Wherever he goes ...

photo: Mark Glassner

Travel Talk with Wolfgang Lederhaas on the occasion of our collaboration project: the ARRIVÉE - TRAVEL SET.

In this interview Alexandra talks to Wolfgang Lederhaas, the creative head, philosopher and connoisseur of fragrances - the mastermind and founder of LEDERHAAS Cosmetics, Vienna, about the inspiration for his natural cosmetics edition ARRIVÉE and his wanderlust.

WL Franz Schubert set a wanderer’s approach to life to music like hardly anyone else: "I wander, a stranger, from land to land, so homeless, so unknown". The fortunate is he who, "wherever he goes, still stands on his homeland soil”. Throughout the ages, people have lamented their lack of being settled: being settled themselves, with those around them, in near and far places, arriving in life and arriving in mind.

AP So your edition is about arriving...

WL Yes, about homesickness for the world and arriving. For as great as the longing for arriving and being settled is, for peace and being with one another, it is also true that movement and change is life. Arriving does not mean a new Biedermeier, or a return to the old order. Evolution distinctly shows that all is in flow and in change. But it also shows that organisms have ever needed their time to grow, that they are pulsing with life. Life pulsates. Moments of acceleration and pause, healthy exchange with the environment and sustainable health in being with oneself: only when thought together do these poles form an earth. It is no coincidence that Schubert's Wanderer observes nature and sees it as his role model.

AP Some people call you a natural philosopher. And you say that one of the tasks you have set yourself is to connect nature and culture.

WL Nature is origin - in it is arrival. Through breathing and food, fragrance and beauty we are in exchange with it. In the interplay of nature and man, well-being, health, joy, meaning and fulfilment can come about.

AP You often point out that nature is your teacher. You call it an "architect of beauty".

WL We can learn from nature to compose sophisticated and effective natural cosmetics with the building blocks of the natural kingdoms. No soulless laboratory cosmetics, but subtle cosmetics that address skin and senses, body and spirit holistically. In accordance with our principle that ecology, economy, social issues and aesthetics belong together, ARRIVÉE combines the good with the beautiful - for the benefit of mankind and the environment.

AP Do you have a special, personal connection to native plants and raw materials?

WL Yes, the knowledge of the effects of native plants has been incorporated into ARRIVÉE in a special way. Elder and lime are the leading plants of arrivée. Hand-picked ingredients from local plants such as apple, apricot, rose hip, hazelnut, evening primrose and sunflower melt here into a select formulation. arrivée should invite people to enjoy conscious moments of beauty - and the good feeling of having arrived.

AP The cooperation between SAID THE FOX and LEDERHAAS ARRIVÉE was inspiring for both of us.

WL Yes, that's why we describe our collaboration as "Bringing together what belongs together." Our products and projects have a lot in common: a love of craftsmanship, of high-quality domestic raw materials, of timeless design. Exquisite natural cosmetics and the finest Loden material from Alpine handicraft tradition - the good and beautiful are combined here on more than one level.

AP Thank you, Wolfgang, for sharing your thoughts - it is always a pleasure ...

Find out more about our Collaboration Project here.

Get the ARRIVÉE - TRAVEL SET in our webshop; the entire certified ARRIVÉE organic cosmetics range and the entire set is available at LEDERHAAS COSMETICS

Local Heroes.

Eco. Local. Social.

Our organic cotton sleep masks come from the „Green Heart“ of Austria.

Once upon a time, Austria had a flourishing textile industry, with family-run enterprises passing on creations from grandparents to the next generation. And entrepreneurs who created jobs and thus took over responsibility for the economic development in the region.
The Paar family is among the few traditional businesses remaining in this field in Austria. As an Austrian contract producer in the textile industry, you need a fair amount of courage and conviction in a world where everything goes faster and faster, and prices have to be lower and lower, in which tailoring is only rarely valued for what it is worth: craftsmanship. 
The expertise and experience of each and every team member counts. But that alone is by no means enough: it is the care and love that can be felt in the finished workpiece. It is the attentive hands, eyes and also the hearts of the people who carefully place their art at the service of the cause. And it is the brave entrepreneurship of the Paar family that makes it possible to transform expertise, respect, esteem and team spirit into a successful business model. 

For this we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, dearest Paar Family!

In the southeast of Styria, near the pristine river meadows of the Mur, is the headquarters of the Paar family. In their team, 20 talented and motivated women work under family-friendly conditions. The making of our sleeping masks is in their good hands.

