You’ve heard it all before; the old adage that 'two minds are better than one'. We know, you know, that its true. But what you might not know is the wonderful work of creative couple Joeri Evers and Pieter Peulen – a dynamic pairing that provide some of the most refreshing aesthetic projects on Instagram under the creative guise of Hardwearing. The types of images that you actually stop scrolling through Instagram to take a closer look at.
Well, now you can follow them and learn a few aesthetic secrets too as this week we dialled into Antwerp again – following on from our chat with Tibods– to find out what it takes to stand-out in the wide and well-populated design world. Scroll down to read the full Hardwearing interview and stay up to date with all of our inspirations by following OPUMO on Instagram, too.
Name:
Joeri Evers & Pieter Peulen.
Location:
Antwerp, Belgium.
Full-Time Job:
Joeri is a Front-end developer and Pieter is an Online Content Creator.
Camera:
We mostly use the Canon 70D.
You Made The Conscious Decision To Quit Your Traditional Blog & Make It More Visual; Why Was That?
Pieter: We’ve always been more into photography then writing, so we’re just using our best skills. Our first blog was also really visual with just a few lines of text, but we felt like we the text was distracting and ultimately unnecessary. We believe that the pictures tell everything so we needn't say or do any more.
What Was The Catalyst For You Stepping Into The Design World?
Pieter: When I was in high school, I was really missing the creative part so after a while I decided to change to art school. That paved the creative journey to where I am today.
How Would You Describe Your Aesthetic?
Pieter: The meaning of 'Hardwearing' more or less describes our aesthetics and style: “Something that is hard-wearing is strong and well-made so that it lasts for a long time and stays in good condition even though it is used a lot.” Mostly this results in timeless, minimal pieces which don’t get out of style and you won’t throw away after one season.
Joeri, You’re The Coder & The Graphic Designer; How Do You Pull All Your Influences – From Interiors, Apparel, Gallery, Grooming and Greenery To Name A Few – Into One Fully-Functional Aesthetic & Website?
Joeri: The aesthetics of Hardwearing and my web design are more or less the same. The same as our photography and style, I like that my websites look and feel timeless. You’ve got a lot of trends in web design that are ‘cool’ for like a year and after that every one wants a new website. I strive that my websites can be online for a long time and still feel fresh and new. That's something that is constantly driving my ambitions, to create something that can be considered timeless.
What Do You Do To Keep Your Ideas Fresh?
Joeri: By not getting to much influenced from the latest trends. Our ideas almost always start with a blank piece of paper. We just start brainstorming and see where things take us.
Do You Have Any Superstitions Beliefs Or Self Imposed Rules That You Live By?
Joeri: Get rid of the things you don’t use. We go through our entire house every month. Things we didn’t use last most goes to secondhand shops.
You’re Both Into Menswear; What’s The Eternal Style Tip You Always Share With People?
Pieter: Our eternal style tip is that every piece in your wardrobe needs to fit with each other. Don’t buy anything if you think you’re just going to wear it once. If in doubt, our go-to outfit is always a pair of black jeans or trousers with a simple white T-shirt. It's timeless, easy-to-wear and comfortable.
What Is It That Inspires You To Keep Creating?
Pieter: Neither of us studied anything photography or fashion oriented so it’s really a process of just doing it. When you see our pictures from 5 years ago, it’s such a difference. The trial and error thing is definitely something that drives us to this day.
What Do You Know Now That You Wish You Knew When You Were 18?
Joeri: Don’t get too influenced by others. In the beginning, there are a lot of opinions of how you should do things and lot of other people who do things differently. But you just do you. If something else just feels better for you, go for it.
What Are 3 Of Your Favourite Instagram Accounts Right Now?
Joeri: @lisadengler and @_robinlam both have an incredible style and aesthetics. Their photography is just so good and on point, we pretty much like every image on their feed. Elsewhere, we always keep an eye out for @love_aeshetics . It's an account that we've followed from the beginning. She has a very unique style which you don’t see a lot. But, the best thing is, that she will always do things in her own style no matter which client she’s working for which is something that we can all learn from.
Want to see more in the ‘Who We’re Following’ series? Check out our exclusive interview aerial photographer, @ParisViol.
