I was at the airport yesterday, which for some reason, is the only place I think to buy magazines. So I picked up the June/July issue of Domino. Let me first say that I do like this magazine and I certainly don't want to ruin my chances of appearing in it as their "most awesome person ever" or even as their "person of mediocre interest" or even their "designer don'ts". So, hopefully, no one from Domino reads my blog. Which, I believe, is a safe bet. Anyway, here's what I found:
This is a two-page article proclaiming "democratic decorating". The subtitle reads "Welcome to the revolution: The freshest idea in design springs from a new crop of fabrics and wallpapers intended for all of us--not just the pros." Let's review the fabrics shown: The red-and-white chair fabric is Erica Wakerly's Teepee fabric at $90/yard. Available at printpattern.com The green and white fabric shown on the yellow chair is "lattice" in grass at $80/yard and the Slate blue solid on the mattress is $62/yard, both from Seacloth.
The second page features such designers as Kyra and Robertson Hartnett of twenty2. They offer hand-printed fabric for $135/yard.
First, let me say I love these graphic fabrics and kudos to those designers for getting out there and not only designing them, but producing them! And they certainly deserve to charge whatever they would like for their creations. I hope they sell it by the ton, become incredibly wealthy, and fulfill their wildest design dreams.
My confusion is with Domino announcing that this is now available to the "rest of us". Huh? I'm clearly not in that "us". What do you do with $135/yard fabric? Buy 15 yards and reupholster your $300 Ikea couch? That's a $2,025 redo, sans labor. I sure would not allow anyone to sit on it and I'm afraid my vinyl slipcover would detract from the design aesthetic.
I appreciate that these fabrics are available retail and not just "to the trade". But to really be for the "rest of us", they also need to be affordable.
Okay, to get myself back in the running for Domino's "most awesome person ever", let me say Domino's website is really trying to be more "rest of us". Today, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge shares her outdoor accessory finds for under $100. (I believe her under $100 finds is a weekly feature on their website). Holly Becker of Decor8 features interesting furniture finds on Etsy. Some are a little pricey, but these one-of-a-kind, hand-made items compare favorably to a $5,280 couch featured in the print version.
So, Domino, keep showing me cool stuff. Let's just not pretend it's available to everybody. And I'm available for your feature on reasonably-priced fabrics anytime!
I totally agree with you! One thing that drives me nuts is when Oprah does makeovers and calls $150 jeans affordable. TO WHO?! I think $60 jeans is a lot of money and I know I'm not the only one that feels that way. I think sometimes retailers, media, marketing, whoever, lose touch with REAL people. Just my 2 cents. :)
Posted by: ALicia | June 24, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Dear Caroline, I'm pretty sure, since you mentioned Domino about 10 times in your blog entry, that their "people" will find this entry and put you on the list for "most likely never to appear in Domino." Start a revolution, sister! Fabric that truly is for the rest of us!
Wait a minute, I think your name is on some fabric like that already...
I salute you!
Posted by: Rhonda | June 24, 2008 at 11:49 AM
hear hear! I hope Domino *does* find this and realize what they're saying. (And I totally agree with only buying magazines in airports too -- even when I've already got two books and my knitting in my bag.)
Posted by: froghair | June 24, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I wholeheartedly agree. I haven't actually seen the article but I notice in the image you posted that they are using the fabric only for projects that require small cuts of fabric, like pillows!
Reminds me of the latest issue of Vogue, which features the best apparel/accessory buys under $500 to help "us" get through the economic recession. Instead of being put off, I just had to laugh!
Posted by: Christina | June 24, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Yay, I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks that. I love a lot of the articles in Domino but I realized when it came time to renew that reading it always left me feeling poor. So now I get inspiration from blogs such as yours! Thanks!
