It seems like everyday you come across a new "heritage" brand, proclaiming the virtues of vintage styles from the good old days where things were meticulously handmade. But let's be real for a second—just because it's old doesn't mean it's good. The two brothers behind New York-based brand Haerfest, Dan and Tim Joo, create modern minimalist styles, made of carefully chosen materials and put together with the utmost attention to detail. Everything down to the brass hardware on the zipper pull was picked to perfectly marry form and function. Their newest collection is completely monochromatic, emphasizing the brothers' purposeful design choices through its simplicity. They recently invited me to check out their showroom and talk about their projects. (Not shown: Me nerding out about a minimalist wardrobe.)
Shop all Haerfest here.
Dana: Hi Dan and Tim! Let's start at the beginning, how did Haerfest manifest?
Dan: It actually started before we created any products to begin with. Tim and I were living together in Williamsburg [Brooklyn] and we would often talk about things that we wanted to do outside of work. Tim was always creating different things, but it wasn’t until he made these beautiful leather bags that we were like, “This is something.”
Tim: We wanted to establish our aesthetic with bags. I thought that bags would be a good introduction to the product that we wanted to make. I had made some for myself, not to sell, but had gotten some good feedback from some of our buyer friends.
Dan: We often talked about it, but once we had the products we didn't know where to go. And we decided, okay, if we do this, we have to do it full time. So there was a point where Tim and I left the comfort of our jobs and we just went full steam ahead.
What were you doing prior?
Tim: I was working for the design team at Opening Ceremony, managing production.
So you're OC family! When you were developing the Haerfest aesthetic, what did you find most difficult?
Tim: This might sound a bit cliché, but I don’t think simplicity necessarily means simple. We try to find a balance between creating forms that are really familiar and focusing on the design details that allow us to make things a little unexpected. We have these three design pillars that we use to check off if something is Haerfest: Essence, Aesthetic, and Utility. A lot of our inspiration comes from minimalism and Donald Judd and Frank Stella, concentrating on design principles like form, color, and texture.
Dan: We try to identify ourselves with the details. For example, even though the bag is meant to be a backpack or a briefcase, we try to add something that’s a little different.
Tim: Like our ring and stud system, which we use to add function, like locking, but also freedom of movement. On our tote, you can use the short handles, or flip them to long handles and the system prevents the from moving. These small details serve as a function but also can be a branding detail, like Margiela's four stitches.
What was the inspiration behind the current collection, Collection F?
Dan: An artist named Ad Reinhardt. When he created his pieces most people thought it was just a monochrome, but it wasn’t really meant for the people that are just passing by. But as people began to take some time and really look into the painting they noticed things popping out.
Tim: I was recommended to check him out, and there were a couple of books on him in the Strand bookstore. What really interested me were the subtleties of using just one color.
Shop all Haerfest here.
Dana: Hi Dan and Tim! Let's start at the beginning, how did Haerfest manifest?
Dan: It actually started before we created any products to begin with. Tim and I were living together in Williamsburg [Brooklyn] and we would often talk about things that we wanted to do outside of work. Tim was always creating different things, but it wasn’t until he made these beautiful leather bags that we were like, “This is something.”
Tim: We wanted to establish our aesthetic with bags. I thought that bags would be a good introduction to the product that we wanted to make. I had made some for myself, not to sell, but had gotten some good feedback from some of our buyer friends.
Dan: We often talked about it, but once we had the products we didn't know where to go. And we decided, okay, if we do this, we have to do it full time. So there was a point where Tim and I left the comfort of our jobs and we just went full steam ahead.
What were you doing prior?
Tim: I was working for the design team at Opening Ceremony, managing production.
So you're OC family! When you were developing the Haerfest aesthetic, what did you find most difficult?
Tim: This might sound a bit cliché, but I don’t think simplicity necessarily means simple. We try to find a balance between creating forms that are really familiar and focusing on the design details that allow us to make things a little unexpected. We have these three design pillars that we use to check off if something is Haerfest: Essence, Aesthetic, and Utility. A lot of our inspiration comes from minimalism and Donald Judd and Frank Stella, concentrating on design principles like form, color, and texture.
Dan: We try to identify ourselves with the details. For example, even though the bag is meant to be a backpack or a briefcase, we try to add something that’s a little different.
Tim: Like our ring and stud system, which we use to add function, like locking, but also freedom of movement. On our tote, you can use the short handles, or flip them to long handles and the system prevents the from moving. These small details serve as a function but also can be a branding detail, like Margiela's four stitches.
What was the inspiration behind the current collection, Collection F?
Dan: An artist named Ad Reinhardt. When he created his pieces most people thought it was just a monochrome, but it wasn’t really meant for the people that are just passing by. But as people began to take some time and really look into the painting they noticed things popping out.
Tim: I was recommended to check him out, and there were a couple of books on him in the Strand bookstore. What really interested me were the subtleties of using just one color.