The creative dream duo Marcus King & Tessa Westerhof from Sydney to Berlin and back again.
mn_Muse Marcus King & Tessa Westerhof
Photography Joe Brennan
Between Lines
Tessa: Please share a little bit about yourself - including your background, where you were raised, noting some of the defining aspects that have contributed to the person you are today?
I am from The Hague in the Netherlands which is a cute beach town. My parents loved travelling and were quite adventurous so we cruised through Africa and America in a camper. When I was 14 I got scouted by a model scout when I went shopping for the first time in Amsterdam and signed with my first agency. This was super surprising for me because I was shy and insecure.
When I finished high school I lived in New York, Tokyo, London, Paris, Milan and now Sydney. About 5 years ago I started to feel the urge to get back into university and around that time I met an art director. Previously I had seen them around sets but never knew what they did except for looking a bit concerned. I decided that is what I wanted to do and looked around how to get there. I signed up for an international branding degree at AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute)which I am finishing in May.
Before I would settle in Amsterdam I wanted to do one last trip, I always wanted to go to Australia so I chose Sydney. 1 month later I met Marcus and I decided to go back to Amsterdam 1 week before my uni started. Marcus decided to follow me and we used to travel back and forwards between Amsterdam and Berlin. University really taught me how to show my work, work with others and build confidence. It was tough in the beginning because I was not used to learning and strict routines and there were many days I dreamed of travelling far away from Amsterdam. I did my internship at Entropico which is a film production company which also was kind of an accident but I found out that film is what makes my heart tick faster. I work there now doing design, a bit of production and hopefully in the future directing.
Marcus: I was born and bread in Sydney, raised by the ocean it has been integral to my existence since day dot. I surfed a lot in my youth, and music became a core element to my early development. It was a yearning for a culture not on offer here in Sydney that took me to London in my early / mid-20s. I was searching for a resonance that felt familiar yet was inaccessible in Australia, a place where dance music was embedded into a city’s roots, and the arts and design were richer and deeper in content.
I spent 6 years in London, until the age of 30, which was an extremely formative time for me. Disco became my passion, of the more provincial European variety, which led me further seek out its various roots across the European continent. An especially memorable trip was to Gabicce Mare in Italy, where the club Baia Imperiale exists. Once a year they have a night Remember Baia Degli Angeli, where the great DJ Baldelli plays again, as he did throughout the 70s and 80s. The sounds he is most famous for coining is Cosmic Disco, a huge influence on me during this time.
Coming back to Australia in 2010 was another huge moment for me, and I found a whole new appreciation for the country. Things felt different in Sydney, or maybe it was my perspective that was different; less restless, more appreciative of the smaller things perhaps. It wasn’t until 2016 that I met Tessa, but a hugely defining point in my life. One that inspired another relocation to Berlin, Germany where I moved in 2017. It was here that our relationship was solidified, as well as concepting a project that finally came to life in 2020. The project was BTWNLNS, a new cultural space in Newtown, connecting Berlin to Sydney through and offering of curated art, design, architecture, photography, fashion books etc, sourced through our friends in Berlin do you read me?! along with four solid, contemporary furniture brands. It was created with friends/business partners Emanuel Mugrauer and Nicola Albrecht.
Marcus: Yourself and Co-Founders launched BTWNLNS (Between Lines) Book & Furniture Store in 2020, how long did it take from the idea to launch the business? and why did you decide to create such a business and why the cultural powerhouse of people, books and furniture?
The idea was floated around March 2019 between Nicole, Emanuel and myself. We would meet for coffees around Berlin’s Bergmannkiez, where we all lived at that time, and discuss the potential of opening such a business in Sydney. Mark, from the store, do you read me?! had been looking to expand his offering. Emanuel and he are childhood friends, so it felt like the perfect scenario to take a piece of this cultural institution to Sydney, Australia. Nicole is an interior architect, with established relationships with our furniture brands that we represent - Loehr, Objekte Unserer Tage, Neo/Craft and New Tendency. These contemporary furniture brands are all producing amazing objects, and have never been shown in Australia before. So the perfect marriage of books and furniture were born. We are all creatives working across Architecture, Graphic Design, Advertising and the Arts, so really the store is a love child from all our previous pursuits. This can very much be seen with our curated book offering.
So the idea took almost two years to come to life, as there were many hurdles along the way, the largest being Covid of course. Our plan was to open in March 2020, but we finally realised the store in December 2020, once visas, travel, and shipping the goods were all actually doable. The space was really about filling a cultural void in Sydney, as nothing like it quite exists here, but bigger than that, to create a space for people to connect with each other around this content, bringing people back to the tangible, physical space, which has been some-what lost inner digital age. We are now hosting a number of events around book launches and artist events etc.
Marcus: BTWNLNS is an amazing all-encompassing new approach to creating a local cultural community here in Sydney first of all, can you walk us through how and you source your books and furniture?
All our books are sourced through do you read me?! We work with them in unison, selecting books from their established list of publishers, as well as suggesting titles outside their stock. In turn, they feed us stock that they think would resonate with the community we’re building with the store. Furthermore, we are establishing our own relationships with publishers, particularly some local, Australian offerings, so we are in turn feeding this back across the ocean to them. As our window says, From Berlin to Sydney and back again.
The furniture is all sourced through Nicole’s established relationships as she has used the furniture designers for various architectural projects throughout Europe. We are now offering them for both residential and commercial project here.
