This week, our network of contributors gives us the inside scoop on what living and working on your own terms looks like – no matter where you are in the world. Let's kick things off in Mexico City…
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01. Aaron Changpo's father had a jewelry workshop in Mexico City for 75 years (!). Today, Aaron has his own brand, Varon, with two stores selling gender-fluid pieces that reinterpret pre-Hispanic shapes and symbols. ‘Most craftsmen are between the ages of my dad and grandfather,’ he tells Darcie Imbert (who put together a map of all the places to hit up in CDMX). ‘Which is why it's so important for people of my kind of age to push the art of jewelry-making here.’
02. Darcie also tells us: ‘A 90-minute drive from Mexico City, in the foothills of the Sierra de Tepoztlan, architect Santiago Camarena designed RSVP-only bar Margarita Concept Garden 🌿. There's a subtropical greenhouse packed with exotic plants and an outdoor garden with sculptural concrete benches from which to take it all in.’
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03. More from the natural world: Sam Millen-Cramer, our contributor from Portland, Oregon, highlights that Snow Peak is opening its first campsite in the US (in Washington) later this summer. ‘It looks like Snow Peak is doubling down on the Pacific Northwest as its home outside of Japan. Featuring a spa area nestled in the forest, the renders for the site look quite special.’
04. Sam has his eye on a few other things to do and people to know on the West Coast. ‘Book Section – a free library for art, design and activity-based books in Vancouver. It feels like a great community spot and a surefire way to give access to niche, often expensive books of this nature. On top of that, it feels akin to a reworking of traditional libraries which, as a publicly funded model, often struggle for resources, especially right now. Check out its founder, Donnel Garcia.’
05. ‘Tyler Damato is another good person to know about,’ says Sam. ‘He straddles the food, wine and music scene in Portland. He put me onto Post Familiar Wine, a wine producer in Oregon that partners with small vineyards and producers to create one-off, occasion-based wine. The wines are positioned as a collaborative experiment. Seasoned wine producers can partner up with Post Familiar to create something experimental, with reduced risk. This, alongside the marketing of the wine's release from Post Familiar, unlocks something unique.’
06. And if you're looking for the next destination in wine tourism, head to a little island off the coast of Turkey, Alexandra de Cramer, our Istanbul contributor, tells us: ‘Contrary to the hustle and bustle typically caused by wine tourism, it's definitely got more of an island spirit. Maya Bozcaada restaurant uses only local produce – there's no menu to choose from, all dishes are made daily, fresh from its garden, and are accompanied by house wine from the vineyard [that] customers look over as they eat.’
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GO THERE.
Meet the owner of a secondhand bookstore who moved his shop from a bustling Istanbul district to the quiet island of Heybeliada.
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07. Courier's editor John Sunyer just got back from a month living and working in Marseille. These three brands stood out in a city where lots of exciting things are already going on.
- ‘Hugo Fregoni is a former sheet-metal worker who opened a natural wine bar, Ivresse, in a former garage in Longchamp, an up-and-coming district. It just turned one, and the quality of its guest-chef series and special projects keeps getting better and better.’
- ‘Go for the ice cream, stay for the galvanized steel and mirrored surfaces inside Loulou Monsieur Glace.’
- ‘If you're looking for a caffeine fix or a sit-down meal, Cecile Food Club is just next door. It goes to show how open Marseille is to forward-thinking businesses and brands launching right now.’
08. Elsewhere in Marseille, Jogging combines clothing, design, groceries, bed and breakfast, a cafe, as well as a separate courtyard restaurant. ‘It's the best example of a concept store I've ever come across,’ says John.
09. He also caught up with Zuri Camille de Souza, also known as Sanna Marseille, who might be the only chef who juggles more projects than she's had hot dinners.
How did Sanna Marseille start?
‘Sanna Marseille started as a desire to share the food I love to cook – and eat – with other people. In lockdown, I had a lot of time to think about the food cultures that are part of my heritage and how it isn't what people perceive as “Indian food” in Marseille. Practically, it started as me posting a daily €10 menu on Instagram. People had until 11am to order and then I'd cook, jump on my bicycle and deliver across the city.’
You bring your love of plants, food, aesthetics and sustainability into your cooking…
‘Everything begins with the produce – understanding where it's coming from and who's growing it. I love giving value to the creativity, labor and beauty in everything I work with, from the spices and vegetables to the tableware.’
How does your background inform your cooking?
‘My father was born in Kenya and my mother grew up in Trinidad, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Zambia. They brought all those influences into the food I grew up with in south-west India. I think I had a proper nineties diet! Coca-Cola, bread, pizza and pasta were treats, but I grew up with a local food culture that wasn't globalized yet.’
Check out Zuri's Instagram to keep up with what she's up to.
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10. In Melbourne, supper clubs are especially popular right now, according to Sophie McIntyre. She runs one herself, called Club Sup, which aims to help everyone leave with at least one new friend 🤝. Elsewhere, she says, ‘I love what Read My Blurb is doing. Club Sup alum girlies set up a bi-monthly book club where they prescribe the reading and get together and discuss everything while making new friends.’
