Yesterday, the brand new home and fashion magazine, Couch Magazine, launched in Germany. The pocket-sized lifestyle mag is the latest gem from one of Germany's biggest publishers, Gruner+Jahr. The glossy magazine focuses on homes and interior decoration combined with fashion and beauty topics that address its core target group, young women. Although I am not part of their core target group, I still enjoyed the first issue. Here are some peeks into it, for more you have to buy a copy!
What did I like most? First, I absolutely adored to find some of my favorite international bloggers like Joy of Oh Joy, Grace of Design Sponge, Emma of Emmas Blogg and Ez of Creature Comforts featured on a page dedicated to apps and blogs. Then, I loved the small apartments presented with shopping tips to "steal the style". A little designer retrospective gave good background knowledge while a colour consulting helps readers steer through the oceans of wall colours and painting.
So, after going through the little magazine from cover to cover, what is my humble verdict? I like it. And I'll buy it again. I'd love to see more homes, more blogger news and - well, I am free to state any wish here - I'd love to see a little section or a page dedicated to male readers. After all, some of us do love interior design and home decoration just as dearly as our more beautiful counterparts. Don't we Will, Jon, Bradford, Dab, Jason, Gerard, Stu...?
Hey Igor. I wholeheartedly agree! Us boys often get forgotten in the interiors stakes... and dare I start a war by saying we're just as good and even better than the girls ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, it looks like a neat & nifty publication. A section dedicated to or written by the boys would be great.
Comment for Couch magazine - you'd do well to have Igor write a column or two for you :-)
Hi Igor!
ReplyDeleteI know I've been a bit scarce in the comments department but wanted to elaborate on your post.
I oftentimes feel like a bit of an 'outsider' in the realm of design as a guy. Especially these days. Even the design blog world is dominated by women. But, that may also be why these publications tend to cater to that audience because of sheer numbers which likely translates into $/£/€/etc. Anyone who would look at my magazine subscriptions would think, "Bradford is such an odd name for a woman." Ha! But, surely a little page couldn't hurt? :)
I totally agree Igor- and this is a topic I've had many conversations about- there's definitely a niche that's not being addressed by mainstream magazines. Perhaps this is a call to all of us that feel the same way, and perhaps we should do something about it? ;-)
ReplyDeleteSee now, Jon! I was mulling over that same thing and hinted at it in an email to Igor. Thinking maybe there's a way mag/online mag/collaborative blog where all us boys could join forces. I mean, you (Jon) and you (Igor)... Will, Sweet Paul, Gerard, Dabito, Jason Grant, um, me... etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteI think there's something here to explore, gentlemen!
Gentlemen, I also received some emails from beloved female bloggers and readers asking for the very same thing!! Hum, maybe the has come?!
ReplyDeleteI like where this is going, fellas. Both Jon and Uncle B make excellent points. We gotta represent the lads. Seeds planted. Let's OCCUPY! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing us to a new magazine, Igor! :-) I love, love that's it's pocket-sized (I wish more magazines here in the US would use that format instead) and it sounds like there is really cool design stuff I would like to read! Hopefully it will be imported to the US so I can buy it like I do with Living Etc. and Ideal Home (even though it's usually a month late and super expensive, it's worth it)! And I totally agree about the idea that we need more of a male presence in the design world in blogs and magazines, etc. My husband is quite savvy and often comments that even the big magazines like Esquire and Details never even have a home design section! Yes, the time has come! :-)
ReplyDeleteIgor.... Couldn't agree more! Lets get the guys on this... lets represent us guys who have a passion for our industry :)
ReplyDeleteLets collaborate boys! Uncle Beefy, I want in on the online mag/collaborative blog too :)
Have a good day guys.
Stu
http://whatwilsonwants.blogspot.com/
First of all, thanks for the peek inside Couch! Fun to see their pages first hand like this. I like the youthful, scrapbook feel to the pages you’ve shown us.
