—
BABY BEAR
AX2700
640 X 460
(MORE OR LESS)
—
MUMMY BEAR
AX2600
1900 X 1150
(MORE OR LESS)
THE STORY OF THE BEAR
63,5CM - 24,8IN
187,5CM - 73,82IN
35CM - 13,78IN
111,5CM - 43,70IN
MILAN, JULY 2013 DUOMO SQUARE;
AT A CAFE’ TABLE
SITTING WITH PATRICK VOSSEN
OUTSIDE THIS FAMOUS TRADITIONAL
COFFEE SHOP. WE HAVE ONE HOUR
TO SPARE BEFORE GOING FOR
DINNER SOMEWHERE. HIS FATHER
WILL BE WAITING FOR US WITH SOME
PEOPLE WE ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW.
MOST LIKELY DESIGNERS.
THE TEMPERATURE IS ABSOLUTELY
PLEASANT, YET WE ARE SWEATING A
BIT OVER OUR “APERITIVO”. MILAN’S
DUSK IS FALLING SLOWLY ON THE
SQUARE. THERE, I RECKON IS, THE
FIRST TIME I HEARD PATRICK TALKING
ABOUT “THE BEAR”.
“ONE NICE THING I WANT TO MAKE
FOR THE AXIS71 COLLECTION IS
THE BEAR”
I DON’T REMEMBER EXACTLY IF WE
WERE SPEAKING ITALIAN, PROBABLY
YES BECAUSE I ASKED MYSELF
WHETHER PATRICK WAS USING
THE WORD “ORSO” (THE ITALIAN
FOR BEAR) MEANING ALTOGETHER
SOMETHING ELSE. I WONDERED
WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS
MIND, AT THAT TIME.
“A “BEAR”?
“YEAH, A BIG WHITE BEAR, A
BIG ONE.”
“WHAT DO WE NEED A BEAR FOR?
THEN, WHY A BEAR INDEED?
PATRICK IS VERY PASSIONATE WITH
THE THINGS HE SAYS. OBVIOUSLY
HE HAS A STRONG IDEA IN MIND.
THOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE
VISION IS NOT CLEAR. NOT YET.
“IT IS A GIANT OBJECT , SOMETHING
TO EMBODY THE CHARACTER OF THE
BRAND. IT IS SYMBOLIC. A KIND OF
AMBASSADOR.”
I ALWAYS LISTEN CAREFULLY TO
IDEAS THAT SEEM IRRATIONAL. I
BELIEVE IN THE GIFT TO SAY STRANGE
THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME, IS TO
BE CONSIDERED A SIGN OF SANITY.
IT IS NOW TIME TO LEAVE THE
PLACE TO MEET HIS FATHER AT
THE RESTAURANT.
I’M THINKING ABOUT “THE BEAR”
AND A WHOLE WORLD OPENS
BEFORE MY EYES...
