A collaboration with blogger Catarina Mira, highlighting our Trail Loop earring. 

Catarina: "I've started blogging because I felt the need to create something for myself. The purpose of the blog is to inspire others, share happy moments and have a space where I can display all my skills and passions. I first came across The Boyscouts in a shop I love in London called Goodhood. I was drawn to the unconventional designs. There is something very powerful in the simplicity. The great thing about these earrings is that they are a statement piece, they stand out even though they are so minimalistic."

As a graphic designer Marjolein Delhaas is often a force in the background. However, with her planners she put her personal signature on display. Since 2008 she annually designs planners and notepads that are characterized by spaciousness and balanced typography. Every day feels like a clean slate. With one of hers in your bag you’re ready for two thousand and seventeen and each year after. ‘I strive to create little archives of life.’

Is your life organized?
‘Because of my structured work, people tend to think that my whole life is neatly organized. The opposite is true since I have a family and a business. Nevertheless, I aim for structure. It’s an absolute high when my designs are as structured as they can be but I can’t deny that I sometimes overdo it and everything collapses into chaos. But then again, it seems that everything grows in chaos and you don’t always have the time to organize growth. Over time things simply stack up and I think there’s beauty in that.’

The origin of the planner
‘At the academy they used to have notepads. I always took those and carried them with me. My bag was a mess and these notebooks were perfect for several reasons. First of all, A6 size cards and folded A4 papers fit perfectly in between the pages without the edges folding. Secondly, the small size made it easy to carry with me—in a bag or even my coat. It’s these small things that make me happy and so I based the size of my planners on that specific notebook. My planner comes in two versions: one deluxe edition with an imitation leather hardcover and a basic paperback version.

In my designs I try to keep that ‘unfinished’ feel. I try to balance out the contrast between the design and the material. The fine-tuning never stops. I don’t want to make big changes because I believe I have found the right basis and people appreciate that. It’s free from ‘noise’ like maps and size-charts. The year itself is what matters.

I strive to create little archives of life. An organizer is not just about planning, it’s also remembering what you’ve done. A couple of scribbles is enough to do that.'

The Boyscouts x Marjolein Delhaas
‘I felt an immediate connection to the Building Character collection. The essence of the visual style has a similarity to my own. The simplicity and graphic feel fits me and I could straight away envision a typeface. It was a challenge, as I never made a typeface before.  I studied the lines and junctions used for the collection and formed a basic grid to build the different characters with. The result may not be a perfect finished typeface, but it definitely is an interesting experiment, which I enjoyed making and will continue to refine. In the meantime I'm happy to announce that this experiment will turn into wrapping paper.'

Are you ready to plan, look forward and back? You find the basic and the deluxe planners here.

For Harvest Moon The Boyscouts collaborated with artist Louis Reith. The result is a blanket that can be worn as a shawl or enjoyed as a blanket. Louis is based in Amsterdam and a cheerful fellow. He is a graphic designer gone autonomous artist. His love for books never went away and resulted in his own publishing house. Of course, this is a side project. We speak of his work, his style and his ambitions.

Who are you?

‘I’m Louis Reith, graphic designer originally but I have grown to be an autonomous artist. I create to exhibit.’  

Signature style

‘My style comes from a desire to not just sit behind a computer all day. I figured why not make graphic shapes manually? Instead of communicating directly with typography I started creating an abstract alphabet with which I could stack letters to become words, like typographic sculptures.  How this style came into being? I adore books and at some point I started drawing on the pages of a biology book, preferably on the yellowed ones. I love to work with theme’s derived from nature, be it on the page or in my drawing. It strengthens the contrast between what’s analogue and what’s digital. This eventually led me to make potting soil paintings. Those paintings in particular appealed to The Boyscouts and were the start of our collaboration.’

Collaboration

‘Zelda invited me to create the artwork for the blanket that’s part of the Harvest Moon collection. Creating a scarf was high on my wishlist, mostly because I love wearing them. The process was fast but sweet. We spoke of what parts of my work appealed to The Boyscouts and I started experimenting with those ingredients. I started sketching with the words “boy scout” and it fit perfectly. First I put trees in the background but the detail of that didn’t work. Eventually I created a form of pixel-noise that has the effect of an abstract pixel- sky.’

Future plans

‘What appeals to people in my work is the esthetic that I have developed. I’d love to take that to the next level. Working with soil has an interesting effect that I could take much further. I’d like to start working with color, with grass or pigments. I’m starting to find a connection with nature. I want to translate what’s outside to the inside. Maybe in the shape of installations, create soil carpets for example but first I’d have to find the space to do so.’

Harvest Moon

The Boyscouts celebrates the harvest season. After having carefully sown in spring, looking after and caring for what you planted, it is time to gather the merit. Flourishing demands a celebration. The pieces symbolize the reward that comes after the effort. We devoted ourselves to creating a collection of bold pieces that highlight your achievement.

For Harvest Moon we collaborated with artist Louis Reith. This collaboration resulted in a blanket with a typographic print on a pixel-sky that provided a nightly context to the Harvest Moon collection.

Photography: Labadie / Vantoer 
Hair & make-up: Dennis Michael / Angelique Hoorn Management 
Model: Veronique Poshi

For the second year in a row we were asked to design the ‘medal’ for the Nike Women’s 10k. This year’s trophy is a bracelet. We think it is important for the medal to symbolize the place where you ran the Nike Women’s 10k. Therefore the design of the bracelet is deduced from Amsterdam’s iconic canals. The water defines the shape of the city and was the main inspiration for the shape of the bracelet. Every finisher of the race will receive their medal as a lasting reminder of their personal achievement.

Photography: Michel Wongsomenawi

The design of Match Box is based on “boy scouts” elements which brought De Intuïtiefabriek to the idea to use the simple principle of a match box and translate it into a jewelry case that both stores and shows ones pieces of jewelry. The composition of primary forms, a circle, an oval and a rectangle, compliments the geometrical language of The Boyscouts.

Photography: Floor Knaapen

The Boyscouts selected the black padded pak'r model from Eastpak and combined the identity of the brand with the aesthetics of The Boyscouts. The backpack together with the knapsack remains the focal point of the design. The combination of forms and materials are the basis for the design; armed with this bag you are ready for adventure!

The backpack has a leather base, a wool felt top, a rope closure with silver ends and a clever laptop compartment.

The Eastpak x The Boyscouts backpack is designed commissioned by GROOS and Eastpak.

Photography: Ruud Baan 
Styling: Isis Vaandrager 
Models: Carly, Marly and Wout

The Boyscouts proudly accepted Nike's request to design the finisher's trophy for all participants of We Own The Night. On june 7th, over 5000 female runners occupy the streets of Amsterdam during a 10 KM race. For every runner, a worthy reward is waiting at the finish line: a custom made necklace by The Boyscouts.

The design of the necklace refers to the Nike+ Running app. Devoted runners will notice the reference of the various charms: The 10 KM race, the running levels, and the racewinner. The three symbols each have a different color: gold, silver and rose. Wether you finish first or last, the triumph is real!