Photos: MARK GLASSNER

Meet the Printer-esses.

In this interview Alexandra talks to Bernadette and Barbara, the minds and souls behind Viadukt Screenprints, about arts and crafts in an urban context and our beloved Vienna, the inspiration and motor for concentrated girl power.

We have been working together for more than 3 years, our joint special edition „Lines & Stripes“ was the occasion for this talk.

Viadukt is a connecting factor between art, design, and handcraft. Apart from your own artistic work, through your screen-printing expertise, you give other people the opportunity to realize their designs. That’s great! I once did a training course on screen print with you, and was so impressed by the care and dedication and attention to detail that goes into your work, and it was clear for me: if anyone is ever going to print my designs, I want it to be you! Since then, we have been partners in crime ...

BE  Hey Alexandra, thank you for having us for this talk. 

BA  Yes, sharing is definitely one of the main focuses we have. In 2012 Bernadette moved to NYC for an internship at the Lower East Side Printshop for a few months. Back then she already had the screen print studio in Vienna, but she was interested in seeing other studios with a long tradition in printmaking.

BE  Yes, I had the feeling there must be more, and I was curious to work with other printmakers and artists, museums and galleries. I came back and we reopened the studio in Vienna with a new concept: to share silkscreen knowledge, to help artists and designers create new work and advance their careers. Through the Printshop’s workspace residency programs, artists and designers receive space and time to work, technical assistance, and public exposure. With its exhibitions, fair appearances, and other public programs, the Printshop serves as a junction for artists, designers, collectors, museums, galleries, and educational institutions to access and engage contemporary art and design.

"Lines & Stripes" is a special project for ...SAID THE FOX: Inspired by commission work in the course of a Josef Hoffmann exhibit I found great pleasure in taking up this piece of Viennese history as a subject, and to let myself be inspired by shapes and contents of the WIENER WERKSTÄTTE and finally, to realize it in this light with you, here in Vienna. For me, Vienna is truly inspiring. 

BE   Oh Vienna, my love! What a city. I was born here and honestly spoken - it took me a while to appreciate what the city can offer. I had to travel a lot to conceive the exceptionalities of Vienna and yes, it has many - I could not imagine living anywhere else. Vienna hosts so many extraordinary artists and designers who want to produce and create, and who are good at it.

BA  Yes, I agree, you can be inspired by so many things. But most of the inspirations come from the people who visit us in our studio - the artists and designers. The talks, the project meetings, there are so many ways to conceive art and design. It depends on what you want to do with it.

The subject matter at ...SAID THE FOX is organization and travel; big journeys, but also those small, daily journeys, life itself. Where is your journey going?

BE  When you look at the business side of running a studio like this, it’s an every-day challenge and not always easy. But in the end you have to ask yourself if you are doing something that you really love. And I would definitely say: Yes. We do what we love. A screen print (whether it’s a product or an art work) can bring joy and happiness. For the people who create, for art buyers who install their recently purchased art work on their wall at home and for customers who use the accessory they have recently bought in a design concept store.

BA  Following the vision of sharing silkscreen knowledge, having collaborations with fantastic project likes yours with similar values of quality, fairness and style show us that we are on the right way. Never give up and don’t forget that you always have the choice to change things whenever you want to.

BE  For our next project (which will take place from December until June 2018) we will work with four different artists and 20 youngsters from socially marginalized backgrounds in the age between 15 and 25. The project is called “AUSGEDRÜCKT”, meaning “EXPRESSED” and intends to develop artistic visions with the technique of silkscreen. We are very much looking forward to this and I am very happy that we were selected by SHIFT to realize it.

BA  Besides that, we will continue our printing collaborations, the contract printing and we are also working on new editions with some artists for our Viadukt Edition which can be purchased through our ONLINE STORE, via email kontakt@viadukt.at or at fairs. We just came back from the Editions / Artists’s Books fair in NYC and are delighted by the positive feedback. People want to see screen prints by artists and designers from Austria.

THANK YOU BERNADETTE AND BARBARA / VIADUKT SCREEN PRINTS for your consistent top quality work and for the enthusiasm and love you show for your work! Alexandra / Said The Fox

 Stills and Moving Images: Mark Glassner  Thank you Mark!!

 > find out more about our Lines & Stripes Special Edition

Catch a glimpse behind the scenes of Viadukt Screen Printing Studio.

Travel like ... a DJ!

