Print is dead? & Blog Round-up #1

It seems the doomsday fever sweeping the country has paid the print industry an unwelcome visit, a sentiment I hear frequently echoed in the cyber-cries of "Print is dead! Long live the kindle!". Certainly the industry is changing, and I can't help but shudder when I see the selections of interesting magazines dwindling down to fewer and fewer choices.

I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit of curmedgeon when it comes to adopting new technology. I draft my patterns by hand. The motors of my sewing machines look like they could power a small locomotive and probably produce about as much steam and heat. My last cell phone wasn't replaced until it resembled a small, unrecognizable mass of chipped and molten plastic and dropped so many calls it was essentially a glorified paperweight.

As such, I admit to having a certain bias towards and love of the print medial I love the physical smell and feel of a book or magazine, especially the $14 imported glossies with a thick hand. I love seeing artwork and photography laid out in print. I love avoiding the monitor I am chained to at work every day.

However, I love fresh ideas, I love instant access to inspiration and I do love free things! As such, while I rage against the sentiment that "print is dead" (see Auxiliary Magazine and Coilhouse for examples of high-quality publications), I do acknowledge and appreciate the idea of freely available inspiration in a convinient format. I also acknowledge that even though print is alive and well most successful magazines include a good amount of free web content to supplement the once-a-month (or more) reader fix.

So without further ado I present some examples of excellent online blogging that won't take a dime out of your fashion budget.

Blog #1: LUXIRARE

Luxirare's blog premise is an unlikely one, a marriage of "Killer clothes + fine cuisine", something that made me chuckle being that nourishment and fashionable clothing seem to be especially at odds nowadays (see the body-conscious trend). Luckily, Luxirare's writer is completely comfortable with these oppositions; food and fashion receive the same exquisite treatment in her beautiful, often surreal photo compositions.

This blog is truly a treat. You will enjoy it whether you are a lover or a creator of fashionable objects and tasty treats. I got an especially nerdy charge out of admiring her exquisite finishing & pattern-making abilities, but no background knowledge is required to dig in.

Visit Luxirare here