KA/NOA newsletter, March 2020
Life isn't all sunshine and roses...
Life isn't all sunshine and roses ...
Hello everyone,
We hope that you and your families are doing ok and that you are in good health despite the tragic period we are currently living through.
Our immediate thoughts go out to the people who have lost their loved ones and to the fantastic caregivers who are doing their utmost to save lives under extremely difficult conditions.
On the one hand, tragedy; and on the other, hope and determination. Like all of you, we are being hit hard by the current health crisis and we are suffering the consequences of the correct measures taken by the authorities.
However for us, the most important thing at the moment is not to feel sorry for ourselves, but to do everything we can to overcome this situation.
We need to remain positive, while staying at home and using the time we have available to re-invent the future.
Through this edition of the newsletter, we would like to keep you up to date and present some new features we are putting in place to face this challenge.
And as health is everyone's priority, we can reassure you regarding the state of health of the extended KA/NOA family, because everyone is doing well.
Boutiques are closed, the employees are safely at home and our Makers in Italy are fine despite the extremely tough conditions they are experiencing.
We are personally taking care of the online service, customer service and are at your disposal by email (info@kanoaitalia.com) and by phone via the numbers of each boutique.
Let’s be positive… Let's believe in the change and focus on our future.
We sincerely hope that all this will be over quickly, and we look forward to meeting up again as soon as possible, with everyone in good shape.
Take care, follow us on social media @kanoaitalia, and let us know how you are!
Bruno and Valérie Grande
Co-founders
La vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille ...
Bonjour à tous,
Avant tout nous espérons que vous et vos familles êtes tous en santé malgré la période difficile que nous traversons.
Nos premières pensées vont à toutes les personnes qui ont perdu un être cher, et à tous les soignants qui se démènent corps et âmes dans des conditions extrêmement difficiles. D'un côté, la tragédie; de l'autre, l'espoir et la détermination.
Comme vous tous, nous sommes affectés de plein fouet par la crise actuelle, et les mesures prises par les autorités. Cependant le plus important aujourd'hui n'est pas de s'apitoyer sur notre sort, mais de relever le défi de sortir de cette situation, en restant chez soi, et en utilisant le temps que nous avons à disposition pour ré-inventer le futur.
A travers cette édition de la newsletter, nous souhaitions vous donner des nouvelles, et présenter les nouveautés que nous mettons en place pour faire face. Et comme la santé est aujourd'hui la priorité de tous, nous pouvons vous rassurer sur l'état de santé de la famille élargie KA/NOA, car tout le monde va bien. Les boutiques sont fermées, les employés à la maison, nos Makers en Italie vont bien malgré les conditions très difficiles, Nous assurons personnellement le service online et le service client et sommes à votre disposition par email (info@kanoaitalia.com) et par téléphone au travers des numéros de chaque boutique.
Nous souhaitons que tout cela se termine rapidement, et nous nous réjouissons de vous retrouver en forme dès que possible.
Prenez soin de vous, suivez-nous sur les réseaux sociaux @kanoaitalia, et donnez-nous de vos nouvelles!
Amicalement
Valerie et Bruno Grande
Fondateurs
Our MAKERS
Join us in supporting our Makers, the artisans who craft our garments. Based in Northern Italy and severely affected, they have been standing strong despite the difficult period. And now, in collaboration with the Protezione Civile Italiana, they have shifted their production to making personal protection equipment for healthcare givers.
You are more than ever our everyday heroes. We love you and will not let you down.
Human Bond Gift Cards
Human bond: a special limited gift card set up by KA/NOA for those who wish to show their support but don’t have the mindset for buying new clothes at the moment. For every “human bond” gift card purchased on www.kanoaitalia.com, KA/NOA will issue a second card worth 10% of the total amount, as a sign of recognition and thankfulness. These cards will not have an expiration date, and can be used, like any other gift card, online or in our boutiques when they reopen: an opportunity to celebrate together the return of sunny days.
In these difficult times, we all have our minds on serious subjects, and no one is inclined to choose a new polo shirt or a pair of trousers. The priority is on everybody’s health and the measures required to get over this crisis as quickly and smoothly as possible…
By setting up this human bond, we are responding to the requests of our friends and community who wish to support not only KA/NOA, but our extended family of Makers who are working relentlessly in Italy to face this critical situation. We have made it a point of honor not to let them down and work closely with them to maintain orders, accept stock deliveries, and pay invoices. The coming months will be crucial, but we are confident and optimistic, and will come back stronger. We are all in this together and together we will find the way.
