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S T Y L E
S
igne Bay is famous – at least on Instagram, where
she has around 300,000 followers. When you look
at her pictures you immediately know why. The
Dane’s photos are beautiful, atmospheric and very
unique. So unique in fact that even the entire editorial
team of Vogue recently declared themselves to be die-hard
fans of hers. Just a couple of years ago, Signe’s day job was
working as a music and English teacher; photography and
styling were just hobbies she was passionate about.
The blonde Dane with the ponytail is wearing a bright
red sweater and laughs a lot. She looks unassuming, happy
and extremely likeable. She enthusiastically shows us the
large window in her studio in Copenhagen, which was
once a stamp factory. All windows here face north. That
was extremely important for the mother of two because
she prefers working with natural light. “You can honestly
see the northern light in my pictures because they are
somewhat melancholy,” she says, explaining her style.
FROM SET DESIGNER TO SOCIAL MEDIA
SENSATION
She prefers to describe herself as a “creative storyteller”
because she is a stylist, photographer and creative director
all in one person. “I’ve always had a vivid imagination, I
like imagining things – like how people live and what they
would do,” says Signe. Even as a child, she was creative,
and developed a love of music, theatre and photography at
an early age. About four years ago, she began posting her
pictures on Instagram because she wanted a space where
she could showcase her photos. Signe never imagined that
she would become so successful. Even during her career as
a teacher she was always involved in creative pursuits. She
designed and built sets for the plays and musicals put on
at the school.
Most recently, Signe created settings for entire WMF
cutlery types in her unmistakable style. Her arrangements
are a wonderful inspiration when it comes to styling. They
show how a unique look can be created out of a timeless
classic, an elegant yet simple or expressive and distinc-
tive cutlery model, matching cookware and individual
accessories. To do this, Signe has tried to develop a whole
story around the product. “I thought about who buys this
cutlery and what his or her life is like,” she says, explaining
her work. This is how she knows what the table as a whole
should look like – and she even has an idea of the entire
home. “All of that is in my head,” sums up Signe.
SOUGHT AND FOUND
She loves working with high-quality materials and prod-
ucts. What impresses her most about WMF cutlery is its
quality. Each individual part is first class and made from
extremely good materials. In addition, there is also match-
ing cutlery for every occasion. “Virginia for example would
be perfect for a woman who is interested in design. This is
why I used some very stylish accessories and paid a lot of
attention to graphic shapes,” explains Signe. Premiere is
traditional but exclusive, and has a modern twist. For the
creative storyteller this requires a stiff white tablecloth. It’s
a different story for the calm, casual Atic cutlery. This goes
well with a linen cloth which can be a little bit wrinkled, as
well as artichokes, bread and an olive branch for example.
The work that Signe does for WMF is particularly varied,
which is what makes it so much fun. “I’m very happy
indeed that WMF found me,” she says.
Searching for things and finding them are things the
stylist does a lot of in her free time. “I spend a lot of time
at flea markets and antique markets, and I’m always on the
lookout for props.” She also spends a lot of time in Italy,
and describes Rome as her second home. Rome is where
she studied, fell in love and then lived for two years. Signe
is still so fond of Italy today that she tries to go there every
three months. The Italians are well known for eating well,
something which Signe herself is also passionate about.
“I love eating, especially healthy eating. I eat a lot of fruit
and vegetables, I think that’s what keeps me fit,” she
explains with a smile on her face.
WHAT MAKES THE PERFECT TABLE
Of course it’s not just what the stylist eats that’s important
to her, but the environment she eats it in. What does the
perfect table look like for you? “That’s something very
individual. It should be a personal choice, it should give an
idea of what kind of person lives there. Actually the most
important thing is that it looks inviting,” says Signe. Her
followers can see what she means by this by checking her
updates on Instagram every day.
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SHE I S AN ON L I NE SUP E R S TA R – AND WOR K S A S A
S T Y L I S T F OR WMF. BU T S I GNE B AY DO E SN ’ T J US T
C R E AT E ATMO S P HE R I C P HO TO S O F C U T L E R Y, SHE D E S I GNS
EN T I R E WOR L D S A ROUND I T .
by WMF
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