Marcus: How has the recent year affected your business and the message you want to convey to support your business vision to Connect People, Places & Objects?
The recent year has only worked to amplify our vision, as people are in ever more need of connection. To create a space where people can come together, and immerse, or escape, into the creative content we have on offer has been our focus, and really is a blessing. We are driven by the sharing of knowledge, and the power of connecting people with people, as well as sharing a piece of a city / place’s culture with that of another, creating a space for inspiration and learning.
In times of the environmental climate crisis, being sustainable can be an incredible tool to amplify the importance of your roles as creatives, can you talk us through any sustainable or environmental implementations or processes that you are active in or working towards in your day to day or working environments?
Tessa: At AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) I learnt the most about sustainability which is why I don’t buy fast fashion. Not just because it is polluting the planet but also I do not agree with the supply chain and how people there are treated. I often buy vintage or swap clothes which actually also was because I didn’t have a lot of money whilst studying! If I buy something it is special and will be with me for a long time. I still have clothes from when I was 15! I don’t have my drivers license so I walk and take public transport. That is the thing that surprises me in Sydney, everyone is driving! In Holland, everyone is riding bikes, so yes I cannot wait to get my bike here! As a creative, for me, sustainability is almost a brainer, those little things you do have an impact.
Marcus: Our processes are quite simple in the fact that we ship goods from Berlin to Sydney. We are passionate about sustainability and are conscious of our footprint every step of the way, as are the brands we stock. Of particular note is the X-Chair by OUT, setting new standards; Made entirely from recycled material, fairly produced and fully traceable in the production cycle. Each of our brands are made in Germany, with a focus around sustainability including the environmental factors of the materials used and how they are processed, the quality of manufacturing, as well as the social and economic conditions of production.
Tell us about your relationship with nature and how to do you implement it in your daily life? What is your routine for self-love practices?
Tessa: If I am on a crazy deadline I tend to sit a lot in front of my computer but if I just go out for a short walk to the nearby park I am so much more creative. So that is my tip to you and others, go for walks even if you don’t feel like it. Marcus and I love camping, so that is definitely a way for us to recharge. When I graduate, we want to drive a van around Australia. I feel like I haven’t seen Australia in its rawest form yet. Regarding self-love practices, I honestly am still learning, one thing I love is spending time alone to recharge, just having long baths, reading and cooking a delicious meal. At the moment a form of self-love is making the effort to call my friends back in the Netherlands! The time difference is a huge pain!
Marcus: People need nature, for health and happiness. My relationship is one of respect and awe, and one that has utilised its healing powers to full effect. Like many, I wish I had more time to immerse in nature, but I dive headfirst in, whenever I can. I love ocean swimming, or ocean pool swimming, which I frequent at least once or twice a week. I also love bush-walking. Tess and I will immerse ourselves in Sydney bushwalks every other weekend, and if time permits travel to destinations that provide this also.
How would you describe your style? And how has it changed over the years?
Tessa: Like very laid back: classic, good jeans, boots or sneakers and T-shirts. It hasn’t changed that much. I am either in dresses or jeans, nothing in between masculine or feminine.
Marcus: I love traditional workwear, streetwear including sneakers, as well as tech gear for hiking and living in the outdoors. My style is a combination of all these. Style is influenced by climate and culture, so my style has developed and altered based on where I was living and the time I was there. In London, during the 2000’s it was all about desert boots, and proper shoes, with some heritage influence such as the timeless barber jacket. Sydney is more trans-seasonal, so t-shirts and shorts play a much bigger picture. Every culture or city I’ve lived in has definitely played a part in building the amalgamation that now exists in my aesthetic taste.
What is your favourite madre natura garment and why?
Tessa: Love the denim, just because it is the perfect example of clothing that will get better the more you wear it. The more it will tell a story and it has a super high quality. Also, my bum looks great in the jeans! Jackie Galleghan is great at designing clothes that make you feel confident and make you look powerful.
Marcus: I love the Fig Denim Bomber Jacket - timeless, classic design with a madre natura twist.
Do you have a favourite season to dress for?
Marcus: Autumn, cos you get to layer a little more utilising the whole wardrobe.
Tessa: I love all seasons.
How do you see the Australian Fashion industry becoming more sustainable in the future?
Tessa: I mean it has to, Sustainability is a marketing tool for big companies at the moment but I am it will just be normal in the future, the next generation will demand that from companies. That is why I love madre natura how they use dead-stock fabrics and it’s made here in Sydney so I can literally drive to the factory right now. It is sustainable in material use but also in the treatment of people. I think we have to start educating kids on how to mend, care and repair their clothing in school. It will help them realize that clothes are spiritual if you treat them like it. Also, how can you feel good wearing something made by women who are not empowered in the process?
Marcus: Locally made, locally sourced.
Marcus: Lastly, where do you see the future for BTWLNS?
Onwards and upwards, we’ll be eventually expanding our space to have a bigger showroom and offers, including more room for larger events. We’ll play back into Europe from Australia in future, as to begin with there has been a natural focus coming this way. We’ll build our community, and immerse ourselves in creative projects that are organically taking shape. We are offering more services such as building culture libraries for companies and cultural institution such as galleries, universities, hotels and design & architectural studios. The future is clear, but also open to the possibilities that present themselves through the many conversations BTWNLNS is providing a platform for.
Tessa: Lastly, where do you see your future as the Multidisciplinary creative you are today?
As a film director hopefully one day but as before a lot of things crossed my path by accident! So I guess we will have to wait and see.
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