Dreaming Dutch

After visiting their envy-inducing loft style showroom in Cape Town’s Green Point, we thought we would find out more about Label Orange, the new one-stop agent for Dutch contemporary fashion and lifestyle brands in South Africa.

Established in 2011 in Amsterdam by Choi Mi Chung and Jonathan Ursem, the company acts as a PR, marketing and sales agency for exclusively Dutch brands with cool products that are smart, beautifully designed and suited to the local market.

After years working in creative industries, the young couple, with a heart for fashion, design, art, and cool places are bringing the best of Dutch to our doorsteps.

At present, Label Orange is the exclusive distributor for the following brands, and there will no doubt be many more to come.

Artists not Armies:

Artists Not Armies is a new concept brand, launched by Dutch artist Alexander Tempel in 2010 in Amsterdam. He is not your typical designer. Nor artist. Nor entrepreneur. He studied Law, finished it, became an entrepreneur and painter and then decided to create Artists Not Armies. The brand produces quality canvas bags that are all carrying that one simple phrase: Artists Not Armies. The text is inspired by an old time favourite: make love not war.

Watch this space for collaborations with South African artists.

Cowboysbelt and Cowboysbag:

Cowboysbelt was founded in 1980 and has since become a leading fashion brand. The belts are handmade and specially treated to get a unique result. Their thinking is that in a mechanized world, the belts help you to remember that handmade quality has beauty and personality impossible to replace.

Cowboysbelt indeed has a sturdy basic collection of belts that wouldn’t look out of place in a cowboys outfit, but that’s all that links to a cowboy. The name mainly refers to their innovative and characteristic approach to designing – constantly trying out new techniques, dryings and washings.

In 2002, they also started making very nice leather bags.

Droog:

Started in 1993 when founders Gijs Bakker and Renny Ramakers decided to showcase the work of young Dutch designers during Salone del Mobile, the company is now the biggest name in Dutch design. With worldwide stores and collaborations, their interior and exterior accessories, lighting and furniture are widely admired. The brand works following the motto that everything they do is always beautifully designed, always smart, always sober: Dutch design in its purest form.  

Dutchtub:

Floris Schoonderbeek graduated from ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, The Netherlands, with the Dutchtub in 2002. The Dutchtub is a mobile wood-fired hottub, produced in series for worldwide sale and rent, deriving from the desire to reinvent and utilise public spaces. Teaming up with designer Dick van Hoff in 2007 the two founded Weltevree – a Dutch design firm that develops and produces authentic, quality products for the living environment.

The Dutchtub is a lightweight (75 kg) outdoor hottub, heated by an open fire in the spiral. Although it requires 600-800 litres of water and 30 minutes to heat up, the water can easily be re-used and the product will last at least 40-50 years standing outside year round!

Be sure to keep yourself in the loop about all these super cool products available from Label Orange.  We definitely will be!

More info: www.labelorange.com