What is KINFOLK ?

4 avr. 2016
2 min de lecture

I was recently seeking for inspiration for an outdoor boho chic party on pinterest when I noticed the word Kinfolk on various pictures.

As the curious mind I am, I started to wonder what was this trend exactly about, and what was the difference between the Boho chic trend and Kinfolk.

When boho chic uses a lot of natural elements and raw material for an authentic aesthetic, it also has an ethnic dimension related to the "gypsy way of life" which cannot be seen in Kinfolk.

To understand the Kinfolk trend, I looked at the origin of this phenomenon.

Primarily a lifestyle magazine, Kinfolk was created in 2011 by Nathan Williams, his wife Katie Searle-Williams and their friends Doug and Paige Bischoff.

Targeting young professionals, the slow lifestyle magazine focuses on home, work, food and community through photo, recipes, interviews and storytelling.

The aim of Kinfolk is basically to explore ways for readers to simplify their lives, cultivate community and spend more quality time with relatives.

After a few years, the "Kinfolk impact" can be felt across the media landscape as it is not just the name of a magazine anymore but also a way to describe a whole lifestyle from nutrition (locally grown, organic products) to interior design (minimalist with natural inspirations) and clothing.

Kinfolk has been lavished with praise for its clean, distinctive designs and a photographic aesthetic of its own. The magazine is a great example of the success of a strong Brand identity. Kinfolk has stood out in differentiating its brand from other publications.

I could't tell wether or not the magazine created this culture of visual conformity, or if it just took part of the movement. A sure thing is that Kinfolk, with its particular minimal aesthetic, became a huge inspiration for many people especially on social media where you can dinstinct a real pattern.

In October 2013, Kinfolk published its debut cookbook, The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings, through Artisan Books. The book features 85 traditional recipes inspired by the Kinfolk lifestyle.

More recently, the magazine started to organise what they call ‘Community Gathering’.

The first editions which focused more on aestetics sort of contradicted the spirit of the magazine as Kinfolk feared guests were missing the key message (sharing a meaningful moment around a table) by taking pictures and sharing on social media rather than actually communicating with others around them.

Even though Kinfolk is all over social media, it is not the essence of the Brand. To make sure the ideology of the Brand was respected, Kinfolk shifted the strategy of its "community gatherings" toward creating moments in the spirit of Kinfolk.

In a Nutshell, Kinfolk is about slow living, community, respect of your body and the environment in order to achieve a right balance of your lifestyle.

Website of the magazine: http://www.kinfolk.com/