In August Company
In August Company is a lovely little shop located in Prague 6 featuring Scandinavian designs and items for home. We asked Teodorik and Karolina, founders of the brand, to share their story and experience with Magpaper.
1. To begin with, tell us a little bit about yourself, Teodorik and Karolina, what are your passions?
We have many interests, especially in everyday things, but we travel for inspiration and to break free from our usual routine. Travelling allows us to meet people who share or show us something interesting, letting us see our work from a different perspective. We seek inspiration for In August Company, whether sitting by the sea on a beach or exploring a city to visit similar concepts and designers to see how others do things. Additionally, we enjoy good food made from quality ingredients and reading good books and magazines.
2. For those, who are new to In August Company tell us about your business and its concept. What makes it unique?
We created our line of products out of necessity and the belief that our customers might have similar needs. We strongly believe a good life involves the relationships we cultivate and the environment we inhabit, including the physical spaces we occupy, the people we surround ourselves with, and the everyday items we interact with.
Our products, predominantly handcrafted in small Czech workshops, are designed to positively impact daily life, from accessories to everyday items, and we also source materials from Portugal and Sweden for quality.
We collaborate with craftsmen and value the production process, ensuring the highest quality for our customers. Our goal is to create beautiful, functional objects that seamlessly integrate into daily life, bringing joy and a sense of home, regardless of location.
We strive to produce original, sustainable products that brighten ordinary days and hold significance for both creators and users. In August Company is committed to creating a sense of cosiness and comfort through our products and shop, blending design, comfort, and lifestyle to inspire people to surround themselves with beautifully handcrafted objects that bring joy and mindfulness into their everyday lives.
3. What is the meaning behind In August Company name?
The name "In August Company" was inspired by the phrase "To be in august company," which beautifully captures the essence of being in good company. This idea resonates deeply with the founders, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with beauty—both in terms of objects and people—thereby creating a positive and enriching community.
4. How did you come up with In August Company idea, and how did it all begin?
We met through work as graphic designers on a joint project. I [Karolina] handled the illustration and logo while Teodorik worked on the website. Discovering our collaboration was fruitful, and we started working together on various projects. However, we often felt limited or saw projects unfinished leading to frustration. Advising on naming, packaging, and marketing, which weren't part of our initial assignments, motivated us to create our own studio, confident in our capacity to deliver quality and meaningful work.
5. What is your favourite part of working together and what are the challenges?
Connecting with each other. Sometimes we don't need to say anything, and we know exactly what the other is thinking. Many of our products were created because we needed such products at home. For us, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages.
We spend most of the more significant days of the week together in the studio, even if sometimes we're working on different things separately. We can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. It's definitely an extensive form of personal development for us.
On the contrary, the disadvantages include bringing personal problems into work, which should stay at home. Additionally, when dealing with something challenging at work, we tend to continue dealing with it at home, which becomes a never-ending process.
6. Do you have some funny story to share of your experience of working together?
There are lots of them, but usually, it is when Teodorik accidentally invents a non-existent word and unknowingly uses it as the real one he meant.
7. IAC products as well as the physical shop are bringing the feeling of cosiness and comfort. How did you achieve this?
We don’t really plan it that way, but it’s probably because we primarily make the products for ourselves. Even when we created the showroom, we designed it to make it feel comfortable for us. It’s also our studio, so it’s all about making sure we feel good there, as we sometimes spend more time there than at home. It’s the same with our products; we want them to be used by ourselves, our friends, our family, and, of course, our customers.
8. What are IAC values and mission? And what are your aspirations?
Our mission is to create purposeful, authentic objects that seamlessly integrate into your daily life and serve you as needed. This is the driving force behind our passion and the motivation that compels us to rise each morning and embark on our work.
We aspire to design products that transcend fleeting trends, ensuring their longevity and timeless appeal beyond a few months or a year. We endeavour to craft pieces that endure the test of time, not only in terms of durability but also in acquiring a graceful patina with age. Our ultimate objective is to create items that will be treasured by future generations, offering enduring utility, contemporary aesthetics, and a nostalgic essence reminiscent of a distinct era. We’d love for our pieces to be passed down in families and have emotional as well as material value, just as good quality design does.
When creating products, it is important for us to avoid artificial waste of material, energy, and time. It is natural for the maker to process materials and use tools and components to create products. In the making, we consider using materials and energy thoughtfully and respecting the resources at our disposal. We value the time and energy of people, the material that must be produced from raw and natural sources, the energy required to produce the material and the product itself, and we don’t want any of it to go to waste.
9. I know that IAC is hosting Matcha Tea Ceremonies. Any exciting workshop plans for the future?
For the past two years, our studio in Bubeneč has focused on coffee pairing it beautifully with our ceramics. We love coffee culture and have offered great brews from our favourite Prague roasters. Recently, we’ve shifted our attention to tea, specifically matcha, from Tea Mountain in Karlin. Their philosophy and shop ambience transport you to a different place, and we’re thrilled to offer their green tea and matcha in our showroom.
Since opening our showroom, we’ve often been asked about ceramics classes. Initially, we focused on crafting our products and Karolína’s Krasopismo Lettering Workshop. However, due to continued interest, we began offering workshops, not just about ceramics but also about enjoying creative time in our studio. Participants learned Karolina’s hand-building techniques, discussed her approach to art and clay, and enjoyed a relaxed, engaging experience with a small group, as expected from In August Company.
10. Lastly, what are your personal favourites from IAC products?
That’s very difficult for us to answer because we create each product for a reason—usually because we need it in our own lives. We use every product we make, but lately, our favourites are probably the pieces from our Tea Ceremony collection and definitely our Carrier Bags, which we use every weekend.
Photo’s courtesy of: In August Company
