Design Your Life with Vince Frost

In the seventh instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats with Deborah Sams and Mary Lou Ryan the co-founders of Bassike. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series focuses on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local. Starting out in a run-down beach shack in Sydney’s Palm Beach, the duo have grown the mindful fashion house into internationally acclaimed business. From the get-go their vision was to create luxurious and wearable everyday pieces with a commitment to sustainable manufacturing. We decided to record each interview separately so that we could get a clearer understanding of their differing perspectives on running the business, as well as explore their varied roles, responsibilities and ultimately how they make it all work. In Part one Vince chats with Deborah Sam’s about how the business began, how they have successfully maintained their values and remained on brand over the last 14 years. In part two Vince speaks to Mary Lou, Bassike’s director of supply chain and sustainability about the business’ eco-friendly practices, some important tips on starting a brand and why it’s so important to take a step back and appreciate what you have achieved.  Enjoy!  Bassike Design Your Life Frost*collectiveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the sixth instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Will Dangar one of Australia's foremost landscape designers. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series focuses on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local.Despite losing his job in the early 90’s due to the recession Will bounced back by starting his own lawn mowing business. From there his love for plants and landscape design grew rapidly, most notably due to the push and influence from his wife Julia. Will Dangar's 25-year career has seen him build some of the country's most iconic residential landscapes. Will began his working life at a cattle station in Queensland before moving down to Sydney to become a labourer. Despite losing his job in the early 90’s due to the recession Will bounced back by starting his own lawn mowing and landscape business. Will quickly developed a reputation for his refined design aesthetic, no-nonsense manner, and highly creative approach to problem solving. Now not only managing his landscape design business Dangar-Barin-Smith, Will is also the creative director of Robert Plumb, a distinctive Australian design and construction brand synonymous with quality craftsmanship and a practical, refined aesthetic.Listen in as Vince and Will discuss the importance of empowering your employees and why embracing failure is paramount and how a business deals with its mistakes is what defines it.The pair also delve into how a corporate Christmas tree side business almost sunk Robert Plumb, the business’ relationship with internationally acclaimed architect Luigi Roselli and why Will owes so much of where he is today to his wife Julia. Enjoy!  Dangar-Barren-Smith Robert Plumb Design Your LifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fifth instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Khai Liew a multi-disciplinary designer based in Adelaide. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series will focus on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local.The next guest is one of the shinning lights in Australian furniture design. Immigrating from Malaysia to South Australia in the 70’s Khai Lew’s early career in product design was heavily shaped by his fathers love for danish furniture. Developing the skills learnt from Germanic cabinet makers Khai quickly became a master of woodwork and design. Fast forward to today and Khai has been commissioned to create every piece of furniture in Judith Neilson’s Sydney home, Indigo Slam and even to create one off pieces for Louis Vuitton stores across the world.Liew is widely recognised for his dedicated contribution to the development of a modernist Australian design aesthetic. In 2010 he was awarded the South Australian of the Year Arts Award by the Government of South Australia, in 2016 he was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame, acknowledging his important contribution to the Australian design landscape. In 2017, he received the Design Institute of Australia’s “Design Icon” Award, and in 2018, Liew was recognised as a Design Luminary at the INDE awards in Singapore.Listen in as Vince and Khai discuss the influence of Germanic migrant culture in South Australia in the 70’s, why his father has always been his biggest critic and which material is his preference.The pair also dive into Khai’s design and build process and what the future holds for him and his practice.Enjoy! Khai Liew Design Your LifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fourth instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Abigail Forsyth, the co-founder, CEO and spokeswoman of KeepCup. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series will focus on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local. Once a lawyer in a boutique firm in Melbourne Abigail Forsyth decided to change career paths in the search for something different, something with more purpose. Alarmed by the amount of disposable packaging being wasted Abigail began her search for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way to serve food. In 2007 she took the bold step of designing and manufacturing her own reusable cup, two intensive years later the KeepCup brand was born. Since its inception in 2009 KeepCup has gone from strength to strength becoming the leading figure in sustainable reusable coffee cups Listen in as Vince and Abigail KeepCup's inception and who came up with its perfect name as well as why parameters drive the creative process.   The pair also delve into B-Corp certification, what Abigail and her family's sustainable practices are as well as the importance of dematerialisation and designing for long life and reuse.   Enjoy!  KeepCup Design Your Life Frost*collective x KeepCup See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Dr. Brandon Gien who is the Founder and CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of Australia’s annual Good Design Awards. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series will focus on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local. Good Design Awards, is the longest-running design award program in Australia with its origins dating back to the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA) established in 1958. Brandon has spent the past 25 years advocating for the value of design to improve our social, economic, cultural and environmental quality of life at a national and international level.  