Hello: Blogland

Thank you: Grace for opening the door onto Australian creativity

Welcome: Any new visitors to my Kate Bezaar’s blog – Daily Imprint, a place where I hope you can visit regularly for inspiration from all sorts of creative types – from interior designers to artists, photographers and writers, among many others.

Let’s get started: During the day I’m lucky enough to be deputy editor of an Australian interiors magazine Real Living. I recently read that if you love your job, you don’t work a day in your life – that’s true of what I do: visiting people’s homes, interviewing creative types, showcasing amazing interior design and sourcing great buys as well as brainstorming feature ideas, writing, commissioning and reading proofs all to make the best magazine possible… plus so, so much more. I never look at the clock – except maybe to say, “It can’t be that time already.” Through Real Living I have met some incredibly talented people. Most importantly, for me, they’re inspiring too. There’s no greater motivator than to meet someone who is passionate about what they do – it makes me want to stretch that little higher to the skies. This week I want to showcase some people who I truly admire – not only for their output but for their outlook on life. I hope they give you a buzz, too.

[Note: All photos, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of Real Living Magazine]

Today… I want to start at the beginning. Before blogs there were magazines. This is where the ball got rolling of showcasing people, places and ideas. And, importantly, it’s where bloggers turn to every day for pics. Creating a magazine is no easy task and some do it with more flair than others. Here are two of my favourites…

Burst of inspiration: Deborah Bibby

Editor of Real Living

Image courtesy of Elsa Dillon.

Deb is not only a great boss (and no, I’m not trying to get a raise!) who inspires me with her enthusiasm for the mag, but she’s got a great eye for all things beautiful. She started out editing fashion magazines, moved into interior styling and after many other projects including a stint as a book publisher, is now editor of Real Living.

When you were working as interior stylist where did you find your inspiration?

Inspiration always came from everything around me – a pattern on a fabric could trigger a whole look or feel; flicking through overseas books and magazines; quite often a movie, the styling on film sets is sometimes incredibly beautiful and I can find myself missing the storyline because I have been caught up in the interior detail; artists/ photographers’ studios are a great source for spying new uses for old things which can trigger a feature idea and always friends’ homes – it’s there you see the everyday in action and that is what really inspires ideas (especially now for Real Living).

What was the best lesson you learnt?

Be brave – the most unlikely combinations of items can sometimes be perfect, but there needs to be a basic thread whether it be a colour or a material. And creating an emergency vignette will always help bring a bland space to life or make it instantly fashionable.

How has your own personal interior style come about?

I’ve never been asked this question before and it feels quite indulgent to ponder your own interior style because you never quite see yourself as having a particular style. Working in the business you are always looking at others style so I’ve tried to step back and decipher my own home – it’s hard to see it with fresh eyes to be honest. What look is it exactly and how has it come about, my thoughts:

I think interior styles are an extension of your personal style and I also think it is intrinsic to where you grow up. I grew up in Africa, it was a part of my life for so long and I do see that influence reflected in my interior style as a constant. From the love of lanterns for night lighting (I even love the smell of the citronella in them), to the raw earthy colours and textures of the rugs, sofas, cushions and throws that I have collected over time. I think it is very important to create very welcoming spaces; you want a home to comfort you and feel tranquil. You want to be allowed to curl up on the sofa or sit on the edge of a coffee table and flick through well-thumbed books. So my furnishings are soft, tactile and the lighting is low and moody – not unlike being in a tent in the bush at night if that makes sense?

I also have a genuine love of old Australian houses, especially beach cottages, and they inspire a sense of casual interior again – sand through the house, old fly screen doors and marble-top kitchen benches worn down over years. Important to not just see an interior but feel it and through these emotions I think my interior style has developed. I also love Australian native plants, the colours of the desert and the richness of Aboriginal artworks – not dissimilar to the things that inspire me from Africa really. So I think my interior style is a romanticism of Africa and Australia. It’s casual and classic and that is really how I like to live and it’s my own personal style too.

Image courtesy of Deborah Bibby

How would you describe your home?

Beach shack meets Hemingway.

Image courtesy of Elsa Dillon.

How would you describe Real Living?

We are not precious, we are down to earth – but we have great style.

How is it different to other interior mags?

Real Living’s demographic is much younger and hipper than other interior magazines. We source everything in the magazine for our readers (no other interior magazine captions all their products, and I mean all their products). We always aim to showcase affordable homewares and furniture and love the challenge of hunting out a bargain. Most interior magazines act as an inspirational source, Real Living is inspirational but also actionable – fall in love with an item in the magazine and you can go out and buy it (and afford it too)!

We really are an affordable interior, lifestyle bible and that sets us way apart from all the others.

Where do you look to for inspiration for the mag?

Believe it or not but Italian Vogue gives me great hits of inspirations. I love flicking through overseas fashion magazines in general and translating fashion ideas into interior ideas. You’d be amazed at how closely linked they are.

