Function+Form / A New Collaboration
I have nervous butterflies writing this, as I'm releasing a new and wonderful collaboration into the world with my partner in all things style, Annie Kruse. Over the past few months, we've been working flat out around our hectic work/family lives to lay the foundations for a new offline community - Function+Form.It came about after I wrote this post back in summer, when I was struggling with a lot of things which had a knock-on effect with my ability to feel inspired enough to create - my self-esteem was at an all time low. The feedback and support I had from that post was immense, and I suddenly realised that, aside from there being so many of us out there feeling the same way, the one thing missing from all of that was community. I'm not talking about Instagram (even though it's wonderful to connect with virtual friends) but the real life, offline world. Being a blogger/freelancer can be quite isolating, more so when you're living just outside the city and with two small children to take care of. Finding the time to take yourself out of that environment is rare. And then I thought, what if I tried to create my own? The best ideas are born from a need, right? So then I started imagining what I would do if I were hosting a gathering, and I thought about throwing something for friends and like-minded others in a beautiful location, with a meal of sorts and the table styled. A place to inspire collaboration. But I wanted to make it more of an event than just a meal, I wanted to combine an element of design and independent makers, to create a platform to showcase their work. So I emailed Annie straight away, because I wanted to share this with someone and she was the only person I knew that had a similar aesthetic and sensibility. We both love simple, contemporary style and share a desire for slow-living, so we let this direct us on our journey so far.
Over the course of several weeks and chatting late into the night over Skype, we felt we really had something..."Function+Form is a new collaborative gathering combining relaxed, informal dining with handcrafted design. As so much of our lives today are spent online, we seek to bring the enjoyment of interior and lifestyle design into a tangible being whilst enjoying the company of like-minded friends. A chance to make new connections, a chance for real conversation. Each gathering focuses on the work of a designer who we admire for their ethos, their aesthetic, sharing with us their inspiration and inviting us to delve deeper into their process. Beautiful food in a venue equally so, we invite you to join us."Next month, we host our inaugral Function+Form 01 (now fully booked!) at the new Forge & Co space inside Heal's with thanks to the support of our sponsors, AtMine - remember I told you about them before? We'll be exploring the topic of hibernation and how we adjust and adapt our home lives during the colder months over a relaxed brunch in the company of British potter Jono Smart and linen apron designer Sarah Quinn of Enrich and Endure.More on our partners and speakers in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, if you're interested in joining or collaborating with future events, drop us a line as we'd love to hear from you: hello@wearefunctionandform.com.