I am a magazine editor, but I sometimes work on other things like brand catalogs. For the most part with magazines, I enjoy being able to create the magazine freely introducing topics that I am interested in. Each issue is read by hundreds of thousands of readers, and when I am contacted by shop owners and brand store owners who tell me that because of the magazine, that they were flooded with new customers, it fills me with joy and it gives me the motivation to try hard again tomorrow. When it comes to catalogs however, the foundation of the work differs entirely. The catalog’s brand already has a store, so the key to successfully putting together the catalog is determining the best way to present and show what already exists, whether it be this way, or that way. When both the brand and I agree on what we want to show it works out well, however when we are at a disagreement, it becomes quite a challenge and frustrating.

However, for the fans of the brand, catalogs are much appreciated items, and even I can still remember when I was working at a clothing shop, how happy customers were when they received them. That is not the only reason, but sometimes it inspires me to want to work on catalogs more. It is the brand that pays for the the production, so it goes without saying that a brand wants to promote only their own products. If it were true that every piece of clothing produced was good, that would be great, but unfortunately that is not the case. And when this happens, I am suddenly aware of the fact and only want to promote the good items within the catalog. This is the true nature of selling magazines. This is why I wish they would let me product catalogs with a bit more composure and care. For a small example, instead of an outfit purely composed from brand items, I feel the customer would have more enjoyment seeing someone dressed more realistically in casual clothing. Although, the reader might become more interested in the other pieces. For us, that kind of goes against the point, haha. I do however feel that it is good for conversation. 

As a professional catalog creator, I believe brands that want to “show their products clearly and cleanly”, should continue to hold to that motto, but should also try to adapt and innovate at their own discretion, finding other areas to arouse interest, pointless gaps, and find ways to highlight those areas as well. The BOGEN 2018 Fall Winter Catalog is the epitome of this ideal, as it has no clothing and only images of the oneseater, a 1-person seat only, endangered species ski lift. The pictures are beautiful, and without fail, makes you want to ride the one-man lift and hit the slopes. If I had a strict PR department, they would probably be angry with me, but it is this type of “gap” that interests me and entices me to find ways to inject them into the “clearly and cleanly” created catalog. It isn’t entirely off the mark either, as I believe the catalog  does accurately portray what we aim to express. It isn’t about thinking if people will buy it or not, but more so wanting to make something that someone will be happy about.

In the end, I still do not know what is right or wrong with creating catalogs. But I am trying to figure out if this small test of experimentation and the truth of a catalog’s interesting nature are related in anyway. There are many areas where I can still try hard because of the fact that I do not know what the correct answer is. Even now I am fighting the same fight while putting together someone’s catalog.