Interior blogs (such as Absolutely Beautiful Things) are increasingly becoming a new source of ideas and interior books also give me inspiration – check out: Home is where the heart is? by Ilse Crawford and Midwest Modern by Amy Butler.

Image courtesy of Amanda Elmore.

Image courtesy of Mark Roper.

Image courtesy of Elsa Dillon.

Image courtesy of Nick Scott.

What have been some of your favourite features?

Alyson Fox’s house (March 08)

Colour Tricks for small spaces (May 07)

Italian Food for Friends (April 08)

Inviting Rooms (Sept 07)

Stylish storage tips (Jan 08)

The list goes on…

Image courtesy of Vogue and Peter Lindbergh.

Who inspires you?

Elizabeth Tilberis – Past editor-in-chief of Vogue UK and Harper’s Bazaar USA

Liz started out as an intern on British Vogue and flew up the ladder to become editor-in-chief. Her first cover was shot by Peter Lindbergh and featured supermodel Helena Christensen. One of the images inside had Helena in silver suit on a white horse – it took my breath away and I have collected all Liz’s issues. She became an inspiration to me and I did get to meet her while living in London: she was so welcoming, warm and genuine. Not long after editing Vogue she was headhunted to edit the old, stale Harper’s Bazaar in the States – she turned it on its head. It became the cutting-edge fashion magazine. Unfortunately, Liz died of ovarian cancer while still at the helm of the beautiful magazine. She was only 51-years-old (during her battle she became a champion of women with cancer and wrote a book No Time to Die: Living with Ovarian Cancer).

Image courtesy of Peter Beard.

Peter Beard – Visionary artist and photographer

He was a champion of wildlife conservation and recorded this passion in Kenya through photographs embellished with drawings, diary notes and clippings. He also used animal blood like paint sometimes splattered over his pictures. As the blood aged the patina changed to a deep, dark red which looks extraordinarily beautiful. I have his book Fifty Years of Portraits [hyperlink: http://www.peterbeard.com/publications/portraits.htm ] and simply open the pages and a million ideas flood my mind.

Images courtesy of Signature Prints.

Florence Broadhurst – Flamboyant designer

I admire her bravery in such a conservative time – she became famous for her bold and rather unique pattern design. She also printed on unusual surfaces such as transparent mylars, foils and metallics. The book Florence Broadhurst by Helen O’Neill is something anybody interested in interiors should have on their shelves. The patterns can’t help but inspire you – I especially love The Cranes – they translate into every colour, every treatment whether printed onto fabric or wallpaper.

Image courtesy of Isle Crawford.

Isle Crawford – former editor of the UK’s Elle Decoration and director of Studioilse, London.

Elle Decoration is still my source of inspiration, and I look forward to the “thud” of it landing on my desk each month. I have also followed the career of Isle, and her book Home Is Where the Heart Is? is my new tucked-under-the-arm inspiration. She is a brilliant stylist: in my eyes the best! And, again, an emotional stylist – so I must be constantly attracted to the elements of REAL.

Image courtesy of Architecture Week.

Peter Stutchbury – Architect

Pete is one of Australia’s wonderful, inspiring architects. I have visited his house on numerous occasions and it’s like being in a tree house. His houses bring you close to nature; they are very emotive and you feel the elements surround you. The simplicity and hidden complexity is what inspires me about his work.

Image courtesy of View Images.

Fleur Cowles – Editorial Director and Creator Flair USA

This has to be the most beautiful magazine ever created. It was born in the 50s and cost so much money to produce that it only lasted a year – a magazine like this will never happen again unless, of course, another crazy passionate creator comes along with a pocketful of dollars. I am inspired by her creation and her passion for publishing something seriously beautiful.

Image courtesy of Vogue Italia

Carine Roitfeld – Editor, Italian Vogue

Another Elizabeth Tilberis but grungy – check out Italian Vogue and see if it does anything for you.

Image courtesy of Creative Review

Fabien Baron – Art director

He has the EYE. He moved from Paris to New York to become art director of Self and GQ magazines and at the same time was made the creative director of Italian Vogue, which was where I noticed him – his use of typography was fresh and exciting. He started his own company Baron & Baron and later went on to become creative director of Harper’s Bazaar, for which he has won numerous awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Society of Publication Designers. At Baron & Baron he has designed advertising campaigns for Issey Miyake, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Pucci, Michael Kors and Norma Kamali. Baron is also creative director at Calvin Klein… phew, can one person do anymore?

Image above (left) courtesy of Arthur Elgort. Image above, right, courtesy of Peter Lindbergh

Arthur Elgort and Peter Lindberg – Photographers

They both shot for Liz Tilberis, they both love to work in black and white, and their fashion shoots are more like stills from movie sets – they incorporate interior and exterior spaces into their work and that is what attracts and inspires.

