• Nude Ateljé is crafting stories through space

    Written by Natalia Muntean

    Eva-Lotta Axelsson, founder of Nude Ateljé, describes her brand as a storyteller of spatial experiences, where architecture and life intertwine. “Rooms are performances,” she explains, “with layers that magnify over time, inviting subtle mannerisms and inhabitation.” Drawing inspiration from the uncultivated beauty of Alvaret’s limestone landscapes and the wild creativity of old fashion houses, where production, studio, and shop coexisted, Axelsson infuses her designs with a sense of timeless exploration. This philosophy is embodied in the NOTKATE sideboard, a sculptural piece born from a collaboration with a Stockholm boutique hotel. What began as a humble sketch on a plane evolved into a bold, functional design that balances elegance with playfulness. Crafted from materials like birch, concrete, and corten steel, the sideboard reflects Nude Ateljé’s commitment to blending aesthetics and functionality. “The result is a piece with enough confidence to fill a room by itself,” Axelsson says, “yet with the grace to team up alongside any other furniture.” Rooted in traditional craftsmanship and inspired by the interplay of space and life, the NOTKATE sideboard is a testament to Nude Ateljé’s vision of creating enduring, lived-in narratives.

    Natalia Muntean: The sideboard was born from a collaboration with a boutique hotel. Can you share more about how collaborations influence your design process and the unique challenges or opportunities they present?
    Eva-Lotta Axelsson:     We listen. A lot, and often. The customer is central to everything we do; we usually say that we interpret the assignment based on location, function, and client. Testimony to these values is our projects with boutique hotels and the one with Dennis Pop Awards, for which we created one of our lamps, Chimes of Light. The lamp was originally created for the auction at the 2017 Denniz Pop Awards. This lamp is our tribute to a talented and inspiring late music producer. We aim for this piece to embody the same warmth and brilliance he represented, honouring his legacy. It features thirty hand-turned walnut pendulums, each adjustable in height, dimmable, and emitting a warm glow. With these kinds of projects, my intention is to broaden the idea of creation, to inspire but also to be inspired. Then sustainability and quality are equally important, both in terms of materials and people.

    The process begins with meeting the person for whom the room is for. I love observing them from every angle, carefully absorbing their world. Then I ask them a series of questions: what do you want to do in the room? How do you want it to feel when you leave it? When I have explored all this, I create a mood board, a one-pager, which we agree on as the strategy ahead, and then the drawing begins. Observing spatial culture and creating tailored spaces go hand in hand with Nude Ateljé’s anthropological pursuit, an investigation that gets translated into a collection of products. There is a fascinating process to unpack, maybe strategically framed as a day in the life of observations and qualitative questions.

    NM: The sideboard features materials like birch, concrete, travertine, corten steel, and hardened glass. What inspired this specific combination of materials, and how do they complement each other in terms of aesthetics and functionality?
    ELA:     The common theme in our material expressions is elegance, eclecticism, and boldness, often accompanied by a degree of dissonance and friction. This creates a sense of tension and contrast. The products we design are objects where aesthetics and functionality are given equal consideration.

    NM: Given that the NOTKATE sideboard is handmade, what role does traditional craftsmanship play in its creation, and how do you ensure consistency and quality across each piece?
    ELA:     The NOTKATE sideboard is a testament to the art of traditional craftsmanship. Each piece is carefully handcrafted by our small team of skilled artisans, who have years of experience working with solid wood. We value classic woodworking techniques, ensuring that every detail, from sturdy joints to a smooth finish, reflects our commitment to quality. At the same time, we’ve refined our process to keep each sideboard consistent while preserving the wood’s natural look and character. We follow clear design guidelines and use specialised tools to ensure precision, but we never hide the wood’s unique grain patterns that make every piece one of a kind.

    Before leaving our workshop, each sideboard is carefully inspected to make sure it meets our high standards. The result is a piece that highlights the warmth and beauty of natural wood, crafted to last for years to come.

    NM: Nude Ateljé is known for experimenting with innovative materials. How do you decide which materials to work with, and what role do sustainability and durability play in these choices?
    ELA:     Nude Ateljé has a distinct eye for creating life, discovering specific approaches through an anthropological process that starts with collecting materials. The work results in translations between inside and outside and the spaces in between rooms. For us, sustainability and durability are centred around longevity, using materials that outlast us, and improve over time with a natural patina and can be repaired or repurposed. For example, wood can be sanded and refinished multiple times. For NOTKATE we buy whole trees that we dry in the carpentry, from where we form the construction, the base and top of the object. Our room scent ‘Forest Temple’ is created with leftover wood from the production of the sideboard.

