REALS

Life and our choices carry consequences. Our daily lives consist of words, gestures, actions, food, objects, emotions, feelings, plans, dreams, and probably a whole mountain of other things. We experience all of this more or less consciously. In a breakfast bar in Katowice, the waitress wore a t-shirt with a meaningful slogan "eat." The contrast of this commanding word with the slow food idea prevailing in this place made me a little dizzy. And it made me think. More and more often, we consciously choose what we eat, how we eat, where the products come from, who delivered them, and whether a Far Eastern corporation is responsible for producing carrots. The same goes for physical activity and all kinds of sports. We are becoming increasingly active or at least aware of our activity and our body. We care about ourselves. Perfectly.

But what about the world of design? What about awareness of what I sit on, what I equip the interior with, where the table, picture, lamp, tile come from? Are we aware that not every product is designed by a designer, but many are reproduced and copyrighted? Isn't it the case that awareness should be key in making consumer decisions? Awareness of where the product comes from, who produced it, whether the product is not a cheaper substitute that steals copyright. I realize that, inundated with an endless amount of things, we often do not even have the opportunity to learn everything about the product. But let's try, let's ask, let's try. Let's build our own awareness of reality. Sometimes it's better to sit on a simpler and less ornate piece of furniture, but real, i.e., one that does not pretend anything, and thanks to this, we know how it was designed, what materials it is made of, and what idea accompanies it.

The same goes for Gie El. Here, we focus on product awareness. We create a story around each product, which is intended to bring the product closer, show its origin, stages of creation, materials, and the concept of form. Gie El is a boutique brand that focuses on the idea of slow. This gives us time to get to know our customers, their interiors, and expectations. It gives us the opportunity to create original and personalized products. A narrative follows our products. We create for people who expect awareness in their lives and reject mediocrity. We appreciate genuine materials that are what they are. Wood is wood, steel is steel, and stone is stone. We reject veneers and plastics if they try to pretend to be something else.

Returning from the latest Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, I passed through the De Gaulle airport check-in. On the floor, a wooden floor, or rather something that tried to imitate it hopelessly. A plastic carpet with a wooden print. A nasty thing. Do we really have to surround ourselves with imitation that creates an illusory bubble that we are walking on a wooden floor, sitting at a stone countertop? Let's stay with the airport floor for a moment. If practical, financial, or functional aspects lead to the choice of plastic, let it not pretend to be something else. Because why?

We reject the idea of imitation at Gie El. We recently introduced a collection of modern chandeliers made from metal woven mesh, which gives them their unique expression. Real stainless steel and alloys of phosphorus, zinc, and bronze are used, materials that do not pretend to be something else. The same goes for glass lamps. Those who have had the opportunity to touch our lampshades know how heavy they are and how thick the glass is. The idea of slow design is a process that begins with the selection of materials for the next collection, reflecting on sustainable production, packaging, use of the product itself, and ultimately its disposal or transformation into another product, another lamp. The cardboard boxes we use to package our products are not painted. They are ordinary brown cardboard that can be recycled, used as moving boxes, or even shredded and added to a compost pile.

This idea requires time on both our part as producers and on your part as conscious consumers who understand where the brown cardboard comes from and who will take a moment to responsibly dispose of or reuse it. Slow design is a network that connects designers, manufacturers, and end-users. In this process, anonymity is not desirable. We like to know and talk to each other. This builds relationships and connects us. We're glad you're here.

Maria Rypuła