The Animals Observatory, children's fashion from Barcelona
Jan Andreu, co-founder of The Animals Observatory
What does the company specialize in?
The Animals Observatory is currently the leading brand for creative children's fashion.
What year was it founded and who are the founders?
I am a shareholder and CEO of Andge Investments, the family business. We founded The Animals Observatory in 2015 with Laia Aguilar and three other minority shareholder and the first collection was launched in January 2016.
What do you like most about your job?
I love the freedom of creative thinking. It is an approach that we apply in all areas of the company.
And what do you like least?
The thing I like least is not being able to take advantage of all the good ideas. The Animals Observatory never stops generating new ideas, but we can't use them all.
What do you think your company excels at?
The Animals Observatory was launched as a beacon of creativity and creative work is what we do best. We also believe that creativity is a strategic asset in all areas. And we know how to apply it rigorously.
What is your main challenge?
Our desire is to turn the brand into a creative universe that will revolutionize fashion. And we also wish to make our contribution to society more explicit.
Where is your company located? Do you know why this place was chosen?
Our brand has a global vision, and it is important for us that Barcelona is really well-connected to other cities in the world. We understood from the outset that Paris and Seoul are as important as Barcelona. This informs our thinking and we believe that it also underlies Barcelona's approach to business.
What do you like most about the neighbourhood you work in?
We work in the Eixample, and what I like most about the neighborhood is being at the heart of the city's fashion district. I would like the city to support small creative brands more, and we are working on this.
How important is Barcelona for your company?
Although our brand has a global vision, Barcelona is where our head office and head office y showroomare located and where we hold our annual conventions for our international partners from Asia, the United States, Australia and other countries in Europe., Our aim is to be the best possible ambassadors for the city.
With which city would you compare Barcelona?
Barcelona is comparable to other global cities, but it has the advantage of being more friendly and intimate. I admire its dynamism and diversity.
What form of urban model should Barcelona adopt?
I think that California and its largest cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, show that it is possible to combine different all kinds of different characteristics such as creativity, technology, business, sports, culture, cinema, etc. Those cities are good examples for us and we would like Barcelona to aspire to the same diversity of characteristics.
What do you ask of the Barcelona of the future?
I would like it to be more cosmopolitan and open to the world, but it should not neglect small businesses or the locals who live in the city. I'd like to see a sustainable, ecological Barcelona that is also a pioneer in technology and lifestyle. locals que habitan en la ciudad y el apoyo a las pequeñas empresas. Una Barcelona sostenible, ecológica y a la vez pionera en tecnología y estilo de vida.
