vibe and gain immense inspiration from the store design/layout, clothing designs on display, people that go and work there and Rose bakery. The complete package makes it’s worth visiting with frequency because there is always something new to discover or gain creatively.
The DSM logo has come to represent this experience and memory I have of this place. When I look at their logo, I feel connected to my inspired self. Analysing the logo further;
The shape is a sort of primal drawing shape, representing a house. This simplicity creates a sort of open platform for the diverse selection of brands and styles within the store.
A home which represents the family, which is very suited to their store concept; a group of brands together under one roof, some united by brand origin (Comme des Garçons) some related to it and yet others invited in as new friends.
“Dover Street Market” as a form of an adres places it in a space and time, a location*. Variations of the logo add the city name underneath “Market” (NEW YORK, LONDON, GINZA).
“Market” signifies a collection of sellers/retailers and a certain temporality to what’s on offer. It also brings up an image of a lively and communal atmosphere.
*Dover Street Market London, which was the first location of all DSM locations, was located originally on Dover Street in Mayfair, London. This is where its name originates from. Although the London store has since moved to Haymarket, its name is still linked to the first store location, rooting it in a place and linking it to a certain time.
As my thoughts go; I want to start something of my own, namely a business selling things I make myself.
But what is this thought worth if you never start working towards a realisation of it? Starting is the hardest part, making the first move. Once you’re in the flow, you’re flying. But getting the engine going… how?
By doing you, by not going the copy cat route. Define what it is that you really want, where these urges really do come from, and start using that as the fuel man!
That’s right!
Let me list it out for myself, because who else is here to get inspired by these words than myself (at this point) really. There are two ideas floating around, and it’s worth finding out where these ideas come from (what motivations/urges) and what it would take to get started (realistically, not hypothetically):
➊ Clothing line
Where it comes from: – Against fast fashion (new collection every season) – Against continues sale (sign of overproduction) – Against unsustainable practices (of production, of wearing things once) – Against the copy cat nature (‘globalisation of style’) + Pro paying for quality (high price, high value) + Pro ‘never out of fashion’ (keeping things available for longer) + Pro upcycling (there is already enough out there) + Pro individuality (local styles, designs with a story/concept)
What it means: ➀ Translating inspirations into clothing pieces/designs ➁ Using memories of places to inspire (visual) research and design ➂ Creating a representation of the world, spreading local identities globally, without becoming a globalisation of style ➃ Creating a flexible brand identity that can adapt to/represent cross-cultural pollination (instead of monocultures)
➋ Online gallery
Where it comes from: – Against uninspiring ‘art’ (‘wall fillers’ encountered in short-stays) – Against the short lifespan of pictures (instagram fast feed) – Against the business of representation (quality approved by…) – Against exclusivity of art photography (limited supply) + Pro alternative visual expressions (tools for pondering) + Pro slow photography (analog methods, careful selection) + Pro self-representation (being able to earn of your own creations) + Pro domestication of art photography (inspiration is for everyone)
What it means: ➀ Printing and framing photographs from my archive ➁ Using photography to represent something between the abstract and picturesque ➂ Creating a website that is inspiring as a portfolio while simultaneously being functional as a commercial environment (there can’t be confusion about it being a webshop, but it has to equally be able to inspire) ➃ Creating a brand identity that encompasses more then myself and photographic print sales alone
Now these two business objectives could be realised onto separate lanes, but don’t necessarily need to exclude each-other. They could merge into one. And to be honest, the fact that they don’t usually overlap should not be a reason for me not to do so either. If it works for my, if its my dream to do so, then so be it. Be yourself and do you. After all, the motivations behind both these business ideas are rather similar; out with the homogenisation of creativity and culture, in with the independence and affluence of styles.
How to start while in limbo
Living in temporary accommodation with most, if not all of our personal belongings in storage, I find it hard to even find the motivation to sit down and do this (write these words). Finding motivation/inspiration to even think about making work seems to take a lot of energy at the moment. But luckily that’s changing by the help of a list I started writing ‘those that inspire’, of people that are able to push me in the right direction just by doing what they do best.
