WHY DÜSSELDORF? Jonas van Blanken
Jonas van Blanken is quite a diverse entrepreneur: he is a perfumer and founder of the brand OSKAR Natural Skincare, managing director and co-founder of the film and photo production company CIRCL Studio and managing director and co-founder of the event studio CIRCL Space. The 36-year-old has lived in very different places around the globe – until he lost his heart in and to Düsseldorf.
My relationship to Düsseldorf
I was born in nearby Krefeld and always liked to go out in Düsseldorf in my youth. For several years I then lived in various places around the world, for example San Francisco, Hong Kong, Seoul and Frankfurt. When I came back, I fell in love with a proper Düsseldorfer girl and married her – I now live with her in beautiful Pempelfort.
Düsseldorf in three words
compact, exciting, just like a big village.
Düsseldorf is a shopping destination because...
... the important spots for shopping are clustered in such a way that you can easily reach everything on foot. You can drive to a spot, park, get out and have everything you want close by. For me, Carlsplatz in particular is also a place where I like to make culinary discoveries.
Düsseldorf is creative because...
... the start-up scene is very concentrated here: there are many events where founders and entrepreneurs can come together and exchange ideas. For me, creativity means developing and creating business models together and being able to test them relatively quickly and easily. Düsseldorf is a very good testing ground because of its compactness and networking.
What can you only find here?
The home of OSKAR Natural Skincare.
This is where I get my inspiration
On a sunny Saturday, it’s the ideal place to meet peo-ple, be creative, get inspiration and enjoy real quality of life: Carlsplatz has that certain vibe for me.
This is where I get in a good mood
I regularly take our young dog Tokyo for a walk along the Rhine meadows, which I usually do in the morning and again during my lunch break. The open space and tranquillity there relax me and put me in a good mood.
I meet interesting people here
On the one hand, in the Loretto district, where our office is. And on the other hand, in the harbour. Both places are very creatively designed. I would also choose to do business meetings there. •
Words Tom Corrinth
Pictures CIRCL Studio / Lino von der Bey