Other Edition

Our Take —

It had to happen sooner or later and there must be a lot of publishers kicking themselves for not having got there first. Modern is a perfectly simple and simply perfect concept. The world is full of people who love old things that haven’t quite reached the official definition of an antique. Rather conveniently, that alleged 100 years that defines an antique also currently roughly corresponds to the period that design culture considers the Modern period.

Focusing on furniture, objets d’art, applied arts and architecture, Modern is a magazine that is an obvious resource for the collector of ‘the modern’; from the perfect chair to the ultimate modernist ceramics. But the great thing about this title is that it’s a good read and eye candy for even those who, though vehemently interested in the styles of yesteryear, might unfortunately be outside of the shopping bracket of much of the work covered. On the whole, Modern focuses on the high-achievers of the past; those whose designs were always within the luxury end of the market, even in their own time. With a new generation of collectors for whom frou-frou styles of the nineteenth century strike less of a chord than sleek lines, it’s easy to see why the title has got off to a booming start.