INSPIRATIONAL LIVING

       Intukarn GajaseniSirisant brings Martha Stewart s Midas touch to the Thai edition of Martha Stewart Living writes Samila Wenin
       Intukarn Gajaseni Sirisant may be better known as an Isabella Bird-type than a Mrs Dalloway, as evidenced in the myriads of postcards collected from numerous places she's visited all over the world - a passion that earned the 41-year-old beauty over half a decade-long editorship post at Honeymoon & Travel magazine. Those who have not known the other side of Intukarn frowned when she took up the editor-in-chief post for the newly launched Martha Stewart Living Thailand.
       "Travel is my passion and I used to travel a lot. But I have this domestic side the Martha Stewart side - and it's my daily life," she said.
       Those close to her remember Intukarn as an excellent cook. She used to work as contributing editor for the culinary website Pai-Kin-Khao (Let's Go Eat), won a cooking contest and also co-wrote a culinary book titled,Spice of Life: The Recipes & Cooking Culture of Thailand , with renowned food stylist-columnist Ekarin Yusuksomboon.
       "The magazine is pretty close to who I am and my lifestyle, and I believe this would make it easier for me to understand what it's trying to present to readers," she explained.
       "Martha Stewart Living is a magazine for women who are interested in cooking,entertaining guests, home-keeping and doing crafts. I love to cook and entertain my friends with my home-cooked meals on the weekends. And that's why I said yes right away when I was offered the job. It's a very good opportunity."
       As part of the preparations for the launch of Martha Stewart Living Thailand, Intukarn,along with Post International Media Managing Director Siri Udomritthiruj, sales manager and art director flew to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's headquarters in New York to undergo training. Visiting the empire of the domestic queen is, as Intukarn reflected, both practical and inspirational. For example, the beautiful office that overlooks Hudson River boasts a large kitchen for the cooking team to try recipes and deliver the freshly-cooked dish to the studio for a photoshoot right from the stove.
       "What I have learned is that those who work here always go into great detail. They are real experts in the field and not just writers who go to interview experts. The crafts editor, for example, has innumerable materials stored in her office so that she can come up with and work on new ideas all the time. As for the food section, we have learned that each recipe has to be tried and tested by experts several times before it appears in the magazine."
       The team also has to work closely with headquarters. With the current content comprising of picked-up stories from the US edition and local stories -at the proportion of 80 to 20 percent - the Thai editorial team is required to send the content line-up to headquarters for approval.
       "The condition set for me is that, no matter what we do, the magazine has to stick to the Martha Stewart Living character.It has to be Martha and not any other woman. There are three key points in the framework we have to bear in mind. First,the stories are accessible for Thai readers.Second, each issue must come in a harmonious colour tone that is pleasing to the eyes for readers. Finally, you need to have a well-proportioned combination of stories to ensure the flow of content."
       Despite a large number of home, cooking and decoration magazines dominating local magazine racks, Intukarn remains confident that Martha Stewart Living Thailand will be able to secure its place in the publishing industry. Using her own experience as an example, she said that, unlike other home and decoration magazines which mostly feature content with respect to global trends,Martha Stewart Living does not pay heed to trends and instead offers ideas and tips that are timeless."I've been a fan of the magazine even before I became editor. I often borrowed ideas from it and never trashed a copy. When I was offered the job,I went back to the old issues and found that those ideas and recipes can be used even today. It's more like a reference book for dreamers and doers."