Glossy Talk: Jamie Durie's outdoorsy new magazine

Glossy Talk: Jamie Durie's outdoorsy new magazine (in store Monday)

Last night Pacific Magazines hosted the launch party for The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie, the debut issue of which goes on sale Monday. After a sneaky glimpse at the mag, I can tell you it's a well executed package with lots of white space, some cool fonts and a decidedly green thumb (a full review to come).

GWAS' roving Sydney reporter Carla Efstratiou attended the party at the Tilbury Hotel and used the opportunity to speak with editor Katrina O'Brien, (delightfully pregnant) editor-in-chief Wendy Moore and Durie himself (she was a busy girl!). Here's what they had to say:

Carla: From editing Girlfriend to The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie... does this editorial appointment feel like coming full circle to you?
Katrina O'Brien: Possibly: I've grown up, I suppose. It's been a while since I edited Girlfriend but I loved that time when I was editing Girlfriend. The Outdoor Room is actually my life at the moment; that's where I spend most of my time, in the outdoors. I've got two children, and I love being outside; so it was a natural progression.

Carla: You're also the editor of Home Beautiful. How is The Outdoor Room different from that magazine?
Wendy Moore: Well, it's a younger audience, I think. As a magazine, it's a lot more casual than Home Beautiful. The Home Beautiful woman is more established in her lifestyle and her general style.
Carla: Is The Outdoor Room a compliment to Home Beautiful?
Wendy: Yeah, it is. Jamie and I were already doing pages with him in [Home Beautiful] and we knew that there was no magazine and there was a gap, but we just waited until the time was right.
Carla: Before Home Beautiful you edited Burke's Backyard magazine. How do you think Don will feel about this magazine?
Wendy: I think he'd be pretty proud. Because there's so much that Jamie's learnt from him and there's so much that I've learnt from Don, and I think we've picked up a lot of our philosophies through working with him.
Carla: How do you juggle the dual roles?
Wendy: The beauty of Home Beautiful – and I've been there almost five years now – is I have a really stable team; they're fantastic. They're really established and know what they're doing so I can afford to get a bit hands-off.

Carla: You have books, TV shows, a range of merchandise, numerous design awards and Logie to your name: and now a magazine! Did Pacific approach you with the proposition? Or was it something you've had in mind and needed the right publisher for?
Jamie Durie: I actually approached Pacific. This has been a dream of mine for five, six years and it wasn't until I started working with Pacific that I realised this is the right team. Wendy Moore got behind me and Nick Chan, and it's just been an amazing journey.
Carla: And what's your involvement with the magazine?
Jamie: I'm editorial director, so, believe me, I'm very involved. Every word, every photo, every layout goes through my computer.
Carla: Is it important that your environmental values are reflected in the magazine?
Jamie: Paramount. I don't want to ram it down people's throats, but I certainly want to make sure there's an element of environmental responsibility running through all our stories.
Carla: And lastly, Oprah. Will you be seeing her when she comes to Sydney?
Jamie: I'm really over the moon that she's decided to come to Australia and I think it's going to be amazing for Australia to be on Oprah's stage. And she'll do a great job of showing the very best of Australia.

The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie ($7.95) spring edition goes on sale Monday and will be published quarterly.

See also: Jamie Durie gets his own magazine

Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel