ANNA DOROTHEA KER,
WRITER, EDITOR AND TRAVELLER
OUR CONNECTION TO ANNA
Writer and editor Anna Dorothea Ker came to visit us at our design studio and store in Zurich some years ago as on assignment from IGNANT magazine. It was instantly clear that we shared a love for modernist principles, and that Anna fully understood what was driving us.
Originally from New Zealand, but now based in Berlin for the last years, she was able to make our story sound clear like she’d been a part of our team since the beginnings. It turned out to be the beginning of an ongoing collaboration in which Anna has transformed our thoughts into words that resonate.
Every purchase I make has to be well researched and satisfy both in form and function
As a self-confessed minimalist, Anna appreciates that this nifty bag fits just the essentials, plus a small paperback. As she cycles around her adopted city of Berlin, Anna needs her accessories to stay close to her body on the way from A to B. “My first hesitation is how well the bag would stay around my waist, or whether the strap would shift,” she told us, “but it’s proven itself to be secure.” If there’s one thing Anna would design differently about the Hip Pouch, it’d be developing a more luxurious sheen that gives the bag a tech feel, and takes it into the evening. And she’d make the zipper all black.
WHAT LED YOU TO WHAT YOU DO TODAY?
I studied law, politics and French in New Zealand and Paris, but dedicated my spare time to researching art, design and architecture, and was yearning for an outlet to immerse myself in my aesthetic interests professionally. After graduating, I spent two intense years working in advertising in London, which wasn’t quite me, but offered a gateway into the creative industries. Since having moved to Berlin four years ago, I’ve slowly but steadily found a way to realise that outlet: As a writer and editor specialising in design, travel and cultural journalism.
WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT IN LIFE?
First and foremost, the people who matter to me. The positive, mutually inspiring relationships I have in my life are a constant source of energy and fulfilment, and I take care to nurture them. Contributing to the kind of world I want to see with small, everyday decisions, from avoiding plastic to practicing kindness, is important to me, as is making the most of every opportunity and challenging myself to continually strive for better. Oh, and travel, good coffee, food and wine!
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THIS WITH YOUR WORK?
What I love about my profession is that it allows me to apply combined a methodical approach (i.e. style, structure, tone, vocabulary) with creativity (i.e. what’s the story or angle?) and apply that to a huge variety of topics, drawing on historical and present cultural context to (hopefully) shed new light on an issue, and convey it in an intriguing way. Reading, research and collecting is a big part of what I do – everything’s connected!
My first hesitation was how well it would stay around my waist and whether the strap would shift, but it’s proven itself to be very secure.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN THE THINGS YOU BUY?
I’m a staunch minimalist so every purchase has to be well researched and satisfy both in form and function. Whether it’s a new coffee grinder, a new pair of sunglasses or a bag, it’s high quality and ideally sustainable materials, simplicity and considered craftsman (or woman-!)ship that win out every time for me.
