Our Paris inspiration diary
Oh, Paris. Where do we begin.
Aanyoung, our Founder, and Emma, our Junior Art Director, hopped on the train to Paris for a very exciting trip. 72 hours of flea markets, good food, and plenty of new inspiration.
It was also the first time our Junior Brand Designer, Merel, joined the trip. With vintage finds and croissants on their mind, they embraced the Parisian way of working: creativity on the go, with just enough cute café breaks in between.
The main goal of their trip? Strolling through flea markets in search of curious antiques. We bring these little treasures back as inspiration for our new collection, whether it’s the material, a tiny detail, or the way an etching in brass catches our eye. They all find their way to our atelier in our Amsterdam office, a treasure trove of inspiring antiques collected from India, Paris, and all corners of the world.
Like magpies, we keep coming back to these pieces, looking closely at the craftsmanship, playful details, and beautiful finishes. Take these amazing fruits, for example, covered from top to bottom in shiny beads. A find like this can spark all sorts of ideas in our creative process, from a fruity candle holder bursting with colour to adding a few cute beads to a product sketch.
Every antique can spark something new at Doing Goods. It can be the starting point for a product, campaign, or entire collection, or the finishing touch that brings it all together. So imagine the treasure hunt a little less wholesome, and a lot more hustling. Sleeves rolled up, scavenging every stand, and trying to negotiate in French. Merci beaucoup!
Not only did they feel like romanticized main characters, but they also looked the part too, with their Sari Sari bags in tow. We like to think the French it-girls approved of our bags, handcrafted in India from vintage saris. A little traditional, a little playful, and very much Doing Goods.
Of course, their weekend bags and make-up bags came along too, perfectly suited for their fancy hotel stay. Aanyoung joked that the marketing team somehow always ends up in the coolest hotels. We’re not complaining, because creating content is actually part of the plan.
Alongside collecting inspiration for new collections, these trips are a chance to create lots of lovely content for our bags and share our favourite places to eat, sleep, shop, and explore on our socials.
Needless to say, this trip was pretty much all they talked about at the office. From ice cream bananas at Fruttini to matching outfits in head-to-toe red, they really made the most of Paris. And honestly, we already knew their eyes would be bigger than their wallets.
Paris was a true treasure trove once again. We love how flea markets can feel so familiar, yet completely new every time you visit. They found so many treasures that a new trolley was needed to get everything home. From dragging their newly scavenged trolley through the streets to completely repacking their suitcases and bags to make room for every. Last. Find.
With more suitcases than people, they ended the journey with our little sushi and dumpling tradition, going through all their finds, photos, and chatty memories from the trip. A very full train home, but a very happy one.
Now, the treasures are glistening on the shelves of our atelier, waiting to inspire what comes next.
