I just spent $5000 on magazines: Launching our 2025 lookbook
I just spent $5000 on our 2025 print lookbook…and that’s not even counting all the paid design work and future shipping costs.
Why? Well I think I said it best in the Lookbook foreword:
Foreword from our owner Peter
Lookbook, magazine, zine, catalogue? ‘What the heck am I looking at here?’
I’ve asked myself that same question many times when compiling this 2025 lookbook. I’ve also asked myself why I’m spending money, time, and effort in compiling a piece of print media in 2025. The business gurus would have me spending my marketing budget elsewhere - Instagram reels, SEO placement, influencer marketing - and they are probably right. As a primarily online business I do take those avenues seriously. But I started Sidetracked Workshop because I wanted to make cool sh*t that would last , so here we are.
Why do people still enjoy vinyl? Trends would even point to it being in a resurgence. I believe it's because you can hold it, feel it, look at it, collect it, share it with friends and family, and slow down and enjoy it. I hope that this lookbook replicates that experience. I don’t want it to be a regular catalogue. I wanted to make something you can hold in your hands and spend time with. I’m proud that the quality of this lookbook reflects the quality of our craft.
Inside you will find a little information about our furniture pieces, but also interviews with community members, special features, original artwork, and a behind the scenes look at our workshop and amazing crew.
So please, no need to buy anything, all I ask is that you sit down, slow down, and enjoy this lookbook for five to twenty five minutes instead of throwing it immediately in the recycling. Treat it like the a-side of your favorite LP! Much like vinyl, this lookbook is best enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee, or your favorite adult beverage.
This project was a ton of fun! I love print media and have had this idea for a while. We drew inspiration from some of my favorite magazines, particularly a few Japanese publications - there is still a magazine culture in Japan where they have leaned into the pros of print (tactile, color, visual design, full spreads….). I really enjoy collecting and flipping through those publications. I think a lot of the magazines in the U.S. market are a bit antiquated and follow the pattern of “If you still want a print version of our website we will get you this magazine at the lowest possible price and print quality… and its mostly just ads”. I wanted to make sure to be in the former camp and make sure our 2025 lookbook had a reason to be in physical print.
We are proud and excited with how our inaugural lookbook turned out! It was a ton of work - sometimes I get lost in the details for better or for worse. I promise if we do this again, our 2026 lookbook will come out at the beginning of the year and not in May…. hopefully. There were so many great contributors to creating this lookbook, but I especially want to shout out our freelance designer Riley who put so many hours turning my scattered ideas into this beautiful magazine.
Let us know what you think! Is this a cool idea, was it a waste of money? Should we do one annually? If you want one of these lookbooks you can get yours here!
Happy Listening,
Peter
Author: Peter Huizenga
Owner of Sidetracked Workshop. One of the passionate craftspeople here that makes timeless vinyl record storage furniture. Lives and works in Portland, OR