What are you passionate about?

My job, magazines are my passion and my gorgeous son of course!

Burst of inspiration: Kate Bezaar

Editor of Dumbo feather

So often you find out about the best things in life this way – a friend recommended the quarterly “mook” (somewhere between a magazine and a book) Dumbo feather a few years ago now and now I’m recommending it to anyone who’ll listen. Each issue makes you contemplate what’s really important in your life. (Oh, and for American readers, it’s now available at Barnes and Noble– hurray!)

Why did you start Dumbo feather?

I was at a point in my life where I desperately wanted and needed to read about individuals who’d found what they were passionate about in life, and how they’d gone about pursuing it. I wanted to read about the winemaker rather than the wine, the architect rather than the house, the entrepreneur rather than the business. I couldn’t find a magazine like that so decided to make it myself and, with a beautiful twist of irony, in the process of doing so, found my passion too.

Where did you find the courage?

I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’d come to believe that failing would have been to not try, rather than to try and it not work out. I REALLY, really wanted to do something with my life that meant something and was a unique use of my particular, peculiar gifts – whatever they are! I also think it’s like when you meet the love of your life and you’re walking down the aisle towards him (or her), it’s not scary, but to anyone who has yet to meet that special person, the idea of walking down the aisle fills them with dread. It wasn’t actually scary, it just felt right.

The “mook” is beautifully presented – both from a design and photography perspective (the covers are stunning) – where did the idea behind the look of Dumbo feather come from?

My brief to my designers was that I wanted Dumbo feather to be “timeless, beautiful and intimate”. One of the things that also makes it quite different is that it’s printed on 100% recycled paper… a decision that was made for ethical reasons and because Dumbo feather wasn’t about the “glossy” story but the real one so it could never be on a glossy stock. What I love is that it’s also turned out to be a great design decision; it feels amazing, stands out on the shelf because it makes photos look really rich and luscious. That reinforced for me that you should always do things for the right fundamental reasons. We find the cover images in odd places… They’re always pretty abstract but beautiful in their simplicity – and look great on a coffee table. They’re works of art in themselves and if you wonder enough you’ll always find deeper levels of meaning, often references to flight (a recurring theme).

Which magazines do you love?

I’m not really a big magazine reader to be honest. Selvedge from the UK is textile-focussed and quite yummy, I read mum’s copies of Life & Leisure when I’m at home in New Zealand – it takes you inside the minds and homes of interesting kiwis, and occasionally I’ll pick up National Geographic.

How do you decide who to feature – must they meet certain criteria?

Yes indeedy. Creativity (in the sense that they’ve imagined a different way of being/doing), courage (they’ve had the guts to follow through on it and to take the road-less-trampled) and integrity (they haven’t compromised the ideas or their ideals in the process). But then, even if they meet all three criteria, they still have to feel right.

Where do you look to for inspiration?

The people I interview for Dumbo feather – people who live their lives with unrelenting individuality and integrity, who’ve found what they’re truly passionate about in life and have found the courage to pursue it against the odds. Doing the interviews themselves is just so inspiring, but then the people I interview often become friends and that’s even better; like Joost Bakker, Abi Crompton, Jodie Fried, Sruli Recht and Rachel Bending. I also love delicious bookshops and blogs. I always come back from trips to Melbourne re-inspired – love that city, it really does foster the individual, the unique, the creative.

What style of decorating do you love?

The individual, personal and unique (those words come up for me a lot!), un-contrived, ever-evolving, comfy… I love the old apothecary/museum thing with a modern twist like Aesop stores… and when people use something quite ordinary in a new, wonderful way like this light installation made by my friend Sandra Hill (Very Tidy design) out of plastic bowls.

How would you describe your interior style?

My home is a little bit eclectic (like on one wall I have painted a white branch lit by a photography studio light), but unfussy – clean space is crucial to my sanity. Most of my things have character (like an old oar that lives in one corner), pieces are worn and well-loved, with a little bit of industrial thrown in. I tried to make a vase out of test tubes once. Our home has really good bones; high ceilings, great floors and buckets of natural light – I love that.

“Moebius Ship” detail (2006) by Tim Hawkinson (left). Image (right) courtesy of the MCA and Tim Hawkinson.

What’s on your dream shopping list?

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander et al – an amazing reference to help anyone “create beautiful, functional, meaningful spaces”. I’m reading a friend’s copy, but must obtain one of my own. Vintage ship flags/pennants – I want to cover a footstool with them. Art, art and more art – anything by Robert Rauschenberg (in my wildest dreams), Tim Hawkinson’s “Moebius Ship” (2006)… it’s the sailing thing again. An old wooden yacht for twilight sailing on Sydney harbour… Oh look, I just found one online (pictured) – her name is Adventuress.

If you had a spare day, what would you do?

Go to the market, garden, cook lunch and make something – maybe a mobile.