WINTRY FIRESIDES AND CANDLES AT FOUR
“Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside; candles at four o’clock, warm hearth rugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies to the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without.”
From Sever by Lauren DeStefano
You've recharged your batteries, spent quality time with family and friends and allowed the world to gently slip away for a while in a Betwixtmas dream. Then along comes January. The start of a new year. That month when you find yourself rapidly reaching for your notepad to set sincere intentions for a healthier, more abundant and successful life. Keen to spark improvements and to restore some balance you commit wholeheartedly to walking more, connecting with people more, to reassessing your relationship with all things digital, perhaps you plan to delve headlong into nature and embrace everything it has to offer. It is a new year; a fresh start! But January has that 'Sunday night' feeling. The beginning of a new year is suddenly a hard climb. Holiday festivities are a distant memory, so too are wintery firesides and Christmas candles only to be rapidly replaced with blaring alarm clocks and tea in a takeaway cup.
To ensure that good intentions remain intact beyond the end of January we suggest setting goals this year that are small, but mighty; that are attainable and meaningful, with perhaps a sharper focus on what we have, rather than what we lack. Whatever you decide, they should work for you.
Buster Keaton 1895-1966
At RUSKIN we are practicing setting intentions which focus more on creating growth, abundance and making things happen. These intentions guide us throughout the year to make decisions more mindfully that align with our long-term aspirations. Every year since our conception, this ritual act of curating a list of intentions has helped us to take action and to edge closer towards our vision and dreams for RUSKIN.
We’re looking forward to offering up a range of fresh new colours in our existing RUSKIN bags. We’ve also begun working on new design ideas to add to our collection – for now, these are still under wraps, but keep your eyes peeled for updates soon!
One of the most exciting entries in our calendar is our imminent trip to New York to showcase our products in the city’s semi-annual independent show, SHOPPE OBJECT, a 3-day event, running from 5-7 February, celebrates the design community and a shared ethos: “dedication to, and reverence for; the good, the beautiful, the inspired, the innovative, the well-made”. SHOPPE OBJECT will take place at Pier 36 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and we are hugely proud that RUSKIN has been selected to showcase alongside hundreds of prestigious, visionary brands.
As well as achieving greater scaling, our focus will be as much on scope, for a mutually beneficial future that serves you as our customer, while at the same time respecting the processes and the resources we are using. As ever, everything we do at RUSKIN is deeply rooted in care, attention to detail and provenance. We don’t push ourselves or our artisans to scramble to meet unrealistic deadlines: we truly believe in the power of taking things slowly, carefully and deliberately to create the highest quality output and outcomes. This is no different with our approach to our 2022 intentions: we won’t be frantically rushing to achieve these overnight. Alongside having ambitious dreams, first and foremost we will always prioritise our mission: to ensure RUSKIN is firmly grounded in nature and human connection.
So as our pencils sweep across the paper in a flourish and our sewing machines gently hum as they whir into action, we'll dream big, make plans and get started on 2022.
We hope you have entered the year feeling newly refreshed and we look forward to sharing our journey with you.