The MIH watch is a miracle of know-how, technology and design. That said, it’s the opposite of brash – there’s nothing to give away what’s inside the case. The MIH is a voyage of discovery. I like that.
My good friend Kevin Blanc www.kevinblanc.com bought himself one some time ago, and it’s because he did that I met Christian, I bought my ilmias and I’m now writing this blog.
PETER MÜLLER garments go with anything, and their prints and accessories are fab. They insist on handcrafting everything in Switzerland, which I really applaud.
After trying everything in their Basel workshop and buying a shawl, I had a chat with the label’s partners.
LM: So, tell me about this PETER MÜLLER guy.
PM: Well, it’s not a ‘he’, and it’s actually two people: PETER MÜLLER is the design duo Cornelia PETER and Nicole MÜLLER.
LM: What makes PETER MÜLLER stand out from the crowd?
PM: PETER MÜLLER fashion is very wearable, timeless yet contemporary.
LM: Your names go well together – who does what in your partnership?
PM: Both do everything, and everything is done by both!
LM: What does PETER MÜLLER dream of?
PM: Beautiful fabrics, sultry summer evenings, soft pillows…
This trainer manufacturer has a wonderful story, and ilmia is one of the reasons for my blog. Time for a chat with designer Christian Gafner.
LM: How did you come across ilmia?
CG: It was back in 2004; I was delighted to find something on the internet that was not being marketed. It felt like I was the first person to discover it – it gave me the feeling I could be different from everyone else. I ordered a pair, wore them a long time, then ordered another pair, then another.
LM: How does someone get to be a trainer manufacturer?
CG: I don’t make the ilmias myself – they’re handcrafted in Germany. But my technical know-how as an industrial designer really helps. That said, I had to learn a lot about how trainers are made. Like the wristwatches I’ve been involved in (the MIH watch and Porsche Design), the ilmias need a whole lot of individual components that have to be developed and ordered from the right people. Maybe I have a shoe gene – my grandfather made footwear, too.
LM: What’s the most important thing for you when you’re designing?
CG: The challenge of product design is how to achieve reduction. It’s harder to cut something out than to overload a product. When it comes to creating something that endures, function and quality are just as much part of the equation as the choice of materials.
LM: How do you see ilmia going forward?
CG: I hope to make a contribution to the ilmia story by continuing to design authentic and distinctive products.
The Thing I like: wearing my brown and white pairs with my wide-legged jeans and my blazer from Tatjane.
By way of an opener, ilmia and friends go on a road trip to Leipzig – to the Designers’ Open 2010.
Alongside the ilmias, the bags are full of MIH, Holundria, PETER MÜLLER, Wald-Haus, Indiana, Andreas Saxer Designworks and Lea Montini’s things. I’m looking forward to presenting my friends and telling you all about the Designers’ Open.
The first Thing you need when you’re starting up: personalised business cards…
Thanks to its special technology, MOO allows you to print a different image on every pack’s worth of cards or stickers. I decided to up my green credentials by using 100% recycled/recyclable biodegradable business cards manufactured using wind power and free from harmful chemicals. The card feels great and the print is perfect.
The Thing I like: I used the MOO technology to number each of my card.
…to my blog. A great restaurant, a store in Brooklyn and well-fitting trainers are the three things that prompted me to start my collection and tell their stories.
I like objects and places that have been created with quality and authenticity in mind – and realised with care. Above all, these are things that make me smile.
I hope you enjoy.