Scenery, the New Publication Drawing Together Fashion and Interiors

“I think most fashion people have a really strong sense for decoration, curating and putting things together. Interiors and collecting have been a big part of my adult life and I think it’s very natural to combine all these qualities into one thing … Scenery!”

This is Simon B Mørch’s summation of his new magazine Scenery, which, launching this month, offers a new – if nostalgic – lens on interiors; one in which the worlds of fashion, design and decorating coalesce. Describing the publication as “a self-portrait” that combines the old and the new, Scenery feels like the interiors magazines of yore; it carries a whiff of The World of Interiors (from back in the day), while his editor’s letter pays tribute to Cecil Beaton’s 1970 scrapbook, photographs of which open the magazine. It’s heavy with a heady, history-laden kind of romance.

In the issue, we peek inside the homes of bona fide fashion legends, including model and longtime Karl Lagerfeld muse Amanda Harlech, designers Stefano Pilati and Bella Freud, and super-stylist and photographer Venetia Scott. Meanwhile, contributors to the magazine also include fashion legends and AnOther Magazine family members like Katy England and Ellie Grace Cumming, along with fashion photographers Malick Bodian, Brett Lloyd, William Waterworth, and Nikolai von Bismarck, among others.

An art director best known for his work in fashion (Mørch has worked for brands including Ludovic de Saint Sernin, The Vampire’s Wife, Róisín Pierce, and more), he has brought his community and connections to the pages of this magazine – including Alister Mackie, Aiden Miller and American Vogue living editor Liam Hess, who are involved in the project as creative director, art director and features director respectively.

The whole thing is supremely elegant and elevated – and while it’s not minimal, it does have a quiet beauty and serenity to it.  Designed to be more of a rounded project than simply a publication, Scenery encompasses a line of products, too, that reflect the ethos of the magazine: from some sweet tea caddies to some swish velvet bonnets.

Here, Simon B Mørch tells AnOther more about Scenery and his hopes for the project.

What’s the story behind the name? It has something to do with Simon & Garfunkel, right?

Simon B Mørch: The name refers to scenery, and also the scene, which I rather like. And then, yes, I was listening to Simon and Garfunkel in the car and they were singing, “So I looked at the scenery / She read her magazine …” which was a kind of an epiphany. It was clear that this couldn't be anything but Scenery.

So what is the magazine in a nutshell?

SBM: It’s a self-portrait; it’s new and it’s old.

What’s your relationship with interiors? You may be more known for your fashion work, so I’m interested to know when your interest in interiors began, and where it came from.

SBM: I don’t know … The interest might have always been there. It surely got stronger when I moved to London seven years ago. In my house, you’ll find a daybed by Pierre Chapo and a matching table, a collection of salt glaze mugs by Steve Harrison, an 18th-century gothic casket (Polish or German), and a mahogany linen press by Christopher Gibbs, [which was made] for the interiors he designed at Chilham Castle. I know that they don’t really go together, but for me, it works.

What kind of interiors do you love?

SBM: I love something elegant and practical. I appreciate opulence, but my favourite things are often more simple. I would move into an Andrew Wyeth interior anytime, maybe with a splash of John Saladino. And a room for Jessica Hayns’ lustreware collection (she has done a lovely feature for our first issue).

What stories were you particularly excited about including in the magazine?

SBM: Going to Shropshire to photograph Amanda Harlech in her home was really special. To me, this is what Scenery is all about – telling a story about a person through an interiors lens. Being able to photograph Robert Kime’s home, days before all the interiors were taken out, was a fantastic experience too; we pulled the curtains and lit the candles. The pictures are so rich and wonderful. Also, Steve Harrison – a fantastic potter and my friend since before I moved here – did a collaboration of lustreware mugs for Scenery (he usually works with salt glaze). The first I time saw them, I couldn’t believe it. They are like nothing you’ve ever seen … I’ve heard that Nigel Slater is on the waiting list for one. Dare I say it, he might never get one …

The magazine feels like a bit of an ode to your creative heroes, from Cecil Beaton, who you mention in your editor’s letter, to Rene Ricard, whose work is celebrated in a lovely story in the issue.

SBM: Cecil Beaton was very gifted, and understood not only interiors and gardening but was a master at editing. Rene Ricard was excellent with words – even in his darkest hours, it was poetry. I love how he painted his poems on found artworks. I think they both represent something that I would like Scenery to be.

You’ve also created a collection of products as part of this project. What can you tell us about these?

SBM: Yes, there’s a collaboration with Steve Harrison, which I mentioned earlier. But also, there are some fantastic octagonal tea caddies with Salem Charabi, which look contemporary and antique at the same time. We’ve also done a whole range of lampshades with Mark Betty, he’s in the issue (my space)! He has a fantastic apartment and understands light like no one else. We did vintage marbled paper lampshades in three sizes, some of which are gilded. There are also some lovely brooches, and velvet bonnets that we did with Prudence Millinery (a long-time collaborator of Vivienne Westwood), and more.

Scenery, Issue Number One, is out now.