MACKINTOSH OR MOCKINTOSH

The Sunday Times reports that an umbrella body of Mackintosh heritage groups formed by the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is