“Inventory was established in 2009 as an online platform and biannual publication to explore the aesthetic and cultural interests of its founders. By offering a unique and global perspective on design, craftsmanship and culture, both forgo the temporariness of trend to focus on the brands, designers and artists whose bodies of work reflect a commitment to quality, and a desire for innovation.” Such was the hope of the magazine’s editor Ryan Willms. The title was published in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). Unfortunately, the magazine did not survive the shifting whims of the print periodicals business. The title published its last issue in the fall of 2015.
Working with established and emerging photographers, stylists and writers, the magazine places equal emphasis on accomplished journalism and beautiful imagery, and seeks to represent contemporary icons alongside future influencers.”
I’ve included this whole quote (the “About” section from their website) just to show how similar in intent all these new avant-gardey titles are. The only differences are in the “how” of their editorial visions. Compare, for example, Hole & Corner, the MoW posted October 16 of this year.
This magazine is the curated vision of several young men. Visually oriented, the graphic design embraces a meditative, minimalist aesthetic with both perfectly manicured, but slightly rugged hands. The images occupy their white pages much the same way that paintings enliven a white gallery wall. The producers also keep a Tumblr, and the list of contributing photographers is twice as long as several other contributor lists put together. (To give you a sense of the editors’ commitment to minimalism, take a look at the fashion director Stephen Mann’s Tumblr: The NONPLACE: Stephen Mann’s blog)
Another notable point about this title is the absence of any line between catalog and “curated” publication. If the viewer clicked “Latest Arrivals” under the Store heading on their website, new issues of the magazine were interspersed with such diverse merchandise as watches, shoes, the title Apartamento (which we also subscribe to), a dog tipi, and postcard sets. Other editorial features limited editions of preferred producers such as this collaboration between editor Stephen Mann, Dover Street Market, and designer Kiko Kostadinov.