11. When the pandemic closed many of Manila's clubs, DJ and producer Patrick Casabuena turned his attention to the world of audio engineering. He's one-third of Fatima Sound Practice, ‘which launched with a two-way speaker, designed for home listening with club sensibilities, with a frame made [using a] local rattan-weaving technique called solihiya’, our local contributor Sai Versailles reports.
12. Sai also fills us in on another business to watch in the Filipino capital. Kurīmu is an experimental ice cream brand that launched in 2022 and has already grown to six locations. Known for its bold flavors and recipes, like miso mascarpone and shoyu (soy sauce) caramel, couple Bryan and Maxine Kong have also experimented with unexpected collabs – Birkenstock and Samsung among them. ‘After Bryan noticed Max mixing collagen into a glass of milk, Kurīmu put out an ice cream with cosmetics brand Shiseido. Strawberry Glow is the Philippines' first collagen ice cream and the inaugural flavor of Kurīmu's wellness category,’ Sai says🍦.
13. RJ Santos is the creative director and designer of eponymous fashion label Randolf Clothing, Sai continues. Originally established in 2013 as a ready-to-wear brand, Randolf shifted to releasing occasional capsule collections and leaning more towards made-to-order pieces after the pandemic. ‘[RJ] takes a resourceful approach to his design process,’ says Sai, ‘whether by transforming traditional embroidered Filipino barong shirts into casualwear or using excess fabric from old work to patchwork new garments.’
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Start Smart: Bringing neon to the masses with Neon Workshops
Richard Wheater wants his studio, Neon Workshops, to be the go-to place for neon lights in the UK, sharing his knowledge and passion for the craft with as wide an audience as possible. Mailchimp and QuickBooks have helped the company streamline operations, allowing it to target the right people and simplifying back-end finances – freeing up Richard to focus on the creative side.
Read the full article here.
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14. In Bangkok, Pam Vivatsurakit has spotted two brands putting a new spin on old products. First up…
- ‘Ringo & Friends is a design-savvy grocery store that stocks awesome stuff from independent artisans. It even makes its own refillable home and personal-care products – everything from shampoo to laundry liquid, all of which are from plant-derived ingredients. You'll also find pantry items (dried chili, fish sauce, palm sugar from local producers) and dishware and home goods you won't find anywhere else. It's not your average grocery store.’
15. And second…
- ‘Blue Ribbon Toys creates toys as lifestyle items, crafted from wood – total eye-candy,’ says Pam. ‘This is a family business now flourishing under the second generation. Instead of bright primary colors, the toys are much more toned-down. What sets its design approach apart is the inclusivity – they're not just for kids. They're designed for everyone – grandparents, parents and children – to make playtime a shared experience.’
16. From Singapore, our contributor Joseph Koh reports.
- ‘After opening popular coffee shop Punch and crêperie Gather, Vincent Teng and Hui Shan Pang are two brand-builders to watch. They've just opened Asaru, a retail shop that holds wagashi – traditional Japanese confectionery – sessions, as well as Paaru, a Japanese-inspired cafe and bakery that feels like a refuge from Singapore's blistering pace of life. Guests can slow down, tuck into housemade shokupan (Japanese milk bread) and savor a cup of coffee.’
- ‘Pharaoh's Horses is a Singapore-based clothing brand started by tattoo artist Feroze McLeod – 11 years after he set up HOUNDS (a barbershop, tattoo studio and coffee shop rolled into one). It's an extension of Feroze's passion for intricate details and storytelling in his tattooing. His first pop-up took place at ORDER, a tattoo parlor in Amsterdam.’
17. Lastly, in Argentinian hospitality, two traditions are making a comeback in a new form, according to Eugenia Ripari, founder of kombucha brand Slug Club.
- First up is the sándwich de miga: a multi-layered sandwich typically made with ham and cheese, egg salad or cheese and tomato 🥪. ‘Sándwiches de miga are cool because they're thin and light; they tend to have two very thin pieces of pan de miga [a crustless bread] outside and one in between,’ Eugenia says. ‘Some of the yummiest of the traditional sándwiches de miga you might find at La Valiente. But now there are little cafes popping up with non-traditional sandwiches de miga, like Sangüich, which offers papa huancaína [Huancayo-style potatoes] or paté de hongos [mushroom paté].’
- Then there's the return of the soda siphon, which used to be commonplace in both homes and restaurants. ‘Today they're making a comeback in certain restaurants that are also serving it with vermouth. SIFÓN built its aesthetic around the siphons, as well as its drinks,’ Eugenia says.
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Elsewhere in Courier:
🤳 On TikTok: BTS at a glass-bending workshop.
💻 Online: A day in the life of food writer Carter Were.
📰 In print: The opportunities in tooth gems, tableware and niche sports.
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