Matchbook Magazine Co-Founder Katie Armour On The Power Of Glamour

By Emily Hsieh
September 28, 2011

On the cover of every issue of the immensely (and instantly) popular monthly online lifestyle magazine Matchbook reads the tagline, “A field guide to a charmed life,” a phrase that seems all the more apt after sitting down with its Editorial Director, Katie Armour. Though neither Armour nor her Co-Founder, creative Director Jane Lilly Warren, had any editorial experience before launching their e-glossy in January, Matchbook has been a runaway success. It has clearly captivated a widespread audience of like-minded women who share in the girly, upbeat "The Matchbook Girl" credo, which includes viewing the world through rose-colored glasses, penning handwritten notes to your grandmother and having your own signature shade of lipstick.

Matchbook

Blogger Jessica Quirk of What I Wore on the September cover of Matchbook. Michelle Smith, founder of fashion brand Milly, on the August cover of Matchbook.

Armour has been championing this sort of sweetly old-fashioned worldview for some time. Back in 2009, she launched The Neo-Traditionalist, a blog that also garnered a loyal following almost immediately (and in spite of the twenty-something Bay Area native’s claim that she had no idea what she was doing when she first started).

Success certainly wasn’t built on charm alone, though, and Armour has had an especially frantic year. Between keeping up with her blog and juggling the demands of producing a monthly lifestyle magazine with a very limited staff, it’s clear that sleep is one of the few things that hasn’t been on Armour’s priority list.

Recently, Armour took time out of her jam-packed schedule to share more about her evolution as a blogger-turned-web-entrepreneur. Naturally, conversation meandered to cover her obsession with all things pug-related, The Power of Glamour (her favorite book for inspiration), decorating with seashells and her essential gadgets and apps.

Katie Armour

Katie Armour, Co-Founder and Editorial Director of Matchbook magazine.

The Inside Source: How’d you end up as a blogger?

Katie Armour: I worked in interior design back in New York and moved to West Virginia for my boyfriend (at the time), now husband. There weren’t really any interior design opportunities there, and I ended up with a lot of free time on my hands. I was reading blogs like Habitually Chic and Coco + Kelley and then I decided to start my own blog. That was June 2009, and I was posting several times a day and it got a pretty good following rather quickly. I literally had no idea what I was doing! Neotraditionalist was about the things that I enjoyed and didn’t see other people talking about—random bits of history, quotes, design elements that were traditional but with a twist... It wasn’t until Heather of Habitually Chic gave me a shout-out that I realized anyone else was reading.

The Inside Source: How’d you end up deciding to launch Matchbook?

Katie Armour: I contributed to [online design magazine] Lonny and got online magazine experience there and thought it was really cool, though it was all shelter and my interests are more varied than that. I wanted to include fashion and beauty rather than just interior design. My college best friend and I were always talking about doing something together and we ended up deciding to start our own lifestyle magazine that focused more on past and present tastemakers.

Matchbook

Fashion designer and "Project Runway" winner Gretchen Jones, featured in Matchbook.

The Inside Source: How do you distinguish Matchbook from all the other online magazines that are out there?

Katie Armour: The lifestyle approach is the most obvious difference. Typically, you see shelter magazines and fashion magazines, but we’ll have fashion spreads but dedicate fourteen pages to a great letterpress studio. The historical content is also unique. We’re such history nerds, and we love to do stories inspired by history. We also pride ourselves in our upbeat, optimistic tone. We’re not about cutting people down; we’re about building people up.

The Inside Source: Who is the consummate Matchbook girl?

Katie Armour: I always imagine her as a very modern woman but with a soft spot for the classics. She Tweets with abandon but still writes a handwritten note—someone who gets excited about technology, but still has good manners. And she doesn’t need to be super high fashion to be in fashion.

The Inside Source: Where do you find inspiration?

Katie Armour: I go to lots of used bookshops and antique shops. I love to see a museum exhibit when I have time. I love Partners & Spade and John Derian in New York. I love to go places where you see new and quirky things every time.

