PaperCity Magazine

PaperCity Houston March 2022

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On Mill Collective's debut in Texas. And your first trip to Round Top. Yes, Round Top will be the first time Mill Collective has exhibited in Texas, and the first time for the public to shop Mill Collective. I visited Round Top last September, when my partner and I were in Austin looking for a suitable space to show Mill Collective. We had heard so much about Round Top over the years that we had to see it for ourselves. After a whirlwind 24-hour tour of the town by our friend Cisco Pinedo, we had no doubt this would be the right spot to bring our group. The place exudes so much energy! Even before experiencing the show itself, we can tell it's all about discovery, free enterprise, and authenticity. Makers you'll feature at The Halles. We've hand-picked our best makers for Round Top and are bringing a jaw-dropping assortment of handmade, high-quality pieces. I'm especially excited to bring Daniel Lefkowitz, Annie Evelyn, and Martin Zelonky. Each of these makers has a unique modern perspective, embracing color, unusual materials, and whimsical designs. For example, Daniel Lefkowitz uses recycled newspaper pulp to make sculptural chairs; Annie Evelyn makes interactive and humorous furniture that creates joy; and Martin Zelonky's modern benches are finished with multilayer, high-gloss automotive lacquer. On founding Mill Collective. Big picture: We created Mill Collective to plant a seed of innovation in the U.S. furnishings sector and to support the entrepreneurial spirit of modern-day artisans. I am highly entrepreneurial myself and have focused on furnishings throughout my career, collaborating with major design fair organizers in more than 20 countries to promote U.S. design. I was pleased to experience the blossoming of the Maker Movement in the U.S. when I returned to the U.S. after living in Europe. Mill Collective was born to bridge the gap between what interior designers and clients want — authentic or customized designs — and what was available to them in the domestic market. We organized a group of innovative makers who dedicate their days to handcrafting quality objects using sustainable practices. Their works have complementary style, quality, and price level, marketed under a single umbrella. Our shared platform of makers has grown to more than 75 studios across the country sold through Mill Collective. We have also launched an ecommerce business. The makers stay in their workshops creating and making – and we take care of the rest. What's in a name. We began in an old textile mill in High Point, North Carolina, one with beautiful brick walls. Cisco Pinedo sponsored us and made the space available. Since then, we've been nomadic, activating neglected spaces, and are responsible for urban rejuvenation projects in downtown High Point, including where we are now, in the town's oldest building, the courthouse. The name Mill Collective speaks to working-class values, down and dirty — a return to the mills. The conversation continues at papercitymag.com. Mill Collective at The Halles, Round Top, March 19 – April 2. millcollective.com/collections/ round-top-tx. MAKING THEIR MARK – THE MAKERS OF MILL COLLECTIVE Catherine D. Anspon chats with Mill Collective founder Tim Branscome on the eve of his first trip to Round Top. Founders Luciana Mikos and Tim Branscome Martin Zelonky Annie Evelyn Daniel Lefkowitz JEREMY KAMIYA 126

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