Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about that famous day where , far from everyone and transported by the cold Hymalayan wind , I reached in disbelief the top of the world’s fourth highest mountains, the Annapurna in Nepal.
The reason for that exhausting experience was due to a simple miscalculation, where arriving at the customs in New Dehli to shop for my store Joelle , I was refused entrance and advised to go to Nepal for a supposedly 24 hours trip to get a new visa. The 24 hours deadline never happened!
On the night I arrived in Katmandu, the news were all about a plane that was hijacked in Afghanistan and for security reasons no visas in general were issued until further notice. Rather than flying back to London and then Sao Paulo, I decided to stay and to explore the local textiles and unpaired crafts which I new were knowouts.
After a week the collection was set in place, furred pillows, China silked bed covers, coral and turquoise damask placemats , you name it but really there was nothing else to do. At that time I was traveling with my assistant Marcelo , his first time in Asia where he’d need to follow-up with logistics and to put physically in place the largest collection the Sao Paulo 1000 sq mt flagship would ever offer.
Very quiet and observant, Marcelo rarely spoke. Nourishing himself with Coke and chocolate, he was always able to perceive among hundred suppliers which was reliable Ali Baba or the thieves. In numerous occasions, later in our professional lives , while enthusiastically selecting merchandise , I would hear Marcelo say in the middle of exhaustive negotiations ” Chefinha ( Little Boss ), are you working for us or for them? Go for a walk until I am done with this deal ”
The Anapurna escalation was purely my own idea. Bored, and determined to enter India soon, I needed to explore something new . As a result of the most physically exhausting and spiritually overwhelming life changing experience I finally got my visa to fall dead sick in a Delhi Hospital a few days later on Christmas day and Marcelo’s birthday.
Convulsive fever, stomach and intestine discharge for days ,Marcelo saved me from convolutions choosing not to leave my sight until I got better. His name from that day until today changed from Marcelo to Anjinho ( Little Angel )
After my recovery , for the 10 years, we traveled all over creating the very popular Santa Fe Collection among the hundreds of monthly designed and developed products from all over the world. Many years of experience in design, product development, visual merchandizing and import-export logistics little angel became almost my boss. It was time to follow his own road of expression and a fly with his now very strong wings.
A dozen of tattoos later and a few entrepreneurial experiences as a Brazilian beach style Sushi Bars restaurateur , Little Angel finally opens his mostly mature and compact business called Tam Tum where he designs, produces and distributes locally and internationally in his store and soon on line, eclectic and colorful home accessories .
Fresh Pillows, puffs and futons, fabric lanterns coconut fiber table sets, bamboo furniture and ceramics carry his signature and are synonymous of his great talent and true South American sensibility created for TamTum and on special orders.
The geometric patterns of the collections are called by the name and places we visited, and the vivid and translucent colors remind me of the unforgettable imagery that crossed our creative minds and spirits.
On his arm I notice the last tatoo…. A large Thank You that he proudly exhibits for the picture although he is very shy.
” On the occasion of your birthday little Angel , the one who thanks you once more , it’ s me!
Merry Christmas
Little Boss ”
Joelle’s Tips:
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The catalogue:
Photo Credits: Stupla
