Michelle Hespe

Out of the Ordinary: Koskela

Michelle Hespe meets the innovative owners of Koskela – one of five inspiring retail stores that became 2015 Global Honorees in the prestigious IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago. There’s a great quote by American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker John Rohn that captures the essence of what Australian retail duo Sasha Titchkosky and Russel Koskela set…

Soul Determination: Presentes Rodriguez

Presentes Rodriguez from Brazil was one of five retail stores in the world to become a Global Honoree at the 2015 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago. Michelle Hespe looks into what makes this South American business so exceptional. So what was said about Presentes Rodriguez? The gia jury thought the Brazilian homewares store really stood out from the rest of the…

Power to the People: John Lewis

Michelle Hespe checks out one of five global honorees from the 2015 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) and discovers the very clever concept behind the United Kingdom’s John Lewis department store chain. Imagine if there was a department store at which the customers made the business decisions? Where the people from the street created and guided the retail philosophy to…

Culinary Crusader: Jumbo

Michelle Hespe catches up with the manager of Jumbo — a Turkish retail chain specializing in kitchenware and cookware that was chosen as one of five Global Honorees at the 2015 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia). Function has always been crucial when it comes to cookware and dinnerware, but today, form and function are more tightly entwined than ever, with products designed to…

Oasis of Style

Not many people could set up a homewares and lifestyle store in a barn, in a field “in the middle of nowhere,” and make an ongoing success of it. But inside the welcoming, stone facade of a 110-year old barn in Rusko, Finland, there is a retail store to which people from far and wide are drawn. Loviisan Aitta has been so successful that the owner Helena Aho recently opened a…

From the World of Design And Fashion – Jörgen Eriksson

by Michelle Hespe Jörgen Eriksson has made his name in the retail industry for blending the things he is most passionate about in life – fashion and design – to create strong, successful brands that resonate with shoppers. Eriksson started out running his own business in fashion before moving on to a managerial role in duty-free stores at airports across Sweden. These…

The Art and Heart of Branding

by Michelle Hespe Michelle Hespe catches up with Adrienne Weiss – a U.S. brand strategist, to talk about storytelling and her approach to branding. Adrienne Weiss and her team are legendary in branding in the U.S. and around the world. If you have eaten a burger or a donut, bought jeans or pumped your own gas, you have probably been up close and personal with brands they have…

Chicago – Inspiration by Restaurants

by Michelle Hespe Celebrity chefs, world-renowned restaurants, ethnic dining from around the globe. Chicago's dining scene is unparalleled and interesting even from a design and architecture point of view. Appetite for Design is a fantastic initiative created by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, marrying great design and architecture with innovative dishes…

Parisian Chic: Merci

Michelle Hespe speaks to Jean-Luc Colonna d’Istria, Executive Vice President of Merci in Paris. The impressive retail store was one of six Global Honorees at the 2014 gia Global Innovation Awards in Chicago, held during the International Home + Housewares Show. Since 2009, fashion, design and food lovers have been drawn to a store that has smoothly forged ahead in an area of…