    NM: Are there any upcoming projects, materials, or design concepts that you’re particularly excited about?
    ELA:     There are a lot of interesting things happening right now, and we are working on both residential and commercial projects, developing the architecture part, our furniture collections and the carpentry at the same time. We might even explore working with other materials and mediums going forward.
    We are particularly excited about “Grundvik,” a concrete house where we have worked on both the architecture and interior design. This house will showcase Nude Ateljés' entire universe, encompassing architecture, interiors, and curated objects. It will serve as a “moment of truth” - a proof point of our narrative, positioning, and principles.

  • images courtesy of Trinny London

    Trinny Woodall: Reinventing Beauty, One Stack at a Time

    Written by Sandra Myhrberg

    From fashion makeovers on television to redefining the beauty industry, Trinny Woodall has always been at the forefront of transformation. As the founder of Trinny London, she has built a brand that champions innovation, personalization, and empowerment—helping women feel their best at every stage of life. In this interview, Trinny shares the inspiration behind her beauty empire, the challenges of building a global brand, and how she continues to push boundaries with technology, sustainability, and skincare-first solutions. With a fearless approach to business and an unwavering commitment to her customers, Trinny proves that reinvention isn’t just possible, it’s essential.

    Trinny, you’ve had such a dynamic and diverse career—from television to founding a global beauty brand. What inspired you to create Trinny London, and how did your personal experiences influence its core philosophy?
    I started my career in finance and in my 30s, I realised I wanted to make over women and take them on a journey of evolution. So I started that part of my career as a journalist and I wrote for many years for the Daily Telegraph. I did a column called Ready to Wear, which turned into a TV show for the BBC called What Not to Wear — I did that for 10 years. I spent 20 years going all around the world making over women and the question that I was most asked was, ‘what colours suit me?’ The first thing that a woman can accept in herself in a makeover is the change in her makeup and I realised then the impact you could have by switching up her makeup and the idea for Trinny London was born from the inspiration of these women. To offer portable, personalised makeup that was joyful, effortless and inspiring.

    Starting a beauty brand in an already competitive market is no small feat. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the early days, and how did you overcome it?
    I think I learnt many things from an online business I started a few years before I started Trinny London. I learnt a lot about what I would not do at Trinny London and one of those things was hiring people who are too senior, too soon. This helped me grow my team on a slower scale when I started Trinny London. Another key lesson is understanding exactly what your proposition is in order for your business to grow. If I look at the mistakes I’ve made since launching Trinny London, there has been product development that hasn’t become a product. This could be down to something going wrong in the development or manufacturing process. It’s a big moment to have to decide to abandon a project because we think the product isn’t good enough for the brand.

    Trinny London champions an innovative, stackable makeup concept. How did you come up with this unique idea, and why do you think it resonates so deeply with women globally?
    I was constantly travelling during my television days and had to bring so many products with me. I used to put formulas into pots to bring with me and that’s where the idea of stacks was born!

    With Match2Me, you brought personalization to a new level in the beauty industry. How did the idea for this technology come about, and how do you envision it evolving in the future?
    Your skin is not your best friend’s skin, so always think about what you should do for yourself – not what your friend has just bought. That’s why we developed our innovative Match2Me technology. Customers can use Match2Me to identify the exact formulas that are best for their skin and the makeup colours that suit them best. 

    Sustainability is becoming a growing focus in the beauty industry. How does Trinny London incorporate sustainability into its product design and business practices?
    Our skincare is completely refillable, so no need to throw yours away when you run out. Simply order your refill, reuse your pump and recycle your cartridge.

    From foundations to skincare, Trinny London has been expanding its product range. What’s the process behind introducing new products, and how do you ensure they align with the brand’s ethos?
    We set out to inspire and educate our customers to go on a skincare-first journey and deliver innovative formulas made in our own labs, sourcing ingredients from around the world. Whether we are developing the next-generation neck concentrate or our latest BFF hybrid tinted serum, we always start with the issue we want to solve. We then consider the best inci list, the feel, texture and most importantly, clinical results that make our customers feel they have found “the one.”

    You often talk about empowering women to feel confident at any stage of their lives. How do you hope Trinny London contributes to this message of empowerment?
    Our mission is to give everyone the tools they need to fearlessly feel their best. Fearlessness to me means having that faith in myself. It frees me up to knock on the next door without knowing for sure what’s behind it. We are all capable of more than we realise. Finding ways to embrace and amplify our self-belief brings us the clarity to know what we want and the confidence to get us there. And once we have it, we can keep moving forward.

    What has been the most rewarding feedback or story you’ve heard from a customer who uses Trinny London products?
    “Every moment, I choose Joy” - Sherin. Sherin was a very special member of the Trinny Tribe community, who one of our Lip2Cheek shades is named after. Sherin’s words instantly captured our ethos to support, educate and inspire people to be their best.

    Many women see you as an inspiration not just in beauty, but as an entrepreneur. What advice would you give to women who want to start their own businesses but may be hesitant to take the first step?
    I started Trinny London at age 50 and I think it’s never ever too late to have that journey of being an entrepreneur. Your age is the least relevant thing. It’s about your passion when you get up in the morning. It’s about the energy you bring into a room. It’s about the conviction you have about what you’re doing.