Some smaller scale things I can start working on, that help me work towards my larger goals (as described above) could be the following:
✪ Draw without the pressure of ‘working towards something’ (contradictory but true) ✪ Organise my reference library into one place (migrate all to Are.na) ✪ Research brand positioning (instagram, SEO, naming, business plan)
➊ Embroider items of clothing I hardly wear ➊ Create graphic designs that could be screen printed onto something
➊ & ➋ Think of a name that is scaleable (with the potential of combining everything into a single platform)
➋ Select photo’s to be printed from those that I have already scanned ➋ Compare printing/framing costs and calculate cost vs selling price ➋ Sell some prints to my network (via instagram)
2020, what a year it has been. Might I share some thoughts on that tomorrow perhaps, if I may, I may. But not today, as today I’m trying to settle into the couch for the first time in a while. It’s (after all) the start of my holiday. And while I’m slowly adjusting to relaxation, but am still with a busy/full mind, I’m starting to observe habits of mine that I’d like to break with in the year ahead. One of those observations I’d like to capture here today as it has come back to me multiple times over the past year, is as follows;
❑ You don’t have to be interested in everything
❏ You don’t have to know everything about your interests
❑ You won’t ever be fully up-to-date, learning never stops
❑ You don’t need to collect/archive if you won’t exploit it
❑ You don’t have to rely on out-side sources for inspiration
These mental notes have came to me every now and then this year. At times I can be so soaked up by it all that I don’t actually get to think for myself anymore. I want to get back into my inspired, creative and curious self again. And no excuses; don’t fool yourself. You won’t do better when you are ahead of yourself in terms of knowledge, or references. These come with time and come when the time is ripe. I learn through practice, doing.
My first time to China (and traveling abroad internationally) was on invitation by Erwin Slegers to help assemble the exhibition 100 Years of Dutch Graphic Happiness and to give a two week long workshop with second year graphic design students at the Nanjing University of the Arts. I did this together with classmate Rein op ‘t Root (and for the workshop also with independent designers Hansje van Halem and Michiel Schuurman). This experience on its own was very unique and overwhelming.
After being in Nanjing for about two days, I wrote an email to my family to tell them I’m O.K. and am doing good. I also shared my very first impressions of China. Re-reading them, they show well how overwhelming the whole experience was to me. It also shows that, right from the bat, I did not see this is as strange or weird world – rather I saw it as interestingly different. It also shows to me how words alone are not enough to describe the differences I experienced, since most of it is so visual.
The following is an English translation of the original email:
Hi Mum, Dad and Phillip!
From Nanjing China!
Such a chaos, such a great city, and what a country this is.
So Cool!
We are already starting to get used to things, some things are getting habits even.
Flying on its own was already such a special and new experience, but arriving in an enormous city as Shanghai even more so! We got a taxi, and the drive took us 45 min. and still we did not even had seen the whole city. After every curve of the road there was another kind of “Bijlmer” like apartment block, rising to the sky. And apparently people are living in all of them (seen from the laundry hanging on the balconies).
We went with the train to Nanijng and were picked up by Fin Zhao and his girlfriend.
Everything went well. Getting cash out, fine. Buying tickets, fine. Arranging a cab, fine.
And so we arrived in Nanjing, first in the Green Tree inn hotel. Very shabby but everything fine though. It really felt a bit like a book of Adriaan van Dis, or something like it.
The next day we moved to the “professional building” where normally lecturers and other people stay. A good and clean hotel. Chic I would say so.
We are mostly very busy with arranging thing and getting stuff for the exhibition we are building. Everything on the University campus is brand new, because the University just celebrated their 100th anniversary.
They make nice stuff around here, really. Rein says constantly; “they are going to win in this way man!”, and you would actually almost start to think so. Nothing is old-fashioned, everything feels quite normal, but in a Chinese way. Neither do people look funnily to us or anything like that.
We are trying to arrange more practical tools for the exhibition, which we will need to finish things up for example. This we are doing with 5 other students. Its great fun. They are very eager to help us and to talk with us, even though they do not quite understand everything we say in English.
It is truly real great fun here and we are located really in the centre of the city. We literally see everything! We are really in China.
Such great fun, and its not even like the third day.
I’m taking a lot of photos but mostly analog. Still didn’t got much time to keep up with our blog, but surely we will be doing that soon.
Skype too, does not fit so well in our daily routine, but perhaps tomorrow or the day after. We should have a look. Maybe Philip should download it already, and then he can add me to his account.
Hopefully everything is well with all of you as well! Talk to you soon!
