Hello Sandwich x Kate Spade

Hello Sandwiches!

I had the incredible opportunity to work with my dream company, Kate Spade, this year.

The Hello Sandwich team created 800 handmade crepe paper flowers and made a hanging paper floral photo booth backdrop for the Fall 2016 press launch in Tokyo.  I've worked with Kate Spade before (here , here , and here), but nothing of this scale. I had to pinch myself a thousand times during the process. Walking into Tokyo head office for a conference call with the NYC head office, receiving dresses / bags / accessories via courier for me to wear to the event, being behind-the-scenes during installation, a signed-by-Deborah-Llyod thank you letter and necklace...I can't even!

The brief began with a PDF outline and a series of pantone swatches. We made mock up test paper flowers and crepe flowers to see which material worked best. Once we had decided that crepe paper was the winner we hand dyed each roll so it would precisely match the pantone swatches from the NY team.
 

Crepe blooms in Hello Sandwich HQ before joined onto strands.

The photo booth flowers looked so divine nestled into each other.

It was thrilling to see the first batch of flowers at Hello Sandwich HQ.

The collection grew and grew until Hello Sandwich HQ resembled a florist. Each handmade petal, leaf and bud were carefully attached to a stem and finished with florist tape.

The day before the event! Installing the roses into four large vases. Two of these vases were placed on stage, and two inside the entrance, right after the red carpet.

The floral backdrop WIP.

Cuties having their photo taken at the launch party.

Cutest models. Ever.

My friend Shoko-san with the floral backdrop.

And, OMG, Deborah Llyod in front of the floral background.

Guys - I die!!!

The morning after the night before. By this stage we had been working on 3 hours sleep for a week. One time my assistant even turned up to the studio with her overnight bag! When it was all over I was too tired to throw away, let alone finish the (very glamorous) cup noodles.

This amazing job is one of my proudest moments. Thank you so much to the incredible Kate Spade team who are an ABSOLUTE DREAM to work with.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

 

Hello Sandwich HQ!!!

Sandwiches!!!

I can not tell you just exactly how long I've wanted (and needed) a Tokyo studio space! And now I finally have one! It's my dream come true! It's soooooooo inspiring working in this amazingly bright studio just 10 minutes from my Shimokita apartment.

I am still setting up the space with the help of my assistants. But each day it's becoming closer and closer to my dream studio.

On the way to the real estate to sign the contract and pick up the key...

Essentials included:

Moet from カクヤス

Tiffany & co. key ring from Mama Sando.

So much ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ in my comme des garcons wallet from my best friend Olivia.

Packing box in the shape of a truck by ヤマト

(And signature hanko was also in tow)

I can't tell you how nervous / excited I was. I found the studio online though SUUMO and stumbled through the negotiations and viewings in Japanese so it was all quite surreal that it all actually happened. It's not super easy to get an apartment here as a foreigner. Luckily my amazing ex helped with the paperwork and made this dream a reality. 

The old 'just-moved-in-with-boxes-and-two-champagne-glasses' pic. Had to do it.

My favourite Danish homewares brand 'rice' sent me this amazing cocktail cart as a housewarming present! Do you die? I absolutely die! To drink rose from 'rice' champagne glasses, from this super adorable 'rice' cocktail cart was the best housewarming treat ever!!!

You have to check out their catalogue over here! Sooooo much cute stuff!

We headed over to the local home center and then Ikea Japan for some studio essentials. The Ikea trip was kind of a spur of the moment thing, which resulted in something that resembled a scene out of 'The Amazing Race' as we raced against the clock to pick up 'xxx in colourway xxx from isle xxx'. When we looked at our clocks after we signed the final paperwork for delivery it was 8:59. Well done, bitches! ギリギリ！I have a weird thing where I sometimes go into a laughing fit in extremely stressful moments so the whole thing was quite amusing.

If you follow my snapchat you might know that I love myself a good prison show and I quite fancied the way that this Hello Sandwich team staff lunch looked a bit like a Hello Sandwich prison lunch set up.

Oh, and this was the first dinner I had in my little studio. This was pre-fridge but I had bought a saucepan from the local store and felt like I was camping. I've slept here twice now. Because this studio is an actual apartment and is in a residential area, it's nice to be able to sleep here when I have an early meeting or have to work late. I have a bath in my fancy new ofuro that plays a melody when the bath has reached my selected temperature (I die!!!) and then set up my little futon. It's camping-meets-ryokan-meets-bubblegum-land.

Another essential moment in time. First 'knock offs' at my desk next to my two assistants. With my sexy lady cocktail stirrer and a glass of rose.
 

After long days of working on a big project with Kate Spade (which I'll show you in my next post!) we set up the astro turf and had indoor picnic dinners. Most of the homewares shown in this shot are from rice.

Washing up is soooooo cute when rice is involved! (OMG I am starting to sound like this post is sponsored by rice, but it's totally not! I just love them so much!) But seriously though, those colours!

One of the first things I brought over to the studio (before I had internet here, Ohhhhh and my internet name is HSHQ. I totally die!) was my Pizzicato Five portable record player. Such happy vibes. This lovely lemon one is Verde by Tei Shi. 

Last weekend I had these two awesome people over for a indoor studio brunch. We sipped on mimosas, played records, painted our nails (well, Matt didn't), read magazines and books, talked about what it's like going back to our hometowns for holidays, ate so much cheese and treats from America that Matt brought back in his suitcase and had such a nice chill Sunday.

One lovely instagram follower said that she is looking forward to seeing the newness that comes from having this new space. And I'm so excited for that too.

Stay tuned lovely Sandwiches!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

 

Adelaide Airbnb

You guys!!!

I just got back from two weeks in ze motherland, Australia. Meetings in Melbourne, an exhibition and workshop in Adelaide and some more meetings in Sydney.

This is the cute Airbnb I stayed at in Adelaide. If you saw my snapchat you will see it took 26 steps to walk from the front door to the back door. Pretty impressive considering I can vacuum my entire Tokyo apt using just one power point.

I adored the clean whites and copper vibe of this Airbnb.

Well, everything was ridiculously beautiful. This desk opened out into a dining table. (When did Freedom get so good?)

I mean, look! I didn't want to leave. Sooooo much space. So good for entertaining.

I had a few friends around one afternoon for some rose and cheese.

It was a great chance to break in the vintage glasses I bought for $7.25AUD (for the set, yo!) at the local op shops. Ah, I miss good op shops.

Packaging game strong down in Adelaide! All the locals kept telling me it's the only state where this Farmers Union Iced Coffee sells more than soda.

Ahhhh, and when in Adelaide, you must have a Pale Ale!

So yes, if you're off to Radelaide anytime soon, be sure to stay here.

Thanks Wendy and Ray!

More about my exhibition at Jam Factory, soon!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Adelaide, Australia Workshop

Jam Factory Workshop

Haaaaaaaiiiiiiiii Sandwiches,

The wonderful people at Jam Factory, Adelaide, Australia are flying me to Australia next week for my exhibition and to host a workshop. I hope you guys can come along!

I'm staying in the cutest Airbnb. I can't wait to show it to you! It's WAY to big for one person but I can't wait to have a little picnic on the outside patio! Check out my snapchat Hellosandwich for more!

Details over here.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo