Less than a month to go before the next edition of showUP and GGR is really getting exited about this unique boutique trade event, which features the best of Dutch gift and home designers under one roof, alongside a fantastic selection of suppliers from other countries. The show will run from September 2 – 3 at the Expo Haarlemmermeer exhibition center close to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport.
click here to register for free on their English language website
Long renowned as industry innovators for their designer genius and top-notch eco-friendly credentials, the Dutch have been holding this gem of a show quite close to their chests but we reckon it’s time for the Brits to get right on board with one of our closest European neighbours.
The exhibition will feature more than 400 international brands, Dutch labels and new designers, presenting the most up-to-the-minute products and an insight into the latest trends in home and gift retailing. Anyone who’s been to Amsterdam (a short and inexpensive hour’s flight for most of us in the UK) will realise that the concept store format so crucial to successful contemporary retailing found one of its first homes in the super-cool Dutch capital.
As the premier buying show for home and gift in the Netherlands, showUP is the best place to up your own cool credentials and be inspired to manifest your own exciting merchandising concepts on Britain’s high streets. “The Store” concept feature will demonstrate how retailers can create a themed store of the kind that the international style-centre of Amsterdam is famous for, using concept, styling and collection.
The theme for “The Store” this year is New traditions: traditional crafts with a contemporary design. Craftsmen and woman will be at work in “The Store” producing fine quality arts, whilst the master painters of Heinen Delfts Blue will be hand painting china. Dutch designer Floris Hovers shows his tractors, made of daily waste and rest materials.
With the growing number of exhibitors presented over two halls, international brands like Stelton, Ferm Living and Men’s society will join some of Holland’s greatest brands, including: &Klevering, Puik and Anna+Nina.
Scandinavian design is well represented. This popular design style is still growing and brands like House Doctor, Moebe, Lakrids and Kreafunk are present. In coorporation with the Danish chamber of commerce showUP hosts a Danish pavilion with (currently) less known brands. Outstanding British companies are also represented at showUP, including the awesome Chase & Wonder.
As the key British media partner for this wonderful event we bring you an exclusive preview and a taste of what’s to come.
Meesie – Stand number A.15
The Meesie jewllery collection is based on the hand drawn animal aquarelle illustrations of the lovely artist, Bintje. The charms, medallions and signet rings are handmade by her silver smith based on original sketches from 925 silver and 24k gold over silver.
Happy Whatever – Stand E.273
This great publisher offers unique greeting cards for special occasions and people. The ‘Happy Hugs` collection consists out of unique greeting cards that you can fold in to beautiful geometric vases you can put over a bottle or glass.
Impossible Bottle – Standnummer F.292
The Impossible Bottle by Tijmen Grooten offers impossible art design as a unique gift item or designer object for in your living room. Handmade bottles containing objects that do not fit through the bottle-neck. The shape of the impossible bottle creates a strong illusion of impossibility because of the combination of small bottle-necks, triangle trunks, round bottoms and square cubes.
ANHÄNGSEL – Stand number B.152
The cheerful mini-vases from Anhängsel can be applied everywhere and can be purchased in 2 types. Make your interior hip with these vases, ideal for airplants, in all kinds of colors. For outdoor, use the special version with a hollow, so you can apply it to your bike, railing, boat and many more nice places! Anhängsel is already a big hit in Germany, now it’s the turn of the Netherlands!
Sagstrom & Co – Stand G.367
Take a Swedish designer and a Dutch artist/illustrator, send them to Nepal and you just know something beautiful is on the horizon. Sagstrom & Co is an initiative of Rebecca Sagström (Swedish) and Jose Marcus (Dutch).
Véritable – Stand D.246
Véritable offers a collection of gardens for inside the house, tapping into a key millennial trend for grow-your-own, eco-friendly living. These are ideal for the modern consumer who has no time for gardening, but likes to have fresh vegetables and herbs in their kitchen. The Véritable vegetable garden has it all. The hightech LED light stimulates growth and tasteful vegetables and herbs.
woodUmix – Standnummer B.112
woodUmix, or simply just WUM, is classical Danish design building on the strong crafting traditions in Scandinavia. A collection of lamps is the starting point, but more will follow in the coming years. The characteristics of their products are simplicity, high quality and consistency in design, but with a twist. They try to think out of the box in order to present new designs. All products are made locally. This makes the production very flexible and gives the possibility of offering customization. For the moment a large variety of colours, but size and shape will be the next step.
theyellowpenguin.nl – Stand C.185
These wooden draft animals are handmade in Germany by Uwe, who is a smith by profession.
The animals all have large wheels, edges of rubber and contain an contra balance in the body, which makes them very stable and because of the weight it will always stand up. The animals are nice for in house, but because of their robust properties can also be taken outside.
Clayform – Stand B.196
Clayform is a lifestyle brand established by Signe Bailey in Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s mission is to create by design, and craft timeless ceramic products that are relevant. The result is an ecosystem of objects that extend in various directions from a principal focus on quality of life in the home. This combined with inspiration from the systems of the human body continues a passion for producing artefacts that become part of our clients own personal stories.
Wallchart Unlimited – Stand C.163
The original paintings by Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek, which served as the basis for the well-known dutch biology school charts of the past, are available at Wallchart Unlimited as ‘custom wallpaper’ and as ready made wall charts. The reproductions of the wall charts are of a high quality and ideal to immerse house or bedroom in a warm natural environment. The brushstroke of the painter Koekkoek is clearly distinguishable in the products, thats how good they are. The Wallchart Unlimited collection includes more than 30 biology school charts. Some of them are also available as custom wallpaper murals.
