Tell Your Friends | Karin Andreasson and Natasha Cousins.
This edition of 'Tell Your Friends', documenting friends who wear M.Hulot, features Karin Andreasson and Natasha Cousins.
Karin Andreasson is the founder of her own name jewellery brand known for its delicate geometric shapes and stylised faces, all expertly crafted in gold and silver. She is well known amongst East London’s independent design lovers, selling to local boutiques as well as her regular stall on Hackney’s Broadway Market. Here you can get first dibs on new collections, trial tester styles ahead of their launch, as well as discussing made to order pieces and commissions.
Natasha Cousins is a Costume Supervisor for feature films and collector of vintage clothing, currently working on a range of children's knitted clothes influenced by her own duo Audrey and Betsey. Karin and Natasha bonded over their love of textiles and design and have both supported M.Hulot from the early collections.
We shot Karin and Natasha at Karin’s flat in Whitechapel, London.
Photography by Jon Aaron Green.
Tell us about how you met and became such great friends. How did your creative interests play a roll in this?
Karin: We met at Broadway market, where we both have/had stalls, with Tasha selling the most beautiful vintage clothes. Tash had her stall next to me. We just clicked! Similar humour, and a love for beautiful clothes and accessories new or old, she quickly became a returning Karin Andréasson Jewellery customer. I’ve always trusted Tasha’s opinions and taste around clothes and accessories. She has an excellent eye!
Natasha: Karin and I met as traders on Broadway Market, our pitches were next to each other. It was clear from the off that we shared similar tastes. Karin always used to cherry pic the best vintage pieces from the stall and I grew my jewellery collection on an almost weekly basis, I'm not sure how either of us ever made any money! Broadway back then was smaller with a big sense of community. It's been over ten years since we met and we've been firm friends since.
Karin, your label used to be more vintage inspired. Tell us about the move into geometry and minimalism and what its meant for the business.
I was pregnant with Uma, my now 5 year old daughter when I decided I had enough of making headpieces from Vintage materials and soon followed the urge to make less ‘fussy’ jewellery. The simple design came very naturally to me. I’m Swedish and have been brought up around very minimal design. Mum and Dad have always been very contemporary and keen on ‘clean lines’. It changed my sales drastically, almost straight away, and the business took off to the next level.
Natasha, I’m excited about the launch of your children’s knits. Can you give us a little taster of what’s to come and when?
Yes ‘Slow Folk’ (name tbc) grew out of having a very talented mother and my own small people! When my babies were born my mum was desperate to knit for them, so I told her to knit what she wanted but it had to be wool and it had to be to a strict colour palette!
Slow folk is a range of beautiful hand knits (and complementing pieces) made from the finest British wool/silk and alpaca, perfect for babies skin, timeless and seasonless. After two girls of my own I think we've got the formula right and hopefully we will be creating some lovely heirloom pieces to be handed down for generations to come.
It was really important when my daughter was born that I dressed her as neutrally as possible; the colours and styles have all been chosen with this in mind.
You share a very similar sense of style and I’ve known you to buy the same pieces, today you've both worn Ace and Jig for example. What are your favourite labels and how do you shop?
Karin: I buy from smallish independent shops, local (Hackney) designers or ethical brands like Ace & Jig. At the moment I’m in love with Humphries and Begg, I bought my first two pieces of theirs from a stall on Broadway market.
Natasha: My go to brands for classic simple pieces are YMC, Isabel Marant and APC. I know what shapes and sizes work for me and tend to restock on similar styles year after year. The slightly more folksy textile side of me loves Ace and Jig, all those beautiful woven fabrics, this is where I head for my key pottery teacher look!
As you both have a rather healthy collection of M.Hulot styles with some cross over, how do ensure that you wear them in your own unique way?
Karin: I often wear mine in blocks, so the same bag for a few weeks and then change. I only use M.Hulot bags apart from the occasional Ally Capellino bag or my Fjäll Räven. I love how they look when they are worn, they age so well.
Natasha: Our wardrobes are full of the same designers, and quite a few of the same pieces. Our style is similar but we wear them in different ways, Karin being a beautiful tall Swede helps this! I think Karin definitely has more of an edge when it comes to style, where as I'm more classic.
What would you like to see M.Hulot do next and why? This could be entirely new product or a particular style of bag?
Karin: Another Gia style bag, small bags works well for me as otherwise I fill them up!
Tash: I love the M.Hulot brand but it's not a purchase I can justify regularly, they are without a doubt investment pieces. That's why I love my new red linen Paxton tote, and although it came to me as a gift, it means I can buy into a brand I love more often without it breaking the bank! So, something small to accompany the existing collection would be ideal.
Tell your Friends Discount | 25% off Full Price M.Hulot.
Would you like to spread the word and let your friends and loved ones know about M.Hulot? We’re offering the chance for pals to get an enticing 25% off full price designs.
How it works-
Friend 1:
* Sign up to our mailing list (or just remain, for those signed up already).
* You must refer a friend to sign up to the mailing list, then email info@mhulot.co.uk with the title ‘Tell your Friends’. The email must be sent from the email address registered. In the body of the email simply write the name and email address that Friend 2 has registered with.
* Once this is done, we will send you your 25% off code. You can use this whether or not your friend buys, but your friend must be signed up to the list in order to get your discount code.
Friend 2:
* Sign up to our mailing list.
* Once your friend has emailed us, you will receive your discount code.
Discount information
* The offer is running already and will continue for the duration of the year until the 30th of September 2018, when the discount codes will expire.
* The codes can only be used on full price goods and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, aside from free shipping.
* One person registering with two separate email addresses will not be accepted.
This is a long running offer to allow customers to make the most of choosing the best style for them, with new styles hitting the website this first half the year.
The offer is one use per customer.
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