To help develop a collection of 100 Original Pigments paints, St. Leo invited Copenhagen based practice All The Way To Paris to contribute their strong sense for colour. From their hand-made swatches, the St. Leo team transformed each colour into a richly pigmented interior paint, matched across six different finishes. In the following conversation and visit to All The Way To Paris’s studio, Tanja Vibe and Petra Olsson Gendt explain how they approached the collaboration:
ST. LEO: What does colour mean to you as a creative medium?
ALL THE WAY TO PARIS: Colours are very present in our practice. For us colour can be straight communication but also poetic—representing something more ephemeral. The beauty of colour is that it can communicate strongly as a visual but also touch you on a more subconscious level.
SL: Could you explain the concept of the City Collections?
ATWTP: The City Collection essentially uses colour to explore seven different cities around the world and to amass a collection of 100 interior paints. The idea of experiencing cities through colour was interesting to us. It posed a challenging and inspiring question of how to create a colour scale that captures the colourful characteristics—both the common ones and the less expected—of each place. We like this thought from a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan in Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino: “Arriving at each new city, the traveler finds again a past of his that he did not know he had: the foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer possess lies in wait for you in foreign, unpossessed places.”
SL: What drew you to Antwerp, Athens, Copenhagen, Kyoto, Mexico City, Milan and Paris as sources of inspiration?
ATWTP: We have always been intrigued by life in different places. Through the City Collections we are visiting and revisiting cities that are capitals in their country, but also some that are regarded as the ‘other city’.
SL: Could you please describe the overall colour identity of each City Collection?
ATWPT: Antwerp: With European classicism and a contemporary vibe, this city leaves a sense of cool and strength. Elegant tones of plum and blue are balanced with tactile natural materials.
Athens: This boldly spirited city of sandstone is lit up by the Mediterranean light, earthy warm reds and azure seas. The colours also hint at the once vividly painted ancient statues—long worn away.
Copenhagen: The architecture of our home city is represented in the ochre, the reds and the black-green tones which are balanced with the light grey Scandinavian sky, sandy stone sculptures and streetscapes.
Kyoto: This amazing historical city has a natural vibrance. The river running through gives green to the land. In spring the Sakura cherry blossom brings delicate beauty to the scale. Multi-layered lacquered goods gleam in deep dark reds.
Mexico City: The vibrancy of this immense city is represented by some of the brightest colours in the collection. Many are inspired by Mexican murals, the works of Lina Bo Bardi and the ever-intriguing Frida Kahlo.
Milan: At first glance Milan seems industrially strict, but once you come inside through opulent entryways, you see verdant courtyards, painted tiles and stone; you’re served food and wine with joy and elegance. It’s serious and light at the same time.
Paris: A city that’s always been in our hearts with its lights and l’heure bleu. The limestone architecture imparts soft eggshell hues; Corbusier leaves traces and the Jardin de Luxembourg brings green. It is always elegant and chic.
SL: How did you begin your investigation of colour for St. Leo’s Original Pigments collection? What was your method, and what did you discover as you worked?
ATWTP: The process started out very analogue. First, we developed each hue using water colour and gouaches, painting small swatches by hand. In that sense the development was very intuitive and organic. Unexpected things also happened when the test colours dried up. We embraced the fact that part of this process was out of our control. After this very open and free process, the more intellectual phase—the selection—began. In this case it was all about creating beautiful colour groupings; sub-collections of colours that enhanced and balanced each other and that had a sense of intrigue. We were mindful that the spectrum needed tension as well as harmony. After making initial groupings using the small swatches, we mixed and painted large colour boards to see how the colours worked together on a larger scale.
SL: How did you work with the St. Leo team to perfect each hue?
ATWTP: We had developed a massive amount of colours that we showed to St. Leo’s team. We lay all the swatches on the floor and through intense dialogue with St. Leo, through systemising and editing the colours, we arrived at the final decision. This phase of the process led to the further refinement of the selected swatches to reach a well-balanced collection of 100.
About All The Way To Paris:
All The Way To Paris started as a graphic design duo in 2004 and has since evolved into an award-winning group of global talents with a passion for pushing the creative envelope and going beyond the boundaries of the expected to explore a broad spectrum of projects within visual communications. From graphic identities, digital designs, illustrations, art and museum catalogues, exhibition graphics and books to rugs, fabrics, intriguing design objects and interiors. For founding partners Tanja Vibe and Petra Olsson Gendt, their raison d’être stems from a Scandinavian no-nonsense approach to design, where they continuously seek to eliminate the unnecessary.