Matchbook

An Editors' Wish List spread in Matchbook.

The Inside Source: What do you consider required reading?

Katie Armour:I have a lot of old, out-of-print stuff like old Flair magazines from the '50’s, and [I] get fresh ideas for content there. There’s also an old book that’s great called The Power of Glamour where they profile historical women like Jackie Kennedy who have beautiful taste.

The Inside Source: Do you consider yourself techy? What are some of your gadget essentials?

Katie Armour: I do consider myself techy. I didn’t used to be, but I’m definitely a product of my environment. Now I read Mashable everyday—it’s a news source for technology and social media-related happenings, and it’s really helpful for staying current on what’s going on.

In terms of tech gadgets, I have a 50mm lens that makes everything look better. Right now, though, I’m obsessed with Instagram and take tons of pictures on my iPhone—it’s a really fun, addictive app. I just got the MacBook Air and it’s so lightweight and easy, especially since I’ve been traveling a lot. I’m a big fan of RedStamp's stationery app.

The Inside Source: Are you an eBay shopper? What kinds of stuff do you buy?

Katie Armour: It’s borderline unhealthy how much I love it. My number one search is for pug stuff. I’m addicted! I have two pugs and am completely obsessed—pug owners are die-hard about the breed! I’m always looking for pug books, pug figurines... I collect seashells and have massive amounts of them all over my house, mounted on Lucite and scattered all over bookshelves. I buy a lot of books off of eBay. And lots of home accessories like Murano glass ashtrays. And I definitely have a thing for Lucite. I have lots of pieces of brass, too—brass lion heads, horses, antelopes, pheasants... I also buy a lot of vintage fashion, like old Kate Spade. Recently I bought one of her boxy bags with a cabbage rose print that I have on display. It’s too pretty to take out! eBay also has great jewelry, and I’ve gotten really fantastic bracelets in particular, like the '60s gold chain one I got for about $10 that I get compliments on every time I wear it. Oh, and I’m always searching for vintage matchbooks, which I collect. I’m kind of obsessed with old-school matchbook design.

Katie Armour's Charming eBay Wish List

Roll over items for details

First Edition of Cecil Beaton’s Scrapbook

(buy it now price, $500)

Solid Brass Egyptian Head Bookends

(buy it now price, $20)

Hermes 2-Tone Women’s Watch in 18K and Steel

(buy it now price, $595)

Herend Porcelain 1972 Stamps

(buy it now price, $0.99)

Lugano Switzerland Postcard

(buy it now price, $2.39)

Life Magazine September 1, 1961

(buy it now price, $29.95)

1960s Cenedese Sommerso Murano Glass Bowl

(buy it now price, $45)

Meissen Porcelain Pug Figurine

(buy it now price, $112)

Matchbook Magazine Co-Founder Katie Armour On The Power Of Glamour

1. First Edition of Cecil Beaton’s Scrapbook: "I'm a bit infatuated with Cecil Beaton, and this first edition of his published scrapbook would make an amazing addition to my library."

2. Solid Brass Egyptian Head Bookends: "My grandmother visited a friend in Egypt last year and came home with the most spectacular stories. Until I can get over there myself, these bookends will have to appease my wanderlust."

3. Hermes Two-Tone Women’s Watch in 18K and Steel: "This vintage Hermes watch has a fantastic, quirky face."

4. Herend Porcelain 1972 Stamps: "I'm crazy for Herend porcelain and collect vintage stamps. I'd frame these for my wall."

5. Lugano Switzerland Postcard: "I met my Matchbook co-founder, Jane, at college in Lugano, Switzerland and we have so many fun memories by the lake. This vintage postcard would make her smile."

6. Life Magazine September 1, 1961: "I admire Jackie's efforts to spruce up the White House, and this cover is so iconic."

7. 1960’s Cenedese Sommerso Murano Glass Bowl: "I love the colors of this vintage Murano ashtray. I'd use it on my desk to hold brass pushpins."

8. Meissen Porcelain Pug Figurine: "I hope to someday own a collection of Meissen porcelain pugs...a girl can dream"

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