Listen in as Vince and Brandon discuss how he got so heavily involved in design and his role in Good Design Australia as well as why Taiwan and Singapore are two surprising leaders in the design world.  The pair also touch on the growing issue of AI, how developing countries have the highest potential for design and reiterated the importance of designers taking charge in the fight against climate change.  Enjoy!  Good Design Australia  Design Your Life  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Saskia Havekes the founder of Sydney florist Grandiflora. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series will focus on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local. Established in 1995 in a small shop in the Eastern Sydney suburb of Potts Point, Grandiflora was the birthplace of a dream career of Saskia. Since its inception over two decades ago Grandiflora has grown immensely, influencing aesthetic for interior styling, hospitality, fashion, editorial and even the modern rituals of giving and displaying flowers.  Saskia is not just a florist but also an author and a fragrance creator. She has published four fantastic books, a number of them based around the Grandiflora brand and aesthetic. 2013 saw the Paris launch of her first two fragrances and now soon to release her 8th and final one.  Listen in as Vince and Saskia discuss her childhood growing up in the bush, how her parents were big influences on her creatively and how from an early age nature was the driving force of her inspiration.  The pair also discuss how the opening of her business and some of the key findings she has learnt along the way as well as what it is really like to be a florist on Valentines day! Enjoy! Grandiflora Design Your LifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first instalment of the exclusive Australian Made series, Vince chats to Shelley Simpson the founder of Mud Australia. At a time of so much uncertainty in the world, the Australian Made series will focus on brilliant people here in Australia, celebrating designing and making local. Mud Australia was founded in 1994. The porcelain range, designed by Shelley, combines handmade processes with clean lines, an array of mesmerising colour palettes & all without compromising functionality. The end result is a product that neatly intersects a minimalist aesthetic with an artisan finish. Their porcelain happily fits in any interior, providing a timeless alternative to mass produced ceramic design. Listen in as Vince and Shelley discuss the first bowl she ever made, how she launched her business through a government incentive scheme and her rise from selling her creations on the weekend at local markets to establishing Mud as an Australian ceramic icon.   Every piece of Mud is handmade in their Marrickville Sydney studio using a highly nuanced and hands-on process. Through Shelley’s creative vision and sage business mind, Mud Australia has become an Australian design icon with stores across the world including Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York and London.  The brand has organically attracted a high profile fanbase of chefs and celebrity names including Gwyneth Paltrow, Nigella Lawson and Bill Granger. Enjoy!  MUD Australia  Design Your LifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the 3rd and final episode of the exclusive Design Your Life x Alliance Graphique Internationale series. In this episode Vince chats with Marina Willer, the first female partner at Pentagram London. Marina is a graphic designer and film-maker with an MA from the Royal College of Art. Marina has led the design of major identity schemes for Tate, Amnesty International, Oxfam and most recently, the Opera Ballet of Flandres. A talented film-maker, Marina’s first feature film, ‘Red Trees’, premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and was released worldwide by Netflix. A personal story of her family’s escape from the Nazi occupation of Prague to start a new life in Brazil. Listen in as Vince and Marina chat about the eeriness of the current digital landscape we find ourselves in, why being present and finding inspiration in everything is so important. The pair also delve into the value of perseverance, the inspiration for her film ‘Red Trees’ and her love for film-making and the diversity of up and coming designers. Enjoy!  Marina Willer - Pentagram  AGI Design Your Life  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DYL X AGI   In the second instalment of our exclusive Design Your Life series in collaboration with Alliance Graphique Internationale(AGI), Vince chats with old friend Sonya Dyakova, head of award-winning visual communication agency Atelier Dyakova based in London. After studying in San Francisco, Sonya moved to London, working in some of London’s most highly regarded agencies. Before starting her own studio, Sonya worked with at award winning agencies such as Frost* Design and Kerr|Noble before working with iconic British designer Alan Fletcher at Phaidon Press where she was responsible for the design of books, ranging from contemporary art and design to architecture and photography. Her approach is firmly rooted in conceptual and typographic experimentation developed through research with attention to tactile details. Sonya was responsible for the re-design of Frieze magazine as well as design & art direction of Frieze Masters publication. In 2011 she received a Grand Prix from the Tokyo Type Directors Club. Listen in as Vince and Sonya discuss everything from growing up in Siberia, the power of perseverance, utilising fear to create positive outcomes, how to balance family and work and of course how to make the perfect book. Enjoy Atelier Dyakova Design Your Life Take the Design Your Life SurveySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DYL X AGI I am excited to kick off our exclusive series between Design Your Life and Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) with Danish born Typeface Designer Henrik Kubel the president of AGI, UK. Henrik is a founding partner of A2/SW/HK & A2-TYPE, an independent design and Typography studio established in London in 2000. The studio specialises in Design, Art Direction and Typeface Design and works internationally with a wide range of clients including us. He has designed fonts for the likes of The New York Times Magazine, Moscow Metro, Aperture Magazine, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google. In this unconventional interview I run through a number of topics which Henrik holds near and dear from the similarity between athletics and typeface, his unrequited love for his cat to why he no longer drinks alcohol. We delve into the significance of print media, why language and letters are so fascinating and penultimately why we all must be positive and enjoy every little aspect of life. Enjoy! A2-TYPE A2/SW/HK Design Your Life Take the Design Your Life Survey  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.