Posted by: Sarah | June 24, 2008 at 12:43 PM
I was and am nodding along with you. I read that a few weeks ago, and it seriously made me rethink what the heck I'm doing. Holly at decor8 was kind enough to post on her blog as well as the Real Simple blog about a bunch of independent textile designers whose fabrics are fully accessible to the (hopefully) masses who want to buy them - I was glad to be amongst them. She picked quite a few with a more affordable range.
http://decor8.blogspot.com/2008/06/indie-textile-designers-on-etsy.html
and
http://simplystated.realsimple.com/home/2008/06/fabric-resource.html
Posted by: daisy janie | June 24, 2008 at 03:03 PM
I subscribed to Domino about 2 months ago. And this disconnect with "average" jumped out at me, too. I love the looks, furniture and fabrics I see in the magazine. But my husband and cats would have to move out and live in the backyard, if I scrimped and saved to pay $135 a yard to recover the couch.
Posted by: ConnieC | June 24, 2008 at 03:22 PM
I agree with you! If I'm going to spend $135 on a yard of fabric, than I must also be able to afford a maid, chef, driver, etc.
Posted by: Karen H | June 24, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Daisy Janie- Yes, I saw Holly's post on independent textile designers and was pleased to be listed as a resource. But isn't it interesting that the list doesn't make it to print? Do affordable resources make the advertisers mad?
Glad I'm not the only one...I love stirring things up.
Posted by: j. caroline | June 24, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Very true! I am also gunning for "most awesome ever" so maybe they can dual feature of us? hee hee
Posted by: Brie | June 24, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Hi ladies! Thank you for the encouraging words about my fabrics finds on decor8 and Real Simple. It's so nice to know that, like me, you are looking for affordable alternatives to the $189/yard stuff out there.
Good News! I have a slide show coming up soon on Dominomag.com featuring indie fabric designers on Etsy.
Holly :)
Posted by: Holly Becker | June 24, 2008 at 04:40 PM
Totally busted! Thanks for the comment, Holly. Can't wait to see your piece on indie fabric designers.
But seriously, why do design mags such as this totally ignore the affordable mass-produced stuff? I agree, there is a lot of mass-produced fabric that is U.G.L.Y. But, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, Tina Givens, Valori Wells, Amy Butler, Sandi Henderson and Jessica Jones (my own personal bias there) are all indie designers who created some great fabrics that were mass-produced and are VERY affordable. Like home dec weight at$15/yard affordable. Would love to see you work in a mention of those folks in a piece. I'd even score you some fabric!
Posted by: j. caroline | June 24, 2008 at 05:04 PM
I agree. I love Domino magazine but the prices are NOT for everyone. There is a lot more affordable, great stuff out there for the rest of us!!!
Posted by: Stephanie | June 25, 2008 at 07:31 AM
Amen to that!!
I also love Domino. But for me (a "regular person") its is more for ideas and inspiration than pieces I could actually ever buy.
Posted by: Sarah | June 25, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Excellent post! Your articulate writing style, wit and honesty obviously hit home with all of us "regular people"! :-)
Posted by: carol | June 25, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Obviously Domino SHOULD be reading your blog! Glad to see I'm not the only one questioning their interpretation of the word "affordable".
Posted by: Gilby | June 25, 2008 at 03:26 PM
I saw that Domino article awhile back and got excited at the headline, then snorted audibly when my eyes landed on the prices. Designers, charge whatever you like! But Domino, unless scornful snorts are the response you're trying to elicit from your readers, please attempt to be more realistic. (I just wrote that to the Domino intern whose job it is to sift through all the google alerts to find posts about Domino. Hello, Domino intern.)
Caroline, let's make some more fabric. :)
Posted by: Jessica Jones | June 25, 2008 at 04:08 PM
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I was reading that article in my mag and turned to my husband and said, look, fabrics for the rest of us who make 6 figure salaries! I mean come on Domino, I have clients who won't pay that much a yard and they really do have millions and can afford to have a $6,000 couch that people actually sit on.
So wake up Domino! Realize that it may be cheap in NYC or to your high end designer consultants, but for most of the rest of the US, it isn't.
Posted by: Kat | June 25, 2008 at 04:24 PM
Jessica- making fabric is a grand idea! But, unfortunately, unless we can bribe that Domino intern, I don't think it's going to be featured in their mag.;)
Posted by: j. caroline | June 25, 2008 at 05:08 PM
Maybe if we charge $92 a yard we'll have a better shot.
Posted by: Jessica Jones | June 25, 2008 at 06:49 PM