OKRO develops contemporary designs in collaboration with craftsmen, designers and architects. Together, they explore the limits of the possible and impossible, of utility and beauty, purpose and space. The objects they create exude a sense of timelessness and history.
Using the cultural diversity of their immediate surroundings, OKRO pairs regional craftsmanship and international design. Their aim is to stimulate and establish relationships between design authors, manufacturers and customers.
OKRO edits limited and unlimited editions of objects and furniture, and in doing so, fills gaps that are ignored by the industry. They also run the Gallery O in Chur where objects are displayed not only for their contemporary craftsmanship and design uniqueness, but for their crazy new ideas and concepts.
The gallery O, representing in part the label Okro, came to life first in the head of Heinz Caflish. Not long afterward, within a former industrial building, garage and workshop in Chur. As we talked to Heinz about good architecture and aesthetic design, his enthusiasm for the genre was immediately demonstrable by the large fount of knowledge he drank from.
After his studies at the Technikum in Winthertur and at the Zurich University of the Arts, he founded the architectural office Auer-Caflish together with Roland Auer in 2000. In 2012, seizing the moment, he made journeys to various countries and attended universities and lectures, spoke with students and designers, broadening his skills, knowledge base and toolsets. Fueled by these experiences, Heinz then created a hub for design and craftsmanship, opening Galerie O with his label Okro in 2017. The Galerie O design hub served to forge links between crafters from the surrounding alpine region and designers who repeatedly had the demand for individual custom-made products but did not really know how to produce them for their customers. Together, they explore the limits of the possible and impossible, of utility and beauty, purpose and space. The objects they create exude a sense of timelessness and history.
Heinz Caflish’s interpretation of design is to facilitate and promote these encounters. Okro is a cultural space, besides exhibitions in the gallery and a sales room for products created by the collaborations, there is also a beautifully constructed kitchen unit in the newly designed former garage. Where meals are often cooked and enjoyed in a convivial atmosphere. The design of the kitchen reflects the Japanese food culture, in which aesthetics has an essential meaning, just like for Okro. This shop and the Maker behind it, are a living manifesto for contemporary craftsmanship and design.
JOURNAL. What you might want to know…
Doing something by hand can change a lot. Buying something handmade out of conviction can do the same. It changes – or has already changed – the way we think. Especially when it comes to our food. What do we buy? Who made it? What can we perhaps grow ourselves? How do our actions and decisions change, first ourselves, then our purchases, then the landscape?
Every sourdough – that culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water – is unique, like a fingerprint, because in every region there are individual bacteria in the air that give each loaf its very own flavour. One person who knows more about the infinite variety of sourdough cultures than most – whose culture is culture, so to speak – is the Belgian Karl De Smedt, keeper and archivist of Europe’s only sourdough library.
It’s virtually impossible to miss Julius Brantner Brothandwerk if you’re a fan of baked goods and find yourself in Munich. The charming Swabian baker has recently opened his second location, the first being such a success. With his team working transparently behind large glass windows, Julius strives to make “honest and trustworthy handling of all ingredients and processes accessible,” he says. Unsurprisingly, locals and tourists flock to the shopfront to sample their aromatic bread and delectable treats.
SHOP. Our latest releases….
FINDER. Find your maker…
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Brothers Florian and Moritz Mez, founders of Black Chili Knives, discovered the beauty of Vietnamese carbon steel knives in 2015. They harnessed the ease of resharpening this material to create...
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Brothers Florian and Moritz Mez, founders of Black Chili Knives, discovered the beauty of Vietnamese carbon steel knives in 2015. They harnessed the ease of resharpening this material to create distinctive designs, collaborating with skilled blacksmiths. Their collection features knives
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Franz Keilhofer, a wood turner located at the foot of Germany’s Watzmann mountain, creates elegantly simple and timeless wooden bowls. He works in harmony with nature, allowing wood to shape...
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Franz Keilhofer, a wood turner located at the foot of Germany’s Watzmann mountain, creates elegantly simple and timeless wooden bowls. He works in harmony with nature, allowing wood to shape itself as it dries. His workshop welcomes visitors to experience
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Weck, with over 120 years of history, is known for its high-quality, sustainable glassware, including canning jars and bottles. Their eco-friendly practices and reusable, durable designs have made them a...
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Weck, with over 120 years of history, is known for its high-quality, sustainable glassware, including canning jars and bottles. Their eco-friendly practices and reusable, durable designs have made them a popular choice for preserving and serving food and drink.
Makers Bible Crafting Cuisine inspires those who love to spend time in the kitchen, cook with hand and heart, try new things and celebrate a
Martin Schönleitner is one of 17 fishermen at Lake Chiemsee. Together with wife Verena Stephan they both run Chiemseefischerei Stephan, a family business for 400 years. Their ancestors had started their venture at Lake Constance. For three generations (at the present site) the Stepahn family lives and fishes at Lake Chiemsee, Prien am Chiemsee to be precise.
The tailor-made suit is still considered the highest-quality and most individual version of the garment. German men’s tailors work in the awareness of covering a particularly wide range of the demands their profession places on them.
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