Visiting Geneva + the Caran d'Ache Stationery Factory, Switzerland

 
 In partnership with Caran d'Ache

From the early days of starting this blog - just over 11 years ago now - I said that sharing creative ideas + interesting stories from people and brands was one of the main factors why I actually started Buckets & Spades. If I was sharing a fashion piece, a city break, a interesting magazine layout, some cool looking packaging or a more personal journal I always wanted there to be a narrative and reason behind why I decided to share it.

My own journey - from a slightly lost student bursting with ideas but no clue how to make them happen, to a 30-something full-time freelancer with mortgage and fulfilling yet hard-to-explain job - has definitely been colourful. A mixture of rewarding opportunities, anxiety, self-doubt, and sometimes weeks of hardly having any time to think about what I've experienced at all.

An email dropped into my inbox a few weeks ago, simply entitled, "Visit the Caran d'Ache stationery factory in Geneva"...I don't think I've ever been more excited by a line of letters sitting next to each other before. I've been using Caran d'Ache products for a couple of years, after receiving one of their iconic 849 pens from their collaboration with Paul Smith, and since then used their pens on a daily basis. But the name Caran d'Ache might not ring bells to a portion of you, so here's a super brief bio on the brand;

Caran d'Ache started life in 1915, in the centre of Geneva - an area of Switzerland known for its natural mountainous materials. Originally known as"Fabrique Genevoise de Crayons", the brand was renamed to something a little more catchy.

Across Europe the name Caran d'Ache became synonymous within the world of pens, pencils and art equipment. It's one of those brands that you'd be exposed to from an early age at school, grow fond through your teens, and become attached to as an adult. The words Caran d'Ache originally come from the Russian word for pencil, “karandash”, which in turn derives from the Turkish root “kara tash”, referring to the origins of graphite.

In 2015 Switzerland's first pencil factory turned 100 years old; a testament to the brand's ability to evolve over time, stand by its original values and eagerness to collaborate to create something new.

A month later I found myself stepping off the train in Geneva Central Station, for the second time (the first time was back in 2015). Buzzing from the fact that in a few hours I'd be taken around a stationery factory - for someone who absolutely loves stationery and "how it's made" documentaries, the next morning couldn't come quick enough. The first afternoon wasn't wasted though; me and Emma Jane Palin - a travel, culture + design writer from Margate - took to the streets to see what the city was made of. It's a whole lot more colourful that expected!

The 8:30am bus ride to Eaux-Vives region of Geneva couldn't come soon enough. Never has a building took me straight back to the school classroom quite like the Caran d'Ache factory; the smell of wax crayons and Californian cedar wood wafted through the corridors just like freshly baked bread in a bakery.

We heard from longstanding members of the team: the enthusiasm for the smaller design details such as the weight of an ink refill or the hexagonal shape of the aluminium body on the Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pen (so it doesn't roll off your desk!) is the kind of passion I love to be around.

First let's take a look around the pencil making process:

If you've been reading my blog for a few years you'll know that I've visited a bunch of factories - from baseball jersey to distillery - and while not all of process can be shared, what I can say is that I've never been inside an operation with such grace, curiosity + science lab-like precision than these walls. If Wes Anderson designed a factory...super ordinary details every direction you turn. 

We followed the pencils from start to end; starting with the colourful pigment room and cutting line, to their inception inside cedar wood blocks and the mesmerising seven stages of vanishing finishing room. Living inside a "how it's made" documentary is fun!

And then it was time to see how they make their pen range + the iconic 849:

There's something very pleasing about being involved in the making process of a product. It's a similar feeling to cooking a meal from scratch, then serving it to friends - a sense of accomplishment. On my visit to the factory had the opportunity to have a hand in constructing my very on 849 Caran d'Ache ballpoint pen from the new Claim Your Style collection, and it gives me the same satisfying feeling every time I see that pen sitting on my notepad at home. A timeless piece of  I made an item that has become a huge part of my own creative process. My craft skills might not have been up to much, but you can't knock my enthusiasm!

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be 

useful, or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris

Sometimes a fleeting visit to a new city happens so quickly that I don't always fully appreciate what I've experienced, but there's something about these two days in Geneva that felt different. There's a great excitement towards a brand, and I was also surprised by just how much I enjoyed the city. There's good stuff here, you just gotta know where to look for it.

