Meet Giedre and Karolis. They are a design team and also the founders of the brand Anchovy. Anchovy is present for the very first time at Playtime Paris. We were captivated by their vivid images that are designed therough an interactive app platform and we were curious to know more.
Are you a Mom? Are you a Dad?
Giedre & Karolis: Yes! We are parents of two: a 3 year old girl Juka (named after a sweet potato) and a 1 year old boy Stasys.
The ups and the downs of being a Mom? The ups and the downs of being a Dad?
Giedre: Me and Karolis are both artists. Life with kids definitely allows us to see things from a very different perspective, but at the same time it can be really challenging to deal with the daily routine. It can be a roller coaster when you have to balance between being a good Mom and being creative.
Karolis: The hard thing about being a parent in a city like London is that you are a minority here. The cities like that are optimized for people who are willing to compromise their comfort and take risk. Both are things that you can not afford to do being a parent. On the other hand, it makes you rational. You only have so much time so instead of working 12 hours a day, you learn to do things efficiently.
What motivates you? Where do you find your inspiration?
Giedre/Karolis: Last year Anchovy was nominated as one of the most creative businesses in Lithuania. Also, we did some amazing collaborations with the artist Julija Goyd, culture magazine N WIND and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lithuania. Being recognized and able to work with other talented people motivates us to nurture Anchovy and keep doing things our own way.
Giedre: My inspiration comes from observing daily rituals of our children and little details such as trees that I photograph on my late night walks. I’m also obsessed by our app and crazy color combinations that it generates. One of my recent passions are Kasumi pearls and the culture of Ama – Japanase female pearl divers. The almost superhuman dedication to craft and beauty is what is so lacking in today’s society. I learn a lot by looking back.
Karolis: As a Dad I rarely have time to do the extraordinary, it is pretty sad but I have to admit I haven’t read a fiction book in a couple years now. What really excites me though is watching people interact with their environment and everyday objects. London is an amazing place in a sense that you can be in close proximity to hundreds of different people everyday. I love observing people on my daily commute and trying to deconstruct who they are, where they’re going, and why.
Tell us a bit more about Anchovy.
Giedre/Karolis: It all started a year ago with an idea to make an interactive design tool that turns words into colors. The first person to try it was our daughter Juka. Using an iPad, she started typing random letters that turned into beautiful color patterns. We loved the process and the designs so much that we decided to make them wearable. That’s how children’s clothing line ‘Dreamscapes’ was born along with the Anchovy brand. Why Anchovy? Because the most interesting things are either loved or hated.
What is your dream for Anchovy?
Giedre/Karolis: At the moment Anchovy is still in its infancy. However, we feel that we are up to something interesting as the products that we build excite a lot of people. Our customers love being part of the creative process with almost zero effort – simply by typing they create beautiful patterns that become unique design objects.
Our dream is to expand this approach and turn Anchovy into an interactive design platform that empowers people to create effortlessly, using all sorts of intimate data including words, location, mood, sleep and many more. We believe that creativity is not an exclusive right and everyone should be able to be a part of it.
What is the latest news or events for Anchovy?
Giedre/Karolis: We are super excited to participate in on the 24-26th of January with our “Dreamscapes” project that celebrates childrens’ imagination and creativity. Dreamscapes a new kid’s clothing line present with a surreal photoshoot and film by visual artist Julija Goyd. Our collaboration invites one into a journey into the child’s world, where boundaries between reality and fiction are fluid: unicorns, elephants, dragons and other mysterious creatures driven by children’s imaginations are brought into life in the majestic landscapes of Death Valley and Mono Lake in California.
This year we are also planning to launch Anchovy Post where people will be able to turn custom designs generated by our iPhone app into paper postcards and send them to anyone in the world.
What are your must-haves for the entire family (for dad, mom and the kids), whether it be beauty, fashion, accessories, books, websites, magazines, etc.?
For Kids: Soap bubbles, a tree branch found in the park, a pen to draw tattoos, a cat pillow to sit or play, a cozy linen shirt and a long hand knitted wool sweater.
For Mom: A silk scarf to keep the neck warm or to play hide and seek with kids, mini iPhone printer to turn special moments into photos on the go, a jar of Manuka honey to keep the family healthy.
For Dad: The Anchovy app to chat with Mom in colors, comfy sneakers to rush from work to home, and Spotify to listen to my favorite music while pushing the stroller.
What are some good spots to visit in your hometown for the family? for Moms and or Dads?
Giedre: We have recently moved from Vilnius to London, so we are still discovering something new every day. So far our favourites are Richmond Park, The Gate vegetarian restaurant, evening walks along the river Thames and the surreal chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters.
Karolis: Not that it’s Dad specific, but I really love Barbican in London and its cold modernist architecture. I could wander around forever and, if I ever have a chance, I’d totally love to live in one of the penthouses.
Thank you Giedre and Karolis!
“Dreamscapes is a journey into a child’s world where boundaries between the dream and reality are fluid. The patterns of the clothes are created by a two year old using a simple app that translates letters into beautiful color gradients. Clothes are made from pure Baltic linen.”
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