Inspired By…

A campaign and portrait series for German fashion label Windsor's seasonal collections, inspired by global metropolises. I sourced talent from Buenos Aires, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and Melbourne, and led the editorial direction for the stories published across web, OOH, social media, and the brand's seasonal catalogue. For the 2020 Spring/Summer campaign, I travelled to Byron Bay, Australia, to feature BEAR founders Saasha Burns and Sam Leetham. Styled in their favourite Windsor pieces, we captured their personal lives – from moments at home to their favourite dining and unwinding spots – showcasing how their wellness philosophy fuels their entrepreneurial journey.

Byron Bay, Australia

Saasha Burns and Sam Leetham in Windsor’s 2020 S/S Collection

Sam Leetham and Saasha Burns are the powerhouse couple behind sustainable wellness brand BEAR. We visited the creative duo at their Byron Bay home on the Eastern coast of Australia to talk about creating a meaningful product and why they strive to live in the moment.

Byron Bay, Australia

Sustainable wellness in Byron Bay with Saasha Burns and Sam Leetham

The coastal town of Byron Bay has always held a special significance for Sam Leetham and Saasha Burns. It’s where the couple met 11 years ago, a time they vividly remember. While staying door to door at a local beach hotel for an end-of-school event, Sam slipped a card under Saasha’s door, Saasha recalls. Fast forward a decade and we sit in their lovingly furnished home exemplified by their love for mid-century furniture. From here, they run BEAR, a sustainable wellness brand. It’s also home to BEAR’s creative arm, BEAR Originals, an agency that specializes in strategy and content solutions for international and emerging brands. BEAR means so much more than organic skincare and daily vitamins—its philosophy stems from the couple’s strong appreciation for nature and sustainability, which is undeniably informed by their lifestyle.

Sam and Saasha grew up in Melbourne where they studied communication and advertising, respectively. Sam added an MBA to his resume, the course for which he completed between Melbourne and St. Gallen in Switzerland. From Switzerland, the couple embarked on many travels, finding inspiration in a myriad of European cultures, which later fueled the foundation for their company. Before relocating to Byron Bay, the couple lived in Sydney where Sam worked for Daimler and Saasha modeled for local and international fashion brands—a time they describe as very busy, but which laid a strong foundation of an incredible work ethic, Sam reports. A palm tree falls down behind us as Sam enthuses over the high living standards in Byron Bay. He chuckles as Saasha chimes in: “This wouldn’t necessarily happen in Melbourne.” Read on Friends of Friends

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Guadalupe Garcia’s interdisciplinary approach to hospitality blurs the lines at Buenos Aires culture hub Casa Cavia

Relaxing in a 1920’s-inspired garden over a cortado, Guadalupe García surveys the mid-morning bustle in Casa Cavia with her filmmaker’s eye.

Staff prep behind the bronze and marble bar, blooms are gathered together at the petit florist, and young women are brunching on fruit platters accompanied by homemade granola and yogurt. This cultural hub is the world of Guadalupe García, the creative director of Casa Cavia, a complex that merges gastronomy, literature, and olfactory arts. García adores chatting with clients and discussing the latest literary release by Ampersand, Casa Cavia’s in-house publisher.

One hundred percent porteña, that’s to say, born in Buenos Aires, García has always easily slipped back into her home city. She honed a passion for scenic arts and storytelling at a young age, followed by a filmmaking degree at Buenos Aires’ Fundación Universidad de Cine (FUC) and seized opportunities to study digital marketing, design, and filmmaking in London, Los Angeles, and Barcelona, adding tools to her professional armory: “While I no longer work in film, it’s served me a lot in making future decisions,” she says, recalling an enriching spell in Cuba taking a documentary workshop. “Cuba opened my mind. It made me realize that despite having nothing, you could still make a film or video. FUC made us think on large scales, that projects needed a million dollars worth of investment. But Cuba taught me that anyone can make a documentary with very few resources. That solidarity, mutual support, and anti-ego sentiment affected me as a 23-year-old.” Read on Friends of Friends

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Frankfurt’s restaurants reimagined with culinary entrepreneurs James and David Ardinast

The two brothers James and David Ardinast never intended to enter the restaurant industry. Today, they belong to a movement that is changing the cityscape of Frankfurt.

James and David Ardinast are sitting in the courtyard of Frankfurt’s 25hours Hotel, not far from the city’s central train station. Until about ten years ago, the surrounding neighborhood had a reputation for drug deals and was known for its red light district—a place where you certainly wouldn’t expect a new wave of restaurants to emerge.

Nevertheless, here on Niddastrasse, the brothers have established themselves as part of the 25hours Hotel with Chez Ima, the restaurant they opened in 2010. The brothers began serving foods that were completely unprecedented in the city at that time, namely “a fusion of our American-Israeli roots and our favorite dishes from Germany, like Wiener schnitzel,” says James. Read on Friends of Friends