ReplyDeleteAs for representing boys, I hear you, BIG time. Although, I don’t think it’s always clear cut. Take, for example, Couch. They appear to be targeting young, 20/30 something women; plugging a gap in the market for a fashion and home décor fusion title. Like Bradford mentions, women are the key readers of such titles and so this will be the audience they will be selling to the advertisers, so I can see how they’ve taken a very female-centric focus. So, where a separate section for guys might feel a little out of place with the rest of the magazine, I do think they could add in more male voices in other ways. Perhaps an article written from a guys perspective (note to ed: should be Igor!) but aimed at the target audience, or perhaps adding in a male blogger’s opinion to the blogging page. I don’t feel that décor magazines need specific male/female pages (too divided, for me) but certain titles need to improve their balance. One magazine that does this well is Livingetc. Their reader emails/comments page regularly features correspondence from men, they have a male columnist and even have guys on the cover (I know, revolutionary!). And although the magazine only shows female fashion items on their trend pages etc., I don’t think this matters because after all, women are still their core audience. But the small additions of a male voice, and recognising their male readers on the comments page, just helps the title feel more balanced. Perhaps it’s easier for them to do this than say, Couch, which has a more defined target audience? Who knows. Either way, I’ll continue to buy Livingetc (and Couch, if I could!) whether they are shelved under ‘Women’s Interest’ in the newsagents or not! ;) Great post!
All I can say is that I'm SO HAPPY to have you lovely male design bloggers in my online life. I don't know what I would do without you ;) Really. I would like to see it balance out. Sometimes it just gets too crazy out there ... all that estrogen!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to check out this little mag :) Thanks for the tip Igor.
Best!
Ladies and gentlemen, greetings to you all.. such an interesting discussion. Here is my take: remember when Jamie Oliver came onto the scene? He made cooking for regular blokes sexy! When Wallpaper mag started it was very male, of course it was edited by Tyler Brule... when he then started Monocle, I actually went up to him at an event complaining that I would like him to also cater for his female readership (which agreed is still very small). He promised it would change and it did! So, don't follow sheep but take your ideas and make them work. I agree with Will re: Living ETC but that's formulaic. It's done now. Create something completely different.'Think different' as Steve Jobs so wisely put it! Start small but you are all so diverse and could bring quite a lot of interesting slants on home/fashion etc. I bet if you all got together for a weekend and brainstormed you would come up with magic...there is huge potential! Good Luck.... oh yes, great post and thank you for sharing brand new 'Couch' with us.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny Tina... I really appreciate titles such as Wallpaper*, Monocle, Icon etc. because they have more of a male feel and appeal about them. They're also, I feel, better designed, edited and more intelligent than so many of the softer interiors mags. Disegno is another cool title on the market. The only dedicated interiors mag I can read regularly is Elle Deco... the rest are too fluffy for me. So a newly designed hybrid of Wallpaper*/Elle Deco/Monocle read be amazing.
DeleteBoys... how would our differing tasted work together do you think? If we really were serious about a mag of some sort, we'd need to hammer out our values.
Stuart... Will... I told you some time ago already you should unite and made a little 'Here's the boys' section to my blog! Now you've got Igor on board too and I would love you guys to pick up something from a male kinda point!
ReplyDeleteGreat I killed the discussion!
ReplyDeleteHi Igor and hi to all,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I agree with all of you and I am impressed on how well this discussion is being handled by both sexes. It is hard today to look at a design magazine without thinking that the stylist behind a picture is a female or that an article was written by a woman. As much as I love going through these magazines, i've been wondering were are the boys standing. Would you please get together, brainstorm and come up with an innovative, bright, fun and interesting magazine that will blow us away?? As we are here saying, we know that you can and we are craving your presence into the medias so bring it up!! Good luck!
I too would love to see a little section or a page dedicated to male readers and I can understand the feeling like an 'outsider' too Bradford!
ReplyDeleteI think a mag/online mag/collaborative blog with a male voice would be a great idea and I would love to join forces so count me in!
I think it's important to get more male voices heard in other ways too....with the idea of having something written from a male perspective being a great start!
I am more than happy about the great discussion here and agree with you guys. We need to move things forward. Let's give it a thought, guys!!
ReplyDeleteohh I so much want to get a copy of the magazine, I am flying to Germany in sept to see family and will try to get a copy, plus they just approach me about my products, so all good!! And yes they should add a page for men too haha...
ReplyDeleteMagazines and internet and a lot more alternatives can help us to find the affordable and the most comfortable couch for our home. It would help us a lot to choose the best one for us and tips are pretty a lot more help too.
ReplyDelete