Thanks for your support
KA/NOA Presents the new #stayathome Collection
It has never been simpler and easier to save lives: just #stayathome. To make your stay as comfy as possible, we have made a selection of our cosiest pieces, available online through our #stayathome collection.
Whether you're in home office mode or returning from a hard day of essential work outside, find some comfort in our clothes 100% Made in Italy by our precious Makers.
Stay safe – Stay at home
View the #stayathome Collection
Home
What a better destination than ... HOME?! Home sweet home...
From the ancient caves that were known as the first human habitats to modern houses, the home has always been linked to a reassuring feeling of cosiness. Home provides security, belonging, identity and privacy. It's a central place from which to look at the outside, and an essential piece of our well-being. Our home says a lot about who we are and what we think is important in life. It says a lot about a personality - just like clothes...
Let us take you through the history of some important rooms in a home, featuring a KA/NOA choice of atmospheres.
#stayathome and enjoy your interior!
The Living Room
The living room has a long history, and it used to be known by different names.
The earliest form of the modern living room is the parlor room, which appeared in the mid-19th century. Derived from the Old French “parloir” or “parler”, which means “to speak”, the original usage of the parlor was as a place set aside particularly for conversing or debating with people.
Soon, parlor rooms became evidence of social status across Europe. They offered tangible proof that one had graduated from living in one or two rooms, and was prosperous enough to devote an entire room to entertaining guests. The parlor became the stage upon which the private, behind-the-scenes life of middle-class Europeans met with the larger, outer world. It was thus the best-decorated room, often displaying the family’s finest collection of furnishings, works of art and other status symbols.
After World War I, when the terrible influenza epidemic killed more people than the war, the parlor ironically became known as the “death room” – a stark contrast to its present name “living room”. As millions died from the disease, and without having the immediate means to bury bodies, unused parts of the house became a place for stacking bodies. The parlor became the natural room for it since no one was entertaining guests in this terrible time. Only after the influenza outbreak subsided did the term “living room” fully regained its place in the collective consciousness.
So when you walk in your living room today, remember all this extensive living room history and appreciate this lively space in each of our homes!
The Bathroom
The qualities we associate with our bathrooms today – comfort, privacy and hygienic conditions – stem from thousands of years of changes in society.
For centuries, communal baths were kept separate from the living quarters of a village to prevent evils from entering domestic quarters. This lasted into the Middle Ages, many towns actually had bathhouses – where people could pay to have a bath.
Throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the use of public baths gradually declined, with private bathrooms being increasingly favoured; and in the 19th century, at a time when fears concerning germs and hygiene were rife, the bathroom rose to prominence within many households. The discovery of germs and more specific causes of disease changed the way people thought about cleanliness and hygiene.
Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, hot water could be produced for use in the home and having a bath was made much easier.
Working-class houses with bathrooms were first built around 1900, but private bathrooms were considered as a luxury until the 1960s.
Today’s bathrooms are all about combining stylish looks with functionality. The bathroom is a place to get ready on those busy weekday mornings, but it’s also a space where you can relax and unwind.
The Kitchen
Cooking areas have always been a place where people gather, often serving as the primary source of heat, light, safety and, of course, food. The housing boom and manufacturing advancements of post-World War II made a huge impact on the “modern” kitchen. There was an increased demand for kitchen technology and equipment that inspired homeowners to tear down the walls that once hid their utilitarian kitchens. The kitchen became quieter, cleaner, better organized and easier to work in; a source of pride, and gradually a place worthy of entertaining guests. this trend continued until the turn of the 21st century, when the idea of a completely open kitchen, with appliances designed to be shown off, came into being. What will tomorrow's kitchen look like?
The Bedroom
Our bedrooms are continuously evolving. Ancient nomadic people used to lie on the grass, before wood and fibres were introduced by the ancient Egyptians for the majority of their furniture pieces including beds.
Until the 16th century, there was no concept of privacy. Within a community, the people centred their lives and livelihood in and around the great hall. However, the lord and lady lived above the masses in the upper floor called the chamber. The later was reserved for their family, close friends, and servants. This kind of VIP areas intended for socializing and doing business became more widespread amongst middle classes in the 16th century.
By the 19th century, homes were being built for the first time with private bedrooms for the master and mistress of the house and there were also separate bedrooms for the children.
In the 1920s, the women’s quest for glamour made its way into the bedroom. Bathrooms were moved out of the bedroom, allowing space for glamorous decoration and more intimacy. After World War II there was a boom in the housing industry, which brought much luxury into the bedrooms. Today, bedrooms are often considered as one of the most agreeable and indulgent amongst the rooms in a home.
