Philly-based hipster haven Urban Outfitters just announced plans to open Terrain, a gardening store for the modern set. Urban purchased J. Franklin Styer Nurseries, with a goal to "transform the local garden center into an experience that celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature while offering an eclectic mix of garden-inspired products tailored for the contemporary customer."
We're not quite sure what that means, exactly (lime green garden hoes alongside rakes with interchangeable animal-print handles?) but we do know it's just in time to capitalize on the gardening furor that's taken hold of Gen X and Y-ers in recent years. Although the company hasn't announced what demographic they are hoping to reach with this new venture, one might guess that it's similar to that of their flagship stores, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie (18-30-somethings with an eye for style and a semi-disposable income).
And, although I don't really like the way it sounds, "18-30-somethings with an eye for style and a semi-disposable income" is likely an apt way of putting my target audience into words. Oh, and they're probably women. Men cook, they certainly do. In fact, they're, with few exceptions, the rockstars of cooking right now. But I have the feeling they don't often sit down with a cooking magazine. Am I wrong?
I did say something telling though-- "Rockstars of Cooking." For some reason in culture these days, you can imagine rock music and cooking going together. Along with the upswing of activities such as "stitch and bitch," pie baking parties, and gardening, cooking has entered the "hipster" household. Shows such as Ace of Cakes and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives are being hosted by punk and rockabilly types and go to prove my theory. I think a rockabilly/ indie/ hipster cooking magazine might just have a place in this world.
MORE ON DEMOGRAPHICS:
When it comes to this subject, I like to think about people, and not just numbers. So, let's look at the women on Ace of Cakes:
So, there we have them, college grads, 24- 32, women, artsy, ironic, who like to cook.
And, indeed, if we could put a face to our reader, it might be Mary Alice.
Let's finish this post with a Letter from the editor:
(and i openly steal this from a cool cooking blog, but it goes to represent what I would put, if we were designing a letter from the editor page)
The kitchen can be a scary place. I know. I've been in the trenches. Your kitchen is filled with hot things, sharp things and other potential accidents. Further, it can suck up some time. Yet I feel that women (and men) of all ages are doing their own selves a huge disservice by not cooking -- especially young women who aren't developing the cooking skills they will need for a lifetime of healthy, good eating. There is an obesity crisis in this country, and many other women are unhappy with their weight. I think by getting ourselves back to basics, we will be better equipped in the years to come with an arsenal of good recipes and a genuine, developed enjoyment of cooking. Not all these recipes are quick and easy, though I feel like most of them are, but they're all do-able by someone like me (a 26-year-old newlywed who works three jobs and is finishing her MA degree). By injecting a little of my own self-deprecating humor and some youthful exuberance into the kitchen, I hope that you all will leave with a positive mindset and a willingness to try something, anything, sometime. You're worth it! In any case, I'm glad you stopped by!
THE END (you thought I'd never get there, right?)
