Thursday, June 3, 2010

Burda WOF/Style

As long as I can remember in the Netherlands Burda World of Fashion (the magazine), was always just called “Burda”. It’s the same with Knip Mode, if someone would ask you where you found the pattern, you would answer “the Burda” or “the Knip”. In the past year the magazine has changed the name to BurdayStyle and on the internet the old links from the English site are now redirected to BurdayStyle.com.

I love the archives and tried to find them, using a link someone gave on a discussion thread on PatternReview. The English version of the archives is (still) here: http://www.burdamode.com:8080/en/Magazines/Archives/1270777-1463237.html

They can be found on the German site in the new style here: http://www.burdastyle.de/magazine/archiv/. Not all issues work with proper links to pictures, apparently it’s a work in progress.

The magazines from 2006 till July 2009 are in the tab Burda Modemagazin (the former German name), from August 2009 till now in the tab BurdaStyle.

 

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And I’m still hoping (in vain most surely) for showing the fashion picture and line drawing together in one screen and  a search function. What if you would get a list of possible patterns like this when searching for a coat pattern for example:

 

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This is copied and pasted by taking screenshots and pasting them together. Too much work to do that for all the issues I have, so it would be nice to search the Burda site for it.

But there’s one thing  I hope even more: that they go back to being a pattern magazine with inspiring patterns that you long to make instantly. I haven’t seen that for a long time. Let them not got the way of only making patterns available through downloading (it seems to me that they are experimenting more and more with downloads) or a magazine with a focus on craft items. You know my opinion on their crafts probably and I just don’t do the downloading and taping together of patterns. Too much hassle.  Then I’ll have my beloved Burda back.

12 comments:

  1. Burda are you listening? I too am sorely disappointed with what is apparently their new direction. When Vogue updated their website they did it all at once, not these bits and pieces that Burda is doing. It's a mess.

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  2. Sigrid, thank you so much for posting these links to the archives. I'm thrilled to have them!

    Burda, if you're out there, please reconsider the direction the magazine has taken. Count me among those who are disappointed.

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  3. I am not resubscribing to Burda. That is $80 I can save. Thanks for posting these links.

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  4. Yes. This. Really. My best and greatest hope is a new, searchable database with both pictures next to each other. I have almost 10 years worth of Burda magazines. I still use old patterns! But, the day they go to download only is the day I am done with them. On that same note, I do wish they would consider the KM feature of a fashion garment out now and copying that. Gah!

    Thanks for posting links to the archives!!

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  5. Thank you Sigrid, you said it very well. I'm utterly disappointed with the new Burda (both designs and website) and if things don't take a sharp turn for the better, I will not renew my subscription.

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  6. Thanks for the links. Only yesterday I was looking online for a back issue so I could check before ordering it from the newsagency here. The current site is incredibly frustrating to use and there seems to be little relevance to search results. In the end I gave up - its easier to draft it myself. I've also been disappointed in the new direction the magazines are going, especially all the crafts! They are just not of interest.

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  7. Sigrid - You are a certified genius and should be on Burda's payroll. The list of pictures with tech drawings on the side is absolutely brilliant.

    I've never been a Burda subscriber, just purchasing issues here and there, so I'm probably less disappointed than most in the transition.

    But I still like to see the printed pattern catalogue online! Just like Vogue or Simplicity... and now it is, like, really, really hard to find.

    This should be a case study in business school of a company shooting itself in the foot, for no good reason.

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  8. I did forget, in my anger at Burda, to thank you for finding this. The gobbledygook that is posted on the Burda Style site is so much touchy feely crap about community. What about we the consumers of Burda magazine who pay quite a lot of money for our subscriptions here in the states. Their site is such a mess. One of the primary people posted that we should be patient with them while they transition. What I see is a lack of professionalism on their part and really bad site design.

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  9. That would be fabulous. I understand that the German version does something like that which would be very helpful. I've often looked through the style photos and said "neh" or even "bleh". Then looked at the line drawing or the pattern pieces and say 'oh that cool. I want to try that"

    Burda are you listening. Because I want to add that the American publication "Thread" gave up their craft articles. Sewist just don't want a lot crafty ideas.

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  10. I noticed yesterday they automatically subcribed me for another year on my credit card. I didn't get a renewal notice at all! I have been disappointed too lately as nothing is inspiring me. I doubt I would have renewed - lets hope the next year is better. And they fix those links!!

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  11. Sigrid, I totally agree.
    Have you ever tried this link?

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/peacockcouture/sets/

    Zo iets moesten ze bij Burda maken.

    groet Ann-Marie

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  12. At least they are publishing the Burda magazine in Portuguese now (in Portugal we’ve always called it that way, I only heard of BWOF since I’ve been reading the U.S. blogs... And now it’s called BurdaStyle even in the Portuguese edition)... I have been using the French edition for years - at least I was able to learn a little French, lol! - And I share your opinion about their craft projects... Better/complete archiving and a search engine would be perfect.

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