Travel Talk with Viennese Producer, Musician and DJ, Peter Kruder.

One late summer day at The Guest House Vienna.

For me, listening to your music, your tracks was always like traveling in the mind: close your eyes and off we go... how about you? 

PK For me, music is my diary. Everything I hear blends with the moment I am experiencing at any given time. This was always the case for me, even in my childhood. Sometimes these memories act as a reference for an emotional state I want to reflect in my music. The wonderful thing about this is that the interaction between sounds, notes, and tempi can create images and feelings that apply universally. In its essence, music is the exploration of the psychological map of our inside, and all paths lead to the heart.

A DJ´s life is traveling... does traveling inspire you?

PK After leaving school at some point, I would say travelling is the best way to learn something new. Your capacity to learn is expanded indefinitely in a foreign country, and if you go along with it the benefits of new impressions will have a lasting effect on your life. I love making friends with the locals, they let you experience the country in a more direct way, and often lead you away from the beaten paths. Even though I have been a frequent traveler for a long time, there are still countless places I have not yet seen and experienced. Even in places I have been to before, the changes over time can be clearly seen. If at all possible, one should visit a new country or a new city at least once a year.

A DJ´s life is traveling... how do you get organized? 

PK Every journey starts with the trip to the airport, and I have a really nice driver now, and have for a while. Nothing is worse than starting a trip in a smelly cab with a grumpy driver. Over the years, I have learned to pack in record time. I have a travel kit for short trips which is always ready to go, and a larger version for longer trips. Both contain exactly the same items, only the big one has everything in larger amounts. An ingrained system for hand luggage is useful, because you have to take things out all the time, and efficiency makes it less of a hassle. My hand luggage also holds my DJ equipment, and it’s best to use smaller bags in different shapes, because colors or prints usually can’t be seen in dark clubs anyway. The most important thing though is a valid credit card, in case everything else goes wrong.  

A DJ´s life is traveling... how do you manage to feel at home all over the world?

PK I always travel with a big, warming scarf from India in case the air conditioning is too much, or for the evenings, if the temperatures are unexpectedly low. It is drenched in my favorite perfume, just in case my surroundings don’t smell too good. Noise-cancelling headphones are always in my bag, too, they help turn airports into stages, perfect for people watching. A small stuffed animal, in my case a little bug called Mitzi, who listens to my sorrows when I am down and reminds me of home. Earplugs, for all hotel rooms or clubs that are too loud. A cozy outfit that I like to wear at home, too, in case I need to regenerate at the hotel for a day.  

A DJ´s life is traveling... what’s the best thing about that?

PK The best thing about traveling is coming home with a head full of new impressions, and being happy with the experiences.

It was a real pleasure to spend a very special day with very special people at a very special place... Thank you Peter, Olga, Mark - you guys are simply awesome!!! xoxoxo Thank you Max for your support. And many, many, thanks to Mr. M. Stallmajer for being such a generous and splendid host at his wonderful place The Guesthouse Vienna. Yours, Alexandra

Listen to Peter Kruder´s unique sounds and follow him on SoundCloud:

PETERKRUDER.COM

SOUNDCLOUD.COM/PETERKRUDER

FACEBOOK.COM/PETERKRUDEROFFICIAL

credits: photo credits MARK GLASSNER / location THE GUEST HOUSE VIENNA

Our Loden Story

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A story of innovation and living tradition, of craftsman-ship and existing values. 

At the foot of the Dachstein Mountain, today as 120 years ago, you can find experienced specialists with knowledgeable hands at work:  cotton-like raw wool from Austrian mountain sheep is spun to thread, woven to a lightweight fabric and, with the help of the traditional hammer mill, finally processed into original Schladming Pearl Loden. 

This fabric, which was once developed for functional wear for use in extreme mountaineering, this highest-quality local textile is a wonderfully sustainable material: durable, robust and long-lasting, and yet so fine and soft to the touch. 

100% MADE IN AUSTRIA

Inspired by this "Austrian treasure”: a high-quality textile that thrives here and is produced regionally we created our first travel accessories collection: the COSY LODEN COLLECTION.

At our partner, the traditional family-run business STEINER in Styria, Schladming Pearl-Loden of the highest quality is still produced on the original hammer mill. Finished by hand, by experienced craftsmen. Made from all-natural, undyed wool from Austrian mountain sheep. 

Our warmest thanks go to the Steiner Family and their team for their consistent top-quality work!

Photos: MARK GLASSNER