    The beauty industry is rapidly changing with trends like AI, personalization, and a focus on skincare. Where do you see the future of beauty heading, and how is Trinny London preparing for that future?
    There are many ways that AI can be immeasurably helpful as a D2C brand and we’re spending a lot of time researching. I’m excited about how we can continue using AI to advance our industry-leading personalisation tool, Match2Me. I want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to see what suits them.

    What’s next for Trinny London? Are there any exciting projects, collaborations, or product launches we can look forward to?
    What’s next is, what is next…

    images courtesy of Trinny London
  • photography Fraser Thorne

    Franc Moody’s Chewing the Fat: A Raw, Honest Evolution of Sound

    Written by Maya Avram by Nicole Miller

    With the release of their new album Chewing the Fat, Franc Moody’s ubiquitous sound has become somewhat introspective. From sonic references that nod to the duo’s rich British heritage to close collaborations with friends and family to produce gripping artwork, the duo present their most personal record yet.

    Maya Avram: Tell me about the creation process of Chewing the Fat. Where did the name come from?

    Ned Franc:     This album is probably the most raw and honest record we’ve ever done, both sonically and lyrically, which makes it the most powerful, in a way. We felt that Chewing the Fat, [meaning] general discourse — whether it be light or heavy — shows the creation process of the record.

    Jon Moody: Also, it leans into the idea of sharing your process with other people. When you’re “chewing the fat,” you’re having a natter with whoever it is, addressing things with other people, with family, friends and support — [the name] is quite a nice way to turn that process into a lighter statement.

    At the end of the [Into the Ether] campaign, we found ourselves slightly going through the motions, restricted in the kind of sonics we were writing and what we thought was Franc Moody. So it was time for a shift up, scale everything back and go back to the drawing board. We had a long, hard think about what we wanted to be, [revisiting] everything including the live setup. Now the band is smaller and the act is more direct, aligning with the style of writing we wanted to achieve — a bit more raw, a bit tougher, with less disco elements — and easier to digest, in many ways.

    NF: Sometimes having a smaller amount of tracks, fewer elements, gives the sound a greater power.

    MA: You announced the release of Chewing the Fat at the end of last year while on tour with your previous album. How much did working on it intertwine with performing previous material? Did it help in the evolution of the Franc Moody sound?

    JM: It’s been interesting. The new songs are hitting nicely and it feels like they’ve come together exactly how we wanted them to. Playing the older tunes, which have an older format, required us to rework our approach. But it’s been great, it gives them a new lease of life. It’s been quite a fun process.

    MA: Themes that come up throughout the album revolve around legacy, both in terms of your British identity and the development of your new sound. How do you balance that with global influences like disco and electronic?

    JM:     It’s something we set out to do from the word go, actually. We wanted to fit into that world while appealing to multiple cultures, have the sound be acceptable to a lot of people but not sit within the pop mainstream. We want our sound to have its quirks and characters and be as honest as possible. The British thing has worked better abroad, which is funny.

    NF: People used to think we were a solo French man. All that ambiguity adds to it a certain mystique, I suppose, which is important sometimes.

    JM: I mean, [when we started] the project, we were listening to the likes of Daft Punk and Jamiroquai, which have a huge global reach while the sound is very punchy, direct tunes that can be listened to anywhere. Things have morphed and changed a lot since then, but that was very much at the forefront in the beginning of the project.

    MA: The album is very dreamy as well; there’s a sense of optimism to it.

    JM: We rent the studio here in London from Damon Albarn, [lead singer of] Blur and Gorillaz, so we’ve got access to their synth cupboard, which is amazing. There have been a couple of weapons that we’ve dusted off from this in writing Chewing the Fat, like tough guitars and bass, more direct drums, which lend that dreamy soundscape. I don’t know about you, Neddie, but I think this record is the closest we’ve got to where we want the sound to be.

    NF: When you do an album, you want to complete it knowing where you’re at in that moment, and with this one, we definitely did. This feels like a very realised project.

    MA: In addition to the album release, what are you excited about for the future?

    JM:     Personally, I’m excited about opening up the live vessel and realising the potential of the new setup. The way it’s structured now expresses the real personality and flair of everyone on stage, and that’s an exciting thing. I hope that it can grow, and so our amazing drummer, Dan, bassist Rosetta, and Ned and I can find our personalities within that, and that it shapes the next record, too.

    NF: I agree. Every record we do is like the start of a new era, a new look, a new production, a new sonic, and now new personnel as well, and this one’s the same, and we’re at the very beginning of it. So I’m excited to see where it goes and where it takes us because I feel so proud of the record. I can’t wait for people to listen to it.
     

    Link: 
    Stream Chewing the Fat now.
    photography Fraser Thorne

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