The recipe for a meaningful relationship between a brand and individual cuts much deeper than using a product. To build a genuine connection over time in a way which feels natural isn't easy, that's exactly what I'm experiencing here with Caran d'Ache. True, I am a part of a paid partnership with the brand, but I'm never told what to write on these pages. These are for me. If I could tell my younger self that he'll one day get to visit a stationery factory to build his own pen, the answer would be the same every time: "It's a big yes from me".

To be in with a chance of winning a set of the new Claim Your Style collection 849 pens head over to my new Instragam post to enter.

This blog post is in partnership with Caran d'Ache. Thank you for supporting the people and businesses that help make this blog happen.

Visiting the Majestic Athletic Factory in Easton, Pennsylvania

 This blog post is in partnership with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

When something curious drops into your inbox an eyebrow can often be raised. Too good to be true? A spammy scattergun email approach? But these emails can often be worth a second glance. A few months back I had one of those emails staring back at me. It started with sometime along the lines of, "...we think you'd be perfect for an exciting project we're working on with Majestic Athletic and Major League Baseball". Whoa. They got me hooked.

After several phone calls, brainstorm sessions and small bits of pre-project photography I found myself boarding a plane heading to New York, in preparation of meeting up at the small city of Easton, Pennsylvania, with the Majestic Athletic team, a production crew from London + my stalwart travel buddy – and photographer for the project – Jordan Bunker.

The idea behind the project was to document the journey which Majestic Athletic's iconic US-made baseball jerseys go through to finish up on the backs of professional players of MLB and the millions of fans worldwide. From the cutting room floor to the finishing room of Easton, PA, to the final product on the MVP players at Yankees stadium in New York. We'd follow the process, from start to finish.

An integral part of this brief was to also look further than the product; to dig deeper and find out more about the people that make this all happen. Who were the personalities behind each step of the production, what makes this small blue-collar town really tick and how this historical factory effects wider community.

As a last minute surprise I was told that I'd have a hand in creating my very own Majestic Cool Base Jersey. I'd shadow the whole process, from the tailoring and fitting to sewing down the name + numbers on the back. This was going to be a fun day!

 Resident tailor Micheal Pannuccio was on-hand to take my measurements for my custom Cool Base Jersey

 Myself + the adorable "Button Babe" Lori J. Smith after my attempts of sewing buttons onto a one of the jerseys

A 4:30am start on the day of filming was quite a shock to the system. But, we were there to shadow the working day of some of the Majestic factory's most invaluable workforce – we were on their time. From the 6am clock-in and mid-morning precision at the cutting table, to the magically rhythmic sewing team and the all-important quality control stations – seeing this US production line in action was an experience not to be forgotten.

Easton's community spirit runs deep throughout the Majestic fleet. These guys have been responsible for creating the official MLB jerseys in the factory since 1976. We spoke with Plant Manager Mark Todd about the buzz he gets when seeing the MLB players hitting home runs on TV while wearing jerseys made on his floor, and watching the charismatic "Button Babe" Lori J. Smith sew the mother of pearls on faster than you'd ever imagine. The day was filled with these short but memorable interactions; each worker connected by a passion for their job and the drive to hone their craft.

Finding Inspiration at Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Laverstoke

 Laverstoke Mill, Bombay Sapphire Distillery, designed by Heatherwick Studio

Everyone has a different source of inspiration. Mat – for instance – has a proper love for inhouse magazines, which you’ll see popping up on more or less any post he does about weekend relaxing or long train journeys.

My inspiration comes mainly from those people I follow online. Those folks who regularly post content that captivates me for longer than the usual split-second, opens my mind a little, and leaves me slightly jealous of their creative eye and ability. I can’t name check everyone here; but, folks like our friend Jordan and our very own Yasumi definitely deserve a mention – their ability to capture different angles and interesting details in everyday objects is impressive beyond belief.

And then there’s Haarkon; an account I’ve been following religiously for the past few months, checking in every time they have a new Instagram post or blog. These guys have an incredible eye and their content – focused almost exclusively on indoor plant life – has a hauntingly beautiful quality that will stop you in your tracks.

