Modern farms, Moroccan vinyl and streetwear on tour

Plus, what's next for the outdoors industry in China. Friday 19 May 2023 [View in browser]( / [Sign up]( We dive into new farming models, from specialty tea plantations to Chicago's urban agriculture. Plus, the next streetwear brands to know – and what other industries can learn from their community building. And be sure to scroll to the end for a little Friday brain massage 😎. 1. A chance meeting at a fashion shoot and a shared love for brightly colored tablescapes inspired Alice Moireau and Caroline Perdrix's company [Table]( – a Marseille-based brand that sells homeware in playful colors and patterns. While there's a big focus on quality craftsmanship, they launched it on a shoestring budget, Alice [told us]( 🍽️. ‘I knew graphic designers and web developers, who generously created our site for us for pretty cheap.’ TRY IT. Launching a business can be a little easier with the help of friends – or a professional network. We've got tips on how to [expand your circles]( in a meaningful way. 2. [Gustaf Westman]( – the designer behind TikTok's favorite bubble plates and wavy-framed mirrors – isn't afraid of a little color. He just designed a cheery outdoor wine bar [under a bridge]( in Stockholm (but it's a [cool bridge](. 3. And you'll find just-opened [Tangier Records]( a vinyl store that stocks new releases and rare Moroccan music, behind a bright-pink door in the city's medina. 4. [Spout]( is a countertop device that makes fresh drinking water out of air (up to 2.5 gallons per day 😱). The idea came after the founder's parents' farm was impacted by droughts in California. 5. New Zealand brand [Picker's Pocket]( works directly with specialty tea plantations in Sri Lanka to source unique varieties, while running a revenue share scheme for workers. 6. Chicago's artist-run urban farm [Garbage Hill Farm]( does a lot for a small-scale agriculture project: it has a micro orchard, a seed library and a self-harvest garden, plus it sells [natural skincare]( and operates [a farm stay]( for those who want to support the project. There are also two [on-site Nigerian Dwarf goats]( 🐐. 7. We're obsessed with the red-brick curved walls in [this bakery-cafe]( in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. 8. Chiang Mai cafe [MINTNIMAL]( was started by three friends who wanted to help people cool down in Thailand's heat. So, they chose six mint varieties and created cocktails, coffee, tea, ice cream and baked goods. Fresh 🌿. 9. And [T]( Ryl Company]( founded by a Kosovo refugee, is giving iced tea an antioxidant-focused upgrade. 10. As brands like Corteiz bring new energy into streetwear, the category's open for up-and-comers to make their mark. Here are four emerging streetwear brands we have our eye on. - [ZIZOU]( makes Y2K-inspired apparel, crocheted masks and printed beanies. - [JEHUCAL]( gives early access to its drops via a password-protected site, with the tagline Till Forever. - [Protect the Children]( is known by its clover logo and was recently worn by Corteiz founder [Clint](. - [Years of Tears]( focuses on denim, with a distinctive bat logo. 11. Meanwhile, Ghanaian streetwear brand [FREE THE YOUTH]( 🇬🇭 (who we covered in [our first book]( is currently on tour in the US. It's [hitting up]( eight cities with pop-up merch and parties. DIG DEEPER. Hype may have been honed and popularized by streetwear, but it can apply to lots of industries. We explored how to [nail the business model](. 12. [Tatsuo Hino]( London/Tokyo-based cultural director at [BEAMS & CO]( shared some thoughts on brand communities and retail. - ‘[Sky High Farm]( – a regenerative farm in upstate NY making purpose-led clothes and getting healthy, local food to those who need it the most – has been picked up by premium stores like [Dover Street Market New York]( [END](. etc. I bet we'll soon see more of these unconventional practices grow and gain a greater significance.’ - ‘Community-building brands are growing bigger, loyal customer bases. Gen Z want to express themselves as being part of a scene – just look at brands like [Always do what you should do]( and [Gentle Fullness]( the young brother(ish) brand to Story mfg, by Dan Pacitti.’ - ‘Japanese outdoor brand [And Wander]( in collaboration with travel magazine [Papersky]( opened [Outdoor Gallery]( in Tokyo. Great synergy – something tactile and beautiful for those who enjoy outdoor life. Again, community building is where retail needs to thrive.’ - ‘[Wunderkammer Fukuoka]( is probably the smallest museum in Japan – it's a “cabinet of curiosities” within Tokyo store Dice&Dice. The first exhibition was curated by Yuki Matsuo (AKA [Yuki & Daughters](. A great and engaging way to bring culture into a retail setup.’ 13. [Glory Allan]( is teaching a younger generation how to sew through easy tutorials and on-trend designs. He also gives away [free patterns](. 14. That said, PDF pattern-making has also become an [extra income stream]( for those with sewing know-how. 15. [Les Mains de Mamie]( knitwear is handmade by its network of grandmothers across France. 16. [Aḍish]( is an Israeli-Palestinian brand combining contemporary styles with tatreez, a traditional Palestinian embroidery technique. 17. [Yaling Jiang]( in Shanghai has spotted some stumbling blocks for outdoors brands in China 🗻. ‘If I had an outdoor equipment brand in China, selling the likes of camping chairs, tables and tents, I'd be worried about sales, especially if I'd spent a lot of money on branding and marketing. Here's my (hypothetical) thought process… ‘I first thought I captured the trend in 2020, when glamping took off amid the pandemic. But I gradually lost confidence as sales waned. There've been way too many competitors who copied my products at a fraction of the cost. At this point, consumers care less about the brand and more about finding a chair they can take pictures with. ‘I'm happy to see that some sports brands that have ridden China's fitness trend have maintained and grown their popularity. Take skiwear brand [Snowline]( running gear brand [Nedao]( and petwear brand [Lazy Eazy](. While they may still be serving a niche audience, there's a ton of potential for them going forward.’ TIP. Want to go after a niche? Here are the [dos and don'ts]( from brands that have done it before. 18. Speaking of a niche, LA's [Norton Space Props]( has been in business since the sixties, when the original owner started buying and selling aerospace parts during the space race. Now it mostly rents out props for film productions – think time machines and spaceship exteriors (though it's also supplied companies like Blue Origin with [rocket-specific parts]( 🚀. 19. Lusaka-based [Cherry Skateboards]( is building Zambia's skate community through merch and meetups – it recently released deck designs inspired by local [minibusses](. 20. Sofia Elias runs fun jewelry brand [Blobb]( (which has some [famous fans]( out of Mexico City. 21. Elsewhere in Mexico, upcycling brand [Veleta]( teamed up with bouldering crash-pad maker [Aroca]( to make a chalk bag out of paragliding wings. We've [spotted it]( at a few of the country's [newly opened]( climbing gyms 🧗. 22. We caught up with [Colter Freeman]( the filmmaker turned founder of mobile bookstore [Small Print Books]( who we mentioned a few weeks back. What would he do if money grew on trees? ‘I love the idea of having 50 [bookmobiles] and they're all over multiple cities. I don't know if scaling the business is the long-term goal, but having a fleet of milk floats or ice cream trucks filled with books would be really fun. But, right now, it's more or less a weekend passion project; it's always fun. If it became a gigantic empire, it might lose that.’ TIP. The decision to scale is tough. [Here's how]( Barcelona kiosk [News & Coffee]( expanded to six locations without compromising integrity. 23. Another approach: Vancouver-based [ChopValue]( has recycled over 100 million chopsticks into home goods, but it's now focused on expanding its [micro factory model]( – franchising production to reach more B2B customers 🥢. 24. Similarly, [Paskho]( a travel apparel brand, is setting up maker pods in low-income communities in the US – where a group of sewers takes on production projects (while being paid above-average wages). 25. Finally, stop doom scrolling and try out designer Stephen McCarthy's [mood scroller](. ‘No bad news, cat videos, dumb memes or pictures of what your buddy had for breakfast. Just an infinite sea of chang­ing color hues to lift your mood and keep you calm.’ 🌈 Elsewhere in Courier: 🤳 On TikTok: Go inside a [day in the life]( of a ceramics artist in New South Wales. 💻 Online: A Turkish rug brand putting [a new twist]( on an old industry. 📰 In print: Consume three courses on how food became art in our [latest issue](. Drop us a line any time at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:hello@couriermedia.co). Update your preferences [here](. Unsubscribe [here](