I will be in munchen in the next days.

| designparcours |
| ihm | leading trade fair for the craft trades

another story from the fair in utrecht: our academy has an own stand. actually, I think it is in a big contrast to the other stands. I think, the others come off badly, because you just find commercial brands (hello, this is about the students … and if you want to “boast”m why don’t you take some of the ‘premier’ brands) and the stands are created loveless. sorry if I come across as “self-boasting”, myself.

another thing I do not understand: how can a fair who is in its first edition call itself: ‘the best living fair in the netherlands’ ? what about you guys let the visitors decide ? I am quite sure, this is bad marketing, too.

here are some impressions of “our” stand abk maastricht so you guys can get a feeling whether my claims could be right. our stand is a stand to interact which I find great. made by passionate students:

#

here is a sticky idea of jana walliser

first you need a chewing gum…

…after chewing you put it on the wall…

…and the chair receives colour

a couple days ago I got an email from my instructor about the woonidee (interior fair in utrecht) and that a famous dutch designer is going to scout young design talents. it was the first time that I heard something about eric kuster. I checked his website and saw the showrooms all over the world and that the the press use to call him ‘the glamour designer of the moment’. I was curious about how he will scout the students of the academy of fine arts in maastricht and went to the event.

eric kuster turns out to be a laid-back and good-natured designer who calls himself a ‘ambiance seller’. interior is his passion and that he has clients who want to buy his style of luxury and sexiness is more than welcome to him. he listens patiently to the ideas of the students. he will decide in the next weeks which one of the ideas will be produced under his label. so we have this celebrated designer who gives design students a chance to be a part of his glamour. we want more of this people!

this is eric

eric and me during the interview

eric and belle, his assistant

scouting the students

like the most creatives I met, eric doesn’t like to draw.
but he did it anyway.

draw yourself

describe yourself in one word

draw your favourite product

| binc | - interiorstuff

I was in utrecht (if people say that amsterdam is a great dutch city they haven’t been in utrecht yet) in the last 2 days and spend a great evening with some former design academy students. stephan siepermann and jeroen wesselink have their studio in an old moat in the city centre of utrecht. koen lomans cooked a perfect dinner, my favourite beefsteak included. we had some wine and obviously a lot of fun.

‘leaft’ lamp - stephan siepermann (you can find the hanging version above)

’saddle’ chair - jeroen wesselink

in the mix - work of both

| stephan siepermann |
| jeroen wesselink |
| jan koen lomans |

practical and a good laugh, too.

joo youn peak, student of interactive telecommunications in new york, made 50 limited editions and sold 47 pieces at the exhibition of the work and gained ‘pillowig’ fans. two months later fans did a group performance piece at the old palace, seoul.

| joo youn paek | - pillowig

I found this today. from last year’s the great indoors awards afterparty.

fabian von spreckelsen and me with item idem’s asa warschafsky

bernhard willhelm opened his first shop in tokyo on february 4th 2006. the design-duo item idem created an environment inspired by the shelters of japanese homeless which are build with found objects, cardboards, blue plastic and waste of the consumerist society.

‘this shop is the ideal palace for a dandy-homeless.’

| item idem |
- when I saw the homepage the first time I wasn’t sure if it is the right one. but don’t get confused. it’s the right one! when you use the link, you will know what I am talking about.. go for it

gilbert flöck lives and works in his studio in cologne. he is educated as a social pedagogue and says:’ I am not a social pedagogue. but I earn my money with social pedagogy.’ - but his instincts formed him to an artist.

when I asked him about his favourite work, he immediatly speaks about his ‘moving’ sculptures. figures consisting of mdf and links who give the impression of movement in a sexual situation. his use of wheels or links is remarkable. quite recently he used to work in a doss house. and maybe he wants to create an idea of detachment in his work. the detachment of the homeless because they have to be on the move.

this is gilbert

hm.. what shall I draw for matylda?

gilbert and me in his selfmade kitchen

‘mobitat’ - his idea of a living quarter on wheels
inside you find his sleeping room/bed - the couch is on the top

multifunctionality - 3 restored closets on wheels which are affiliated with each other

essecke’ (eating corner) - approx. 10 m2 mdf - 56 links, 4 people, 1 table, 2 chairs - 2003

draw yourself

describe yourself in one word

’smalltall’

draw your favourite product

| gilbert flöck |
| kunstwerk cologne | - germany’s largest studio building. here you can find approx. 180 artists from various disciplines

yuta watanabe graduated with first class honours in product design from ravensbourne college of design and communication in london. I enjoy the little clou in the reinterpretation of a pencil.

| yuta watanabe |

landscape photography has never been something I like. just as still lifes. I appreciate photos with people. once in a blue moon I like still lifes. the exceptions proves the rule, people say. here is one of these rare exceptions: ( damn, he is good )

nike | posters for shoes | 2007

intersection | eau de mobile | 2004

psp | white | 2006

doingbird magazine | coathangers | 2007

maurice scheltens is working in the fields of fashion, art and advertisement. he creates still lifes that are both hyper realistic and completely artificial. Usually he takes objects from the worlds of commerce, fashion and design. He tends to remove them from their natural habitats and places them in a new environment. Thereby he often exposes them to uneasy conditions. And THAT combination I find fascinating. And suddenly I like a still life.

| maurice scheltens |

another story from the furniture fair, IMM, in cologne. when I was there I had a nice chat with a salesman from fredericia furniture, denmark. I just walked by and wanted to sit down. I saw these cozy looking chairs and he offered me to sit. I ended up lounging there for more than a half hour and actually wanted to stay but I had to move on.

now I read that this chair, called stingray, got the ‘interior innovation award 2008‘. the idea für stingray had the young danish designer thomas pedersen and it is a re-thinked alternative of the stingray made of plastic. an oldfashioned rocking chair gets a new meaning and becomes a modern classic.

everbody wants to sit on the stingray

nice frederica salesman from copenhagen

don’t we know the problems about backpacking. big rooms, dormitory bunks - it’s loud, it’s uncomfortable. of course you meet new, interesting people while traveling. but is that worth to stay another night?

isn’t that the perfect idyll?

nils holger moormann studied law but his curiosity for design made him start his own practice in 1982. he shows us simple forms and detailed solutions in his work and has been producing and selling work by young unknown designers ever since.

