California Dreaming with Foam Editor-in-Chief Kristina Dechter

By Chris Frey
April 7, 2010

Kristina Dechter; Dechter's favorite Foam cover, featuring model Erin Wasson

In 2008, Venice Beach-based Foam magazine enlisted then NY-based fashion editor/writer/stylist Kristina Dechter to engineer a “total and complete design and content overhaul,” as she recalls it, of its pages. According to Associate Publisher Monica Campana, Foam turned to Dechter because its team was seeking “someone outside the surf community to be the cornerstone between surf and fashion” for the magazine.

Upon Dechter's arrival, a cross-country move that took her from her native Manhattan to sunny California, and following a “three day, closed door re-design summit,” she says, a new vision for the magazine emerged, one that would affect everything from its paper stock to its staff. Under Dechter’s creative direction, what was previously a publication narrowly devoted to the athleticism of its subjects evolved into a sophisticated, West Coast lifestyle publication—artfully designed, beautifully photographed and culturally relevant.

As Editor-In Chief, Dechter has shifted the editorial focus of Foam away from “trophies and titles” towards what she describes as “layers of content that allow our readers to experience richer, three dimensional personalities within our stories.” Through a California lens, artists, musicians, and athletes co-exist with more high profile celebrities—like Amber Tamblyn, Jessica Stroup, Lake Bell and Leelee Sobieski—that now grace the covers thanks to Dechter’s presence.

Editorially, Dechter says she is avoiding the obvious (girl leaning on surfboard) and instead “surprising the surf community,” with an inspirational, visual language culled from her years in the fashion industry, particularly her connection to street style. Case in point: instead of picturing alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn posed in full Olympic regalia (yes, the magazine covers other sports in addition to surfing), she's shot on a California mountainside alongside a story where she shares her personal iPod playlist with readers.

A group surf shot by Kassia Meador in the current issue of Foam

Dechter, who studied art history at Tufts, claims that before landing a temp job at Lucky magazine almost a decade ago, she “had no idea one could actually work at a magazine.” While working in the Lucky model-casting department, she caught the attention of the fashion department and began working as a Fashion News Associate, specifically on the trend-driven StyleSpy section. Her five years at Lucky spent profiling new designers, documenting street style and staying on the pulse of emerging trends was experience she now calls “invaluable.” Ambitious and spirited, Dechter sought more opportunities in the field. "I've never met anyone with an energy that's as infectious as Kristina's; she's so engaged, genuinely curious, hyper-aware and full of life," says Gigi Guerra, Marketing Director at Madewell and a former Lucky colleague. "You just want to be around her all the time." The remainder of Dechter's meteoric climb included stints writing and styling for Paper magazine, assisting fashion stylist extraordinaire Anne Christensen of The New York Times (where Dechter contributed columns for the Thursday Styles section) and writing and styling for Time Out NY, where she helped create the look and tone of the style pages.

Given her fashion pedigree, its easy to see
why this self-described “total former Gossip Girl,” while perhaps not the obvious choice to head up a West Coast surf publication, was certainly the right one. Today, while numerous publications fight to survive, Foam has increased circulation by 200 percent and broadened its newsstand exposure significantly under Dechter’s direction. There has been resounding support from the surf community, which includes Dechter’s boyfriend, Joel Patterson, Editor-in-Chief of 50-year old
Surfer magazine, considered the Vogue of
surf publications.

Dechter with her boyfriend, Surfer magazine Editor-In-Chief Joel Patterson

With the urbanity of New York life thousands of miles away, Dechter jokingly refers to herself these days as a “Prius-loving hippie” who loves the look and feel of L.A.—“the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle, the casual but chic style and the light…oh, the light!” she says. She just moved into an historic 1920’s house with soaring white walls and a garden that she looks forward to shooting in for the next issue of Foam, the music issue, featuring Karen Elson on the cover.

Dechter's most prized possession is her Cartier tank watch, a parting gift from her father that he inscribed with the words “California Dreaming.” She gave us a chance to dream along with her by shopping eBay for items for a West Coast-inspired spring.