You’re on a fascinating looking street market, staring at an array of items, from ashtrays and teapots to colorful earrings. These tourist souvenirs maybe hand-made, but are also mass made. I wonder what happened to the unique handicraft items? And where are the craftsmen? I spoke with Jan and Aanyoung the founders of Doing Goods – a veritable treasure trove of home ware, textiles and curiosities from local craftsmen.
The locals who make all these beautiful things are looking for someone they can trust, someone who doesn’t use their skills for mass production. We cooperate and feed each other with ideas to create beautiful new things.
Jan and Aanyoung live in Amsterdam and both have a passion for traveling. Five years ago, this passion was translated into what is now known as Doing Goods and it has just been growing ever since!
How our journey started
Their story started from a trip to China. Aanyoung explains “I lived in Beijing for a year and would run into all this beautiful furniture that I just wanted to take home with me. Eventually, I couldn’t resist and decided to ship 5 little cabinets back to The Netherlands. Everyone loved it and the responses were so enthusiastic! That was our first ‘import’ experience.”
Read the full interview on the I Like Local blog >>