His new baby is an old historical building in aschau, bavaria. he is converting it into a hostel. and aschau is the place where you can also find his company. the project is called ‘berge’ - which is an deduction of the german word ‘herberge’ (hostel) and can be translated into ‘mountain’. Moormann wants to create a meetingpoint for creative people, a place where you want to stay. you will find there individual appartments with own kitchens, no tv - just a library with selected books. the interior will be, like moormann’s products are always described, modestly down-to-earth.

actually I didn’t wanted to promote his project in the way I did. but the fact that he is doing that without financial benefit and is investing so much, he proves that he is an entrepeneur who finishes what he starts. 3 rooms are already done. I am curious how it will be when the whole hostel is ready.

| nils holger moormann |
| berge |

I already saw the sofa last year at the milan design week 2007. but my flatmate found the picture in a magazine and we think that it is a post worth. especially because gold became so en vogue thesedays.
maybe we like it because our couch will be away soon and we are searching for some replacement.

the matching jacket to the sofa - nice twin-set

chantilly oval by edra

lamé wind breaker by american apparel

valentina vos studies photography at the academy of fine arts in maastricht. last year she decided to go on with her studies in den haag where you can find the best school of photography in the netherlands. after a half year she recognized that the academy in maastricht is her favourite creative platform. she is back. full with ideas and ready to grow in her abilities. when she speaks about photography her eyes are glowing. she said to me: ‘I could take photos the hole day. in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. I don’t need to go out - I just want to do what makes me happy. and that’s taking photos!’
we should keep track on valentina - the girl who was last year voted from the elle girl to the best dressed girl in the netherlands. valentina, do you want to become popular … ? if any other magazine like code, blend or glam cult accidentally sees her work and is interested to have valentina work for them - please contact me first, I plea to be her manager!

this is valentina

this is her new ‘hungry’ sweatshirt

selfportrait - valentina vos

I choose a special pen for the girl who is sooooo into colours.

draw yourself

describe yourself in one word

draw your favourite product

more of her work:
| valentina vos |

I am busy with a project where I need toy ponys.
(the ponys which barbie use to ride)

If you have a pony and you don’t need it anymore let me know, please.
matylda@matandme.net - thanks in advance. lalala

no voodoo - but it’s pretty difficult to pick it to pieces

finally the pony is open - but I need 2 undamaged pieces

maastricht. netherlands. I don’t know where this is from because there is nothing than a picture of somebody hiding his face behind his hands. the topic could be moral courage or human rights. maybe discrimination or racism. who knows? several versions are spreaded in the hole city. in my opinion the campaign strives for the goal to let people think about the meaning. I just can say: they got me.

fun, fun, fun

that’s how we went to the supermarkt on this loving day

giel waterval on heggenstraat in maastricht. he has the style, he has the looks, he has the boots. and of course he has the bow tie.
isn’t it a comme des garcons?

düsseldorf. germany. fashion again. yesterday I was at the fashion show from the amd - academy fashion & design. the show was at the cpd. unfortunately we came too late ( damn, I hate rush hours in big cities ) and were far away from the scene. in fact, we had to stand. and what also means that the photos are not from the first row or second row, either. here are the favourites. the men’s wear was which we liked a lot. ( aka the men we liked to watch )

julia schmidt - man(n)kind

lang wang - pas de coincidénce

anna vogt - eisenhans

try to google them - maybe you will have more luck

I spotted that on the way out of the fair - isn’t that patent-registered?

back to berlin interviews…

paul snowden is in the t-shirt biz. in fact he created an image of youth culture in berlin which is still expanding to the rest of the world. he named it wasted german youth.

I met paul in a coffee bar in kreuzberg, berlin. I went there without any expectations. but, of course, meeting people is always exciting. the green tea drinking paul shapes up as laid-back, extremly talkative and pretty charming. we talked for hours and sometimes we used to interrupt each other like pubertal kids. but the gentleman cooked for lucky matylda and we made some funny photos from our meeting.
I just can say that I had a blast.

this is paul

this are paul and matylda

me: ‘what do you want me to say to you, paul?’
paul: ‘hey paul, I think it’s really cool.’

draw yourself

describe yourself in one word

draw your favourite product

| paul james snowden |

Düsseldorf. Germany. the CPD is going on. another fashion fair. rosner invited the fashion scene to celebrate 40 years of being in the biz. the location was an old factory building, the topic was ‘chic jail’.

to summarise: to me this was another event about appearance. lot’s of people who’s main interest is to appear as somebody they are not. so the photos you see show what I liked about the show. and on purpose there are not so many people on the pictures:

isn’t it 40 years?

chain the soap

for people who don’t find the way to the loo

itchy and scratchy?
the woman did this for 5 minutes. maybe she just likes her ass

she looks like: ‘officer, am I really a bad girl?’