It started on the street with a simple, unmistakable sight: people walking through scorching summer heat, holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

It made us look at the umbrella differently.

We began exploring its history and discovered an object with a story far bigger than its everyday use. Across different cultures and periods, umbrellas and parasols have been associated with protection, craftsmanship, ceremony, status, fashion and design.

So we started collecting them.

We fell in love with the craftsmanship, the beauty and the feeling of stepping beneath your own personal protection. An umbrella can be more than something you carry. It can create a small space of shade, shelter and comfort around you.

What started as a gut feeling has grown into Under the Seasons — a discovery project exploring how people, places and environments change over time, using the umbrella as our starting point.

From ancient traditions and craftsmanship to fashion, mass production and the challenges of a changing climate, we are following the umbrella through time and asking where it might go next.

Under the Seasons is still being developed.

We are researching the stories, cultures, people, places and ideas behind the umbrella — and inviting others to discover them with us.