We're not really ones to toot our own horns ... well, maybe a little - but we're extremely proud have a photo of the Otherist in ELLE DECOR's June 2012 feature on Amsterdam!! There's not much in the way of text about us- well, almost nothing to be precise... but we're in pretty good company - rubbing shoulders with the likes of DROOG, the Dylan and Frozen Fountain...
and you know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words :)
As a result of repeated childhood viewings of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Goonies, the concept of jewelry has always been inextricably linked with that of treasure. And while it's not fair, when viewing new work we'd be lying if we said that in the back of our collective mind we weren't - at least subconsciously - looking for items that fulfill this criteria. We don't just want 'pretty', we want something special; a prize that rekindles all those feelings of romance and excitement that are the hallmarks of any great treasure hunt.
Why does it seem that travel has lost all the glamour of the old days? Sure, maybe by 'the old days' I mean 'in old movies', but still. One night while watching an old classic on television (ok, it was Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis - amazing) I realized as I watched them boarding the train that everyone had these amazing bags and fantastic luggage!
It's no wonder that getting on the train nowadays feels so gauche, as we walk around with our interchangeable nylon backpacks and duffel bags that are really more suited to carrying smelly gym shoes than nice clothing for a weekend in Paris. (I can't even put into writing how I feel upon realizing that the person across the aisle is in their pajamas and slippers and has the pillow from their bed tucked under their arm like a favorite teddy bear. Really? Have a little pride, man.)
While we can't convince Thalys to implement a dress code or even train the stewards to mix us a real drink, we can lose the banal backpacks and dreary duffels - and the new bags from Billykirk are just the thing to replace them. New fabrics for Spring & Summer include an olive herringbone twill combined ivy leather and a railroad stripe canvas paired slate leather, all made using the time-honored traditions and high quality materials that we've come to expect from Billykirk. I have my eyes on the olive weekender, leaving me with only one question; am I going over the top if I buy the wallet to match? Available online in our webshop and also in our brick & mortar shop on the Leliegracht.
For those of you who have visited our brick and mortar shop, it should come as no surprise that we love combining the old with the new; nothing sets off a beautiful piece of handmade porcelain like an old industrial table, and what better way to store or display jewelry than old archive drawers lined with velvet? You can also see this juxtaposition of old and new in the work of many of our vendors; from the exquisite specimen sculptures of InsectLab to the timeless design and craftsmanship that is so apparent in the accessories from Billykirk.
We've always been fans of animalia, whether that be old school minotaurs and harpies, or more (semi-) current incarnations like Perlman's tragic Beast fighting for ill-fated love (Ron Perlman, not Rhea!). These decorative serving trays from iBride are no exception, rather they're glowing examples of the hybridization that we love so well.
The designers at iBride call this collection Le Boudoir, and while these five feather-headed friends are not bowerbirds, they're the perfect birds for decorating your bower. Each image is a lovingly captured and intimate portrait in the boudoir-style that will prove, without a doubt, that birds can indeed, have bedroom eyes. Guaranteed to satisfy whether you're an ornithologist, period-drama lover, or just love people with animal heads. Check them out in our webshop or come by our Leliegracht shop to see in person
When picking a card to give someone, regardless of the occasion, we try to be extremely careful not to go too far down the cutesy route. The sheer amount of saccharin-sweet pussycats sleeping on dogs, or hiding in a toilet paper roll, or telling you to 'hang in there' is mind-numbing -- one begins to build up a tolerance for higher and higher amounts of this sweet stuff that normally would make your teeth hurt. Before you know it, you begin thinking that ducklings playing with kittens is 'edgy', that Garfield saying 'LASAGNA' is funny, and that cartoons of unhappy women with breasts sagging down to their knees is a perfectly acceptable - even funny - birthday card.
So we felt a bit like the legendary (albeit fictional) explorer Alan Quatermain unearthing some fabulous treasure when we discovered Pearl & Marmalade's distinctive line of letterpress cards and prints. Combining old-world style illustrations with a modern-day aesthetic, these cards turn baby announcements and birthday wishes into miniature pieces of hand-printed art, imbued with a sophistication born from the time-honored process used to create them.
As a matter of fact, the more study we did of what goes into making letterpress cards, the more enthralled we were with the process. So much so that when we found a few batches of 19th century letterpress letters available, we pounced on them like a polar bear on a seal pup. Containing a variety of fonts, letters, numbers and punctuation marks, digging through these antique wooden letters has become the thing to do when visiting the shop. Whether poring through them searching for a name, address, a good size "X" to rest one's coffee cup on, or just to hear the satisfying 'clickety-clack' as they rub together, we have to wonder just how long we'll be able to keep these pups in stock. We've made a portion of our Pearl & Marmalade collection available in our webshop, as for the letters, you'll have to come by the shop to see for yourself.
**Disclaimer: the Otherist takes no responsibilty for 19th century printing ink rubbing off on curious fingers. ☺
It's no secret that if there was a fire in the shop, and I was forced to save only a small number of items, first on my list would be these incredible pieces from artist Mike Libby. After what felt like eons of fantasizing on my part, last year we started stocking them in the shop, and happily our appreciation for these stunning, intricately modified specimens was shared by our customers. So much so that we are happy to announce a batch of new arrivals!
Along with replacements for the popular bumblebee and dragonfly, we also have three new beetles that have to be seen to be believed. As ever, the skill, creativity, and careful workmanship of Mr. Libby leaves me awestruck and salivating for more, like some character from one of J. R. R. Tolkien's tomes -- Smaug or Gollum, I'm unsure which. Am I the dragon, jealously guarding my horde of treasures while wearing too much in the way of jewelry? or a sad, obsessed, bug-eyed mutant who can't bear to let go of my 'Precious'? ... Or perhaps I'm just over-sharing? (...yes, I'm a nerd)
See our collection in the webshop - but to truly appreciate them, come check them out in person at our shop on the Leliegracht. 
I'm afraid that I'm a child of my times in that, when thinking of the Amish, the first thing that springs to mind is Harrison Ford in the movie 'Witness'. Followed closely by thoughts of furniture, of course. So once one is able to banish all thoughts of Harrison Ford (just thinking about the last Indiana Jones movie does the trick), generally all thoughts of the Amish turn to their extraordinary craftsmanship, a craftsmanship that is all the more admirable in light of their unwillingness to rely on modern shortcuts or machines, and also their belief in the beauty of simple yet well made goods.
The brothers of Billykirk share this passion for well-made goods and a timeless aesthetic, and have been designing and working leather in time-honored traditions since 1999. With the assistance of a small group of Amish leather workers they create beautiful leather goods whose quality is apparent in every hand finished stitch and (often vintage sourced) piece of hardware. Billykirk uses only the highest quality domestic or Italian leathers that have been vegetable dyed in the tradition of the Old West, a process that is not only better for the environment but lends itself so well to their designs because of its durability and how it changes and ages over time. The brothers even invite customers to share images of their Billykirk items after they've been 'personalized', and quite frankly from some of the images I've seen, it makes me all the more eager to get that wallet in my back pocket and start doing some 'personalizing'. See our assortment of wallets, card cases, and wristbands in the webshop or stop by our shop on the Leliegracht to see/feel them in person.