Recently, I tried to mimic their style with my own pic (hey – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!) – and then, when the opportunity came to visit the glasshouses at the Bombay Sapphire distillery, I saw my chance to try and emulate them just a little more.

I’m sure many people reading this will have caught a glimpse of the Bombay Sapphire distillery before. It features two striking glasshouses, designed by Heatherwick Studio (the guys behind the new London Routemaster bus), that seem to grow from the bed of the river that runs through the distillery. Twisting and turning their way into the red brick buildings of this former paper mill, it’s as if these glasshouses are an integral part of the gin making process, drawing up the water for the gin and imparting the essence of the plants they house as it sweeps passed.

They aren’t directly part of the process; but, the glasshouses are a perfect reflection of the gin making method, where a neutral spirit is transformed into something flavourful through the introduction of various botanicals; which – in the case of Bombay Sapphire – include liquorice, orris root, angelica, coriander, grains of paradise, and five others.

Travel | Visiting the Workshop of Monobi in Florence, Italy

 Beste Spa Workshop, Cantagallo, Italy

In 2017 we use Instagram in so many ways; travel inspiration, seek out styling ideas, push our photography skills, keep on track of our fitness progress, connect with like-minded people across the world, grow a client list...the list is endless. I often use Instagram as a way of discovering new brands, and to be inspired by a creative outlook – it brings a world of ideas into our fingertips.

I first came across the Italian menswear brand Monobi last year, when Jordan was invited to take over their Instagram account while he was attending the menswear trade show, Pitti. The name "Monobi" intrigued me, as did the brand's approach to technical fabric and design. Information on these guys was confined to their website and my few passing conversations with Jordan – this only added more to the mystery. 

After a few months of following the brand on Instagram I was met with a message in my inbox, inviting me visit their workshop for a day, to learn more about the brand's influences and meet the people behind the name "Monobi".

A language barrier can be funny thing. It usually goes one of three way; you try your best but end up frustrated, you understand perfectly, or you find it really tricky but somehow, some way, you don't need words to understand the message. My visit to the Beste Spa workshop in Cantagallo was a perfect example of how words can be broken down, and understood perfectly through an experience.

The Besta Spa workshop plays an integral role to Monobi's success; with the design, development, product testing, production and distribution all coming from inside the complex. A complex like no other, too. The 30ft high glass shell is intertwined with dark wooden beams overhead, internal walls made from pale concrete fill in the gaps, and foliage-filled walkways - which look like a perfect match for Haarkon's Instagram feed - all make for quite a special experience. And yes, I am still talking about a factory here!

The Woolrich Mill by Jackie Nickerson | Authentic American Manufacturing

The folks that know us well, know that we’re always keen to take a look behind the scenes of our favourite brands. In the last few years, we’ve visited factories, workshops, design studios, distilleries and anywhere else that good people ply their craft.

Of course, if we can’t get there ourselves, we can always take a look through the lens of those that have - like in this shoot for Woolrich, by photographer Jackie Nickerson. Nestled deep in the heart of Pennsylvania - a place pretty far from both Blackpool and London - lies the Woolrich Mill. Here, as with a lot of places along the East Coast of America, is a greater deal of history and heritage then you might expect.

Woolrich started life almost 200 years ago as a wool factory, founded by an English immigrant, John Rich. As a brand, they have a history entwined with that of the USA, producing garments through the Civil War, both World Wars, and eventually earning international fame with their hard-wearing, almost nature-defying parkas, developed for the oil boom of 1970s Alaska.

Since then, the style of Woolrich has been tweaked and their clothes enhanced by advancements in garment technology; but, the brand’s philosophy has remained the same - producing clothes with a broad appeal, that meet the demands of the modern day.

Photographer Jackie Nickerson has had the enviable task of shooting the mills for their latest campaign; capturing not just the clothes, but the elements of the unique environment that produce them. It’s the sort of shoot we love, one that steers away from stereotyped ‘fashion’ images and, instead, introduces us to the brand, by capturing the individuals, processes, and landscapes that lie beneath it.

You can find the brand’s London flagship on Brewer Street, Soho. Discover the story, as shot by Jackie, through Woolrich’s Agenda.

This post is in partnership with Woolrich. Thank you for taking the time to support the brands + businesses that make this blog happen.

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter