Copenhagen 10 Cult | An Unforgettable View Amongst Vipp
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
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If you've been next my highlights from Copenhagen, you'll know that I attended a real special Design Tour, which I'm all the same documenting hither on TDC. I was also lucky to extend my trip yesteryear partnering amongst Cult, who laid upward some exciting visits for me amongst their Danish ready partners. One of these was Vipp, who this yr are celebrating their 80th anniversary. An incredible milestone, it was such an accolade to see them at their headquarters, as well as pass fourth dimension at 2 of the renowned Vipp Hotels, which are both designed yesteryear Studio David Thulstrup. I fifty-fifty had the pleasance of staying at i on my in conclusion nighttime inwards Copenhagen. Coinciding amongst the Pb upward to today's exciting launch of the Vipp article of furniture collection inwards Australia, Cult are celebrating inwards way amongst a Vipp Open House at their beautiful Sydney showroom.
Open to earth until Friday, I've provided all the details of the Open House at the terminate of the post. But first, I'm thrilled to live sharing today's write upward next an interview amongst Vipp CEO as well as grandson of the founder, Kasper Egelund. Joined yesteryear Miffy Coady, the managing managing director of Est, nosotros chatted to Kasper within the beautiful Vipp Loft almost the thought behind the hotels, how Vipp expanded from a trash tin into kitchens, furniture, lighting as well as more, as well as what's all the same to come...
— Vipp Hotel —
The Vipp Hotel is non a hotel inwards the traditional sense. Instead of having many rooms inwards i location, Vipp offering unique rooms at diverse destinations, equally a run a peril to experience Vipp products inwards locations out of the ordinary. Following the outset destination, Vipp Shelter, 2 to a greater extent than receive got since opened, Vipp Loft (which nosotros visited) as well as Vipp Chimney House (which I had the pleasance of experiencing outset manus amongst an overnight stay). Kasper says that the hotels are something that he is personally real passionate about. “It's non a showroom, it's non a store. You tin remain at that spot as well as experience it inwards a dissimilar way. I recall it taps to a greater extent than into dreaming as well as having a vision – something that retail stores can't offer. And amongst the cyberspace you lot receive got to recall almost how you lot tin seat yourself. I'm a large believer inwards the experience economy.” You won't observe a 24-hour lobby, a gym, daily housekeeping or fitness facilities at the hotels. Instead, they offering tailored as well as curated pattern destinations, filled amongst Vipp's receive got on design. By engaging amongst the interior of the stunning hotel rooms, including the iconic Vipp Kitchen, the Vipp Hotels furnish a unique experience.
Kasper believes that these experience-driven hotels are a much to a greater extent than interesting concept. It also reflects the Vipp philosophy, that you lot should purchase less, but you lot should purchase better. “We are equally a ready promoting things as well as edifice things that nosotros recall are long lasting, that you lot tin receive got for a long time. Yes, nosotros are premium, but I believe that the experience economic scheme is important, because that's what the hereafter is about. So nosotros volition practise to a greater extent than destinations.” Kasper hints at Commonwealth of Australia as well as of course of didactics I inquire almost NZ (fingers crossed), as well as he also says he dreams of doing i exterior of Milano.
Vipp Chimney House //— photography yesteryear Michelle Halford for TDC
— Vipp Furniture Range —
Kasper showed us some novel article of furniture pieces inwards the Vipp Loft that are all inwards the pipeline, including novel sofas as well as some wooden chairs. He explains that they set prototypes of article of furniture into the Vipp Hotel, therefore it becomes a testing lab of sorts. A identify to invite people to experience them. Of course of didactics it also makes sense to complete a solid amongst furniture, peculiarly when you lot invite people to stay, as well as nosotros learnt that this was component of the catalyst for Vipp's movement into article of furniture when creating the Vipp Shelter. But it also came from a uncomplicated demand to maintain on developing. Kaspar says that staying amongst his grandfather's bin would receive got been real boring... as well as couches as well as chairs are fun to make! Having the correct squad to practise it is also key, amongst Vipp's primary designer, Morten Bo Jensen, having been Kasper's wingman for many years. Dedicated to the same philosophy, Kasper says it's seldom that they are non on the same page.
But rather than doing 8 chairs as well as seeing what works, they pass a long fourth dimension creating fewer, but amend products. A perfect instance is the aluminium chair (Vipp451) which took half-dozen years to create. The pick of stuff as well as industrial experience of the chair fits beautifully into Vipp's universe, as well as it comes inwards a pick of cloth or leather upholstery. I was also real excited to encounter a wooden chair inwards the pipeline. On the movement into forest furniture, Kasper says that equally the hit grows, the curation of products is important. “It's the total moving painting that has to live interesting. And it's non interesting if you lot maintain on refining production amongst the same stuff that my granddad was first-class in, therefore nosotros receive got to challenge ourselves. That agency taking the same principles that Vipp is centered around — details, finish, materials, as well as functionality — as well as using them to create a wooden chair”. In next this process, Kasper's hope is that people volition expect at the chair as well as the bins as well as recognise that they are component of the same family.
— Kasper on his Grandfather's Influence —
Kasper's grandfather, the founder of Vipp, died when he was 10. A real of import figure inwards his childhood, Kaspar says that because he wasn't at that spot during his later, formative years, it wasn't therefore much almost the words he spoke or what he wrote down, but rather the proof yesteryear way of a production that has really stood the attempt of time. Talking of course of didactics almost the iconic pedal bin.... after all, how many other products receive got been produced continuously for lxxx years? “What he left us amongst is that you lot set a lot of attending into these dissimilar materials, how you lot manufacture, the functionality as well as and therefore of course of didactics the shape... as well as therefore you lot tin really practise something that has a real long lifespan... together amongst alone five or 6 other products inwards Kingdom of Denmark today, similar the Lego brick.” No hateful feat! And with Vipp forthwith strongly influenced yesteryear his grandfather's legacy, Kasper hopes he tin move on amongst to a greater extent than products that alive beyond lxxx years. He says this agency passing surely filters, as well as non beingness driven yesteryear fashion, equally this would non live fair to their story, their seat inwards the marketplace seat as well as what they stand upward for.
— Vipp's Position inwards the Current Danish Design Landscape —
By non beingness fashion driven, Vipp is dissimilar to other players who are to a greater extent than trend-based as well as faster paced. Kasper says that at that spot has also been an growth inwards venture capitalists inwards the Danish pattern industry, for skillful or worse. “Maybe it's good, we'll see. Maybe it's non good. But nosotros volition non play that game. We volition play the other game. We volition play what made people purchase as well as appreciate the bin.... it's what has to live brought into everything else nosotros make. And that's the filters.” The Vipp ethos tin live seen on the walls of the Vipp Offices below, as well as of course of didactics inwards the products.
Vipp Offices //— photography yesteryear Michelle Halford for TDC
— Growing a Company into a Successful Global Brand from a Bin —
Vipp is founded on the success of an iconic design, the pedal bin. An incredible success story, Harvard fifty-fifty created a instance written report on it 10 years agone inwards the involvement of educating job concern students. However, when asked what Kasper's advice would live on growing a companionship into such a successful global job concern as well as ready from a production similar a bin, he says that inwards many ways Vipp has non followed the normal path for MBA thinking. He says his best advice is to intermission the rules. So how tin you lot remain truthful to something as well as intermission the rules? “You receive got to observe that flex point. And the fun affair almost job concern is at that spot is no i laid way of how you lot should practise it.” Kasper goes on to explicate that acre there's an agreed brief for a novel production amongst of import features (like the Vipp bin inwards damage of material, details, functionality, quality, etc), you lot should intermission the rules inwards other ways. For Vipp this meant broadening their distribution channels, as well as ultimately going from a trash tin to doing kitchens, furniture, lighting... as well as well, nosotros know the rest.
“Stand inwards something you lot believe inwards as well as and therefore intermission some rules, therefore you lot are different.” — Kasper Egelund
When Vipp went into kitchens 10 years ago, many people, (including internally) disagreed. Their arguments? Everything from it beingness besides far away from the center business, besides complicated, besides risky as well as besides expensive... to worries over needing to receive got to receive got your ain worldwide approved taps as well as integrated appliances. And what was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than risky, was that the thought came upward during the crisis.
Fast forwards 10 years as well as The Vipp Kitchens are forthwith good on the way towards global distribution, amongst xxx sales points — including their latest inwards Singapore opening the twenty-four hr menses before the interview.
— Vipp Products: The Most Important Vs Favourites —
Kasper says that acre Vipp Kitchens are a skillful part, they are non the most of import part, Furniture is forthwith becoming to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than important, equally is lighting. But essentially, it's a mix of everything. And he recall that's what makes Vipp interesting. “Where practise you lot desire to start? Will you lot start amongst the chairs or the lamps, or the bin, or the kitchen, or the couches? You tin start anywhere you lot desire as well as nosotros tin hope you lot that they all ready on the same recipe”.
When I asked Kasper if he had a favourite product, he likened it to choosing a favourite kid — he as well as his married adult woman Heidi, who also industrial plant at Vipp inwards Human Resources receive got 3 kids, 2 girls as well as a boy. “Vipp is my 4th child. It agency a lot. I don't really receive got a favourite but of course of didactics I volition cite the bin because it's a recipe of the rest. It's where it all began”. He goes on to state that this is why they volition never sell out to individual equity, "because this is non exactly a slice of trade for sale. This is life dedication. How could you lot practise that to a child?”
He as well as therefore adds “Personally I tin encounter from the in conclusion eighteen years that I've been amongst the company, we've never pulled a production from the market.” While something may live a large hit, as well as something else less of a hit, it's clear that every production has a story, as well as that Kasper feels a connection amongst every i of them.
— The Biggest Challenge for the Business —
With therefore many brands as well as therefore much noise, Kasper says the biggest challenge they appear upward is getting the discussion out. “The globe is total of many, many brands screaming, as well as Instagram as well as Facebook. It's a real competitive world. So how practise you lot observe your border as well as how practise move relevant? That's a challenge. So spreading the word, finding your seat inwards the market. And of course of didactics beingness identify unit of measurement owned amongst express resources as well as large ambitions, that volition live a challenge”. Despite the daily race as well as lots of competitors, Kasper has no incertitude that they'll move on to observe their seat inwards the marketplace seat through skillful products, motivated people, large goals, as well as yesteryear pushing ahead. “We receive got that payoff that nosotros tin recall long term. And I recall the employers appreciate that”. Speaking of which, I was therefore impressed yesteryear both the electrical flow as well as yesteryear employees I receive got met at Vipp. Their cognition as well as passion for the ready is infectious, as well as this is something that Kasper says is for him, a personal mensurate of success — fostering people who are loyal, motivated, challenged as well as happy. “I remove heed from ex-employees who state they had the best fourth dimension here. Some of them move on to corking careers elsewhere but it's non the same because we're identify unit of measurement owned. My sis is involved, my mum is involved. It is my extended family, that's how nosotros run it. If they tin halt as well as expect dorsum as well as state wow, this was the best identify I e'er worked. Well, that is the goal.”
— Vipp's lxxx yr Milestone —
As mentioned earlier, this yr Vipp celebrates its remarkable 80th anniversary. To celebrate the incredible milestone, they commissioned French creative somebody Vahram Muratyan to pay tribute to Vipp's Danish roots, amongst colourful metropolis silhouettes that unfold across a Limited Edition lxxx Years Anniversary Bin. They also collaborated amongst Mikkeller Brewery, a real good respected beer ready inwards Kingdom of Denmark to create a special beer can, served to guests at the Vipp Hotels. Kasper adds “We may practise more, the yr is non over yet”!
The Vipp Beer Can Collab amongst Mikkeller to Celebrate lxxx years
— The hereafter amongst Vipp —
When asked what the hereafter holds for Vipp, Kasper exactly answers “Many things”. Seeing how far he has taken the companionship inwards the in conclusion fifteen years, I receive got no incertitude this is true! “We were 2 people as well as a trash can, amongst real lilliputian manufacture know-how as well as few resources, as well as nosotros came to here. We receive got no excuses for non doing 3 times equally much now. We receive got a corking team, as well as the ball is rolling”. He goes on to state that they volition maintain putting i pes inwards forepart of the other, amongst some lawsuit as well as error, some breaking of rules, as well as at times trying to hitting the ball exterior of the fence. Never playing besides safe. Always taking chances.
Huge cheers to Cult as well as the Vipp squad for an unforgettable visit. Spending my in conclusion nighttime inwards Copenhagen at the Vipp Chimney House was the perfect way to circular off an incredible trip.
Cult's Vipp Open House is currently opened upward for viewing at the Sydney showroom, where the novel hit of Vipp article of furniture as well as soft furnishings is on display. Nicholas, from Vipp APAC, volition receive got visitors on a tour of the infinite telling the floor of the novel collection.
The Open House runs through to Friday, sixteen November.
Photography yesteryear Michelle Halford for TDC