Vogue España, March 2020.
She considers herself an “agriculture enthusiast,” and for that reason, she left her cosmopolitan life in London, where she was building her modeling career, to move to the countryside in the Empordà region of Catalonia. There, she launched her own craft beer brand.
In a barn built in the 1970s that an American couple converted into a furniture store, model Judit Piñol (Girona, 1989) and her partner, Michael Jones, established the headquarters of their craft beer brand, DosKiwis Brewing. “We spent a year turning it into what it is today, reusing 80% of the materials and building most of it ourselves,” recounts this young Catalan, who, after moving to London to enter the modeling industry, decided to return to her roots: the countryside, the village.
Originally from Llufríu in the Baix Empordà region, which spans 6.2 square kilometers, she grew up with chickens as pets, eating from the family garden and playing hide-and-seek among the tomato plants. It’s no surprise that the call of the wild eventually brought her back to that environment—especially now, as there is a youth exodus from big cities to smaller towns, embracing a return to roots and a slow life, away from pollution and all forms of FOMO triggers.
Judit—or Jude, as she is known in the modeling agency circuit, which she still accesses through her agency, View Management—has worked on international campaigns, magazines, and commercials, but also with major names in Barcelona’s contemporary creative scene, from Paloma Wool to the vintage store Los Féliz—whose clothing she wears in the photos accompanying this interview—and with photographer and art director Carlota Guerrero. But her personal passion projects go in a different direction.
“My dream is to build my own self-sufficient home with natural materials, where I can use passive solar energy. Right now, I’m very inspired by the look of the straw house by architect Jimmi Pianezzola,” she admits. Meanwhile, she acknowledges: “Right now I spend more time in front of the computer than I would like. I feel like I’m building the foundations of my life. In our business, it’s just the two of us, so we’re involved in all processes: recipes, production, marketing, sales, distribution…”
And that’s how our conversation begins with this “regenerative agriculture enthusiast,” as she presents herself on Instagram.
In an attempt to uncover the origin of her passion for agriculture: “The garden, the orchards, and the fields around my home. I was lucky to grow up eating what grew in the garden and the eggs from our chickens. One of our chickens was lame and so slow that it couldn’t escape me, so I would pick it up, mistaking its slowness for a symbol of friendship. As a child, I spent a lot of time in nature and with animals. Sometimes I’d disappear, and they’d find me hiding among the tomato plants. Picking and eating a tomato straight from the plant is one of my earliest memories.”
Are we talking weekend getaways and holidays in the countryside, or a lifestyle as such?
“I’m from a village. I was born and raised in Llufríu, a town of just over 250 inhabitants, mostly agricultural. My father, a decorator, died when I was two, so I had the great example of growing up with a mother unafraid to move forward and work hard. My paternal grandparents were fishermen and olive harvesters; my mother’s family did a bit of everything and came to Catalonia from Jaén and Valencia.”
What moments or decisions in your adolescence do you interpret as signs of who you are today?
“When I was a teenager, I really liked punk. What attracted me most was the do-it-yourself philosophy. It made a lot of sense to me. I think that philosophy still unconsciously plays an important role in my life. I feel very drawn to the idea that we can be more self-sufficient, both individually and in the context of community, society, etc.”
However, you also began your modeling career in your youth. How did it happen?
“When I was 16, a very beautiful woman stopped me on the street and asked if I’d ever thought about being a model. She turned out to be a photographer, and with her, I did my first two editorials for two American magazines. It was a great experience, but I was about to start high school, so I decided not to pursue it. It wasn’t until four years later, when I moved to London, that I really started working.”
What does working as a model bring you today?
“Meeting and working with people I admire, making new friends, and traveling the world. The opportunities this work has given me—and continues to give me—are the best.”
When did you decide to move to the countryside?
“When I realized that the only thing holding me back was the learned idea that, to ‘be someone,’ you have to live in a city.”
When did you decide to create a craft beer brand?
“Honestly, it was organic. In 2013, I helped a friend at his craft brewery in Sydney, Australia. I got to see the type of community that gathered there: young people, each with their own project, collaborating and helping each other. I knew I wanted something like that, but I didn’t see the path until a bit later. Returning to the DIY philosophy, I love working with ferments, especially sourdough bread. One time, my partner Michael bought a home brewing kit, and that’s how we started. It coincided with a time when it was hard to find variety and beers we liked, so we thought maybe we could fill that gap.”
The name is very curious, DosKiwis. What’s the story behind it?
“The name comes from when we started brewing at home. Michael is from New Zealand, and the nickname for New Zealanders is kiwi, after the bird. One day, a friend visited, and my mother, upon learning he was also from New Zealand, exclaimed, ‘Ah! Two Kiwis!’ She said it so cutely, like ‘doskibis,’ that it stuck, and we became DosKiwis Brewing. My brother helped with the logo, and when we began selling the beer, it didn’t make sense to look for another name.”
Where can people try your beer?
“The best place to experience our beer is at our brewery, where we have a garden and a food truck, but we also have an online store and work with a number of professionals with amazing establishments: bars, restaurants, and shops. In Barcelona, for example, you can always find us at Berbena, Little Fern, Les Filles, and Robot House.”
Returning to your lifestyle, what does agricultural life give you that city life doesn’t?
“A connection with nature that is part of me. I feel closer to myself.”
Have you ever felt like a rare bird for making this decision?
“Yes, of course! It still happens.”
With city saturation, rising rents, and pollution, among other factors, there is a creative exodus of young people who moved to big cities to develop their creative professions and are now returning to their province or village, sometimes even to the countryside. Do you feel part of this generational movement?
“Partly, yes. A big factor that led me to leave London was rent prices and feeling like I was only working to pay expenses. I wasn’t aware that many people felt the same. Now that I live here, I know so many people who have made the move or are thinking about it.”
How does your rural lifestyle influence your fashion choices?
“Buying little, choosing durable, comfortable pieces made from natural materials like linen or cotton. Prioritize second-hand whenever possible.”
Which authors, thinkers, filmmakers, or cultural phenomena reflect your life philosophy?
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison; The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz; In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan; The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh; Micromastery by Robert Twigger; and the audiovisual project Inhabit.
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https://www.vogue.es/living/articulos/modelo-cerveza-artesanal-judit-jude-pinol-doskiwis