Liv and Louise began a journey together to create a Danish journal about plants in the home and urban plant life. They publish a quarter-annual magazine with a focus that fit the giving season. We look very much forward to follow their journey. They are passionate and we find them very inspiring – so we decided to contact them and ask them some questions about their endeavour. Read it here.
Where does the idea to BLAD come from?
We have always been fascinated by the printed media and the possibilities that comes with it. Plants have been a great interest for us for many years now. Therefore, it was obvious for us that it had to be about that. We felt a lack of literature and inspiration regarding plants that met the reader at eye level. There are so many exciting and beautiful magazines that focus on a very specific subject and without compromising the design. We felt a lack of that in the plant world.
How did you decide to make a magazine together, and that it should be about plants?
We are childhood friends and have worked on several commercial projects during the last many years. When working for others you will always be subject to their values, positions and aesthetics. We felt that we needed to make a project where we defined the content and aesthetics ourselves. Plants are very rewarding to work with. If you want it or not, they are a part of everybody’s daily life and therefore there are more than just the facts about plants – there are countless great stories and interesting personalities to them.
What inspires you guys?
Small quirky coincidences, landscapes creating patterns, houses looking like faces, shades forming figures and pretty much everything else sticking a bit out.
What is your plan for the future with BLAD?
Even though we have dealers in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway we wish for BLAD to get to the international market. We are working on a translation of BLAD to English at the moment. Furthermore, we are also working on other exciting projects and events, that we will soon uncover.
What are your different backgrounds?
We both hold a degree from the Danish School of Media and Journalism. Louise as graphic designer and Liv as art director.
How do your different backgrounds help the project? Would BLAD exist without each other?
We have the same educational starting point, but contribute with personal differences. BLAD is a fusion of the best of both of us. We love to discuss, in the good way, as we both know our goal is to achieve the best result. We wouldn’t be able to make BLAD without each other and we wouldn’t even be interested in it for that matter.
You talk about own values and aesthetics, what are these terms to BLAD?
Aesthetics is a wide term and it can be difficult to point exactly at what is aesthetic. Beautiful images are highly valued in BLAD, but they always have to connected with the bigger picture as well. Text and images have to talk together and tell a story. We’d rather have a solid concept and bring something we find relevant than making content with a commercial ulterior motive.
What is it about plants that fascinate you?
There are many aspects of plant that fascinate us. Everything for the aesthetics to the story a plant can tell you. There is also something life-affirming by surrounding yourself with plants – especially when the most of your day is spent in front of a computer screen. It’s fascinating that everyone has a relationship to plants. Whether it’s connected to a memory, a person or maybe a vacation, we always experience that it can be object of a good conversation.
