Product Details:

• Vintage and antique oil paintings photographed and faithfully reproduced on heavy linen/cotton fabric.

• Printed painted vintage canvas with lined 100% cotton interior, internal patterns and solid colours vary.

• Size: Length 23cm x Height 30cm

• Zip Closure with leather pull tabs

• Image printed on both sides

• Perfectly proportioned pouch makes it an easy item to carry your cell phone, keys and wallet in.

• Sourced in Holland and Belgium, handmade and finished in Amsterdam.

• The paintings on these charismatic pieces were selected from the paintings within Swarm's collection. Throughout history, artists have had muses who often were their models, lovers, friends, or family members. While the artist and model are unknown on these particular paintings - you can't help wanting to know their stories.

RECLAIMED OBJECTS MADE NEW IN AMSTERDAM. OBJECTS FOUND IN DUTCH MARKETS, A FRENCH HOME OR A BELGIAN ANTIQUE SHOP CREATE SOMETHING UNEXPECTED.

MY PASSION FOR WHAT I DO GOES BACK TO CHILDHOOD WHEN MY CAREER STARTED AT AGE 5 BY ASSISTING MY DAD WITH HIS CARPENTRY BUSINESS. BUT IT HAS NOW COME FULL CIRCLE AFTER 20 PLUS YEARS WORKING WITH OBJECTS IN RETAIL THAT I HAVE HONED A CHILDHOOD PASSION INTO A LIFESTYLE, CREATING OBJECTS IN MY OWN WORKING STUDIO IN AMSTERDAM.

THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I’VE WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF RETAILERS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. I HAVE WORKED AS A MERCHANDISE MANAGER AND BUYER WITH ESTABLISHED BRANDS LIKE CONRAN – HABITAT. I ALSO SPENT 8 YEARS WITH ANTHROPOLOGIE. WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH ANTHROPOLOGIE THEY WERE A SMALL COMPANY WITH 10 STORES AND WHEN I LEFT AS THE COMPANY’S VISUAL DIRECTOR, WE HAD GROWN TO 80 STORES. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT MYSELF IN THOSE INVALUABLE “GROWTH YEARS” WITH THE COMPANY. I WAS SURROUNDED BY AN AESTHETIC THAT I FOUND COMPELLING AND I WAS INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY AND POSSIBILITIES IN RECLAIMED OBJECTS FROM EUROPE.

I MOVED TO EUROPE TO BEGIN MY OWN BUSINESS COLLECTING OBJECTS GATHERED FROM MARKETS. IT WAS A NATURAL TRANSITION FROM MY LIFE AND JOB IN THE STATES. PART OF MY PROCESS IS TO SEARCH FOR OBJECTS THAT I CAN MANIPULATE, RECREATE AND BRING NEW LIFE TO. THE BRAINSTORMING OF HOW I WILL RECREATE AN OBJECT IS A CHALLENGE I ENJOY – MAKING OBJECTS MORE BEAUTIFUL AND USEFUL. I ALSO LEARNED THAT I NEEDED TO GET BACK TO TOUCHING THE OBJECTS NOT JUST TRYING TO DISPLAY OR SELL THEM. I MISSED THE TACTILE.

MY FATHER, THE ONE I LOVED HELPING AS A CHILD, IS FROM HOLLAND. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO DUTCH DESIGN AND THE RESPECT FOR THE CRAFT THAT MY FATHER DISPLAYS IN HIS WORK. SO, WHEN THE CHANCE PRESENTED ITSELF, I GLADLY PACKED-UP AND MOVED TO AMSTERDAM TO SET UP SHOP. I BOUGHT A BIKE, PICKED UP THE MOST LOYAL BUSINESS PARTNER, MCDUFF AND SWARM BEGAN.

LESLIE OSCHMANN