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First of all, Happy New Year. On behalf of our entire team, I wish you a year full of blessings and friendships. I spent my New Year’s Eve away from home—very quietly in Antwerp—and it reminded me of my childhood and how I grew up.
In a way, the city made me think of my village in the east part of the Netherlands with only 10,000 people. A very quiet place, where I always felt like an outcast. Even though I had to consider this my “hometown”, it never truly felt like home to me. When you’re from a small town, you’re quick to stand out as being different—or maybe even weird to some.
I moved to Amsterdam in 2003. A big change. From a small village with narrow-minded people to a big international city where you meet one weirdo after another. It's not that I felt home immediately, but I did feel comfortable with the fact that the possibilities here seemed endless. There was always someone weirder than I am.
After I graduated from university, I chose to stay in Amsterdam. I found my friends here, I found love, and I started my company. I see Amsterdam as a country within a country. You'll hear so many different languages when you walk through these streets. It's impossible to stand out because it seems like there is no majority.
Even though I've lived here for over sixteen years, I still feel like I'm a visitor. The city is changing rapidly, and it can be hard to catch up sometimes. Still, I've never felt more at home then I do here in Amsterdam. I know where to get my cortado in the morning, I have my favorite running laps in the city, and every day I ride my bike to work, almost with my eyes closed (not really of course).
The most important thing, however, is that my friends are here. It's something I've learned throughout the past years. Coming from a family that created a home very far away from what home used to be, I know that home is not any given place. It's surrounding yourself with the people you feel kin to. Wherever and whomever that may be. I had a great start of the year being reminded of this, and I hope you'll find your way home as well. If you're having trouble, you know where to find us.
Olaf.
03 Oct 2021
“It grew out of frustration of having very veiled conversations with clients who wanted a specific look – at that time, everyone was calling it ‘urban content’– but they didn‘t have the language and were not in a position to say what they wanted to say. We wished we could do work that spoke to our own communities in a way that was authentic - made by US for US, so we decided to just do it ourselves. Everything we worked to put out in the world was made specifically for people of color, made by people of color. That’s where it was born from."
“If you’re a brand, it starts with having a diverse team. Not just bringing in people to fill periphery positions. When we’re at a table and speaking to a creative team, VP, or whoever is in charge of making decisions, those people need to be people of colour. You have to have people representing the audience you’re trying to connect to."
Photography by Travis Gumbs.
Art direction BY Cynthia Cervantes.
“As time has gone on, we’re trying to diversify the kind of work that we’re doing and spread into other areas. It‘s not just about creating content, we're really thinking about how our ethics and our intentions manifest themselves through our work and day to day lives."
“It starts with intention. What is the intention of what we're trying to relay? What is the intention of the story? In storytelling or stories we were told as children, they always end with ‘the moral of the story is…’ and that’s what we’re looking for. Second, is really understanding who or what it is we’re working with. Then you get a sense of what the imagery is. It’s about becoming inspired by that person's story and finding the nuances that are a part of that."
“I try not pressure myself to create anything or be creative at all. I just focus on the present and do something that makes me happy like meditate, cook, or spend time with my son. He likes drawing, so we draw together. It helps me get to a place where it feels good to create again."
“Now that our lives are so different because we have a child and our energy is divided into many different arenas of life, I think differently about my past accomplishments. I am thankful for them, and for the path that has led me to this place in my life, but more than looking backwards at the past, I am more so inspired to think about what my future accomplishments will look like."
Photography by Travis Gumbs.
Art direction BY Cynthia Cervantes.
“I am very excited about a project my husband has been working on for almost two years now. It‘s an extension of the work we’ve done together, specifically in regards to honouring our cultures and ancestral knowledge. It’s called Medicinal Plant Index. It’s an herbal supplement line and resource guide for medicinal plants. It’s going to launch at the end of the year. We’re currently working on building out the resource guide, which explores traditional uses of herbs, documents the people that have been working to cultivate medicinal plants , and provides an understanding of how herbs can be incorporated into our daily lives."
“Parenthood has exposed very specific parts of our partnership that are very strong and that we rely on daily in order to make it through the day. We often talk about the fact that because we’ve known each other for so long and have worked under extremely difficult circumstances professionally, our transition to parenthood has been really interesting and fun. I think it has also made us reevaluate where is it that we really feel is important that we show up for each other."
“Mexico City. Hands down. We don’t eat gluten and we eat a mostly plant-based diet, so the food in Mexico City is next level - you can just spend every single day eating your way through the city."
“New York! A lot of my friends are in nightlife so it’s always just a cute vibe. Also, there's such an incredible mix of people and cultures."
“That‘s really hard. I‘m going to say a tie. New York and Mexico City are so inspiring in such different ways. Both places really push you to want to make work, but I think the vibe is so different in each place. I think Mexico City is much more experimental."
“That’s so hard. They're so different! For me, in Mexico City, the best style is found on people you pass on the street, who aren’t necessarily in the fashion or art world. In New York, the looks I find most incredible or inspiring are usually on people who are in the scene."
“It’s been a journey! I definitely had my ‘fashion girl’ moment - a mushroom haircut with shaved sides and COMME des GARÇONS silhouettes. Now, I'm definitely giving off 'on-duty' mom vibes hahaha. It’s more about being comfortable because I am so active. Can I sit on the floor and play? Can I run to the store and grab something? It's pushing towards more classic, I think. I'm heading into like a more simple phase for sure."
“I am forever inspired by my grandmother, Ofelia Alvarez. I have her picture hanging by my desk and whenever I feel anxious or depleted I look to her for inspiration and for encouragement to push through. She was such an incredible human being, and she would always make sure I knew how proud of me she was and how much she loved me. Everything about her inspires me – her fierce and profound love for her family, her tireless work ethic, her style – everything!"
“A place that inspires me is Mexico City. I love being here. I love walking around the streets. I love hearing music. I love hearing Spanish all day. I love hearing parents talk to their children. I love everything about being here. There's nothing like it."
“The other truly inspiring driving force in my life is my son, Tenoch. He inspires me every day to be a good person and to live the kind of life that I hope he will emulate and take to the next level. I just want to create a life experience for him that is so full, rich, and undeniably full of love."