Nearly five years in
On growth, change and becoming clearer about who we are
As we approach our fifth anniversary, we found ourselves looking back at where we started – and, more importantly, at what Bespoke Selections has become along the way.
Growth rarely announces itself while it is happening.
For us, it happened one order at a time. One project led to another. New makers entered our world. Clients brought us challenges we hadn’t encountered before. Some ideas worked beautifully; others taught us important lessons. And somewhere between delivering the work and getting on with the next thing, the business evolved.
Almost without us noticing.
What began as a way of bringing beautiful, unusual objects to this part of the world gradually became something broader. We found ourselves increasingly interested not simply in the objects, but in the thinking behind them: the materials, the craftsmanship, the people who make them and the reasons some things have the ability to remain relevant long after the first impression has passed.
At the same time, another side of our work was growing.
Clients began asking us to create things specifically for them – objects that could carry a brand, mark an occasion or tell a particular story. Corporate gifting became less about sourcing something appropriate and increasingly about developing something particular.
Looking back made something else apparent: while the business had moved on, the way we presented ourselves hadn’t quite kept up.
It was time for new clothes.
So over the past months, we have gone back to the beginning and questioned almost everything: to understand more clearly who we are today and where we want to go next.
What emerged was a clearer articulation of the two sides of our world: Curated Collections, where we represent distinctive makers and design houses, and Corporate Gifting, where ideas are developed into objects made for a particular client, recipient and moment.
That understanding has shaped a new identity and website that better reflect who we are today.
Along the way, we have also accumulated quite a few stories, ideas and discoveries worth sharing.
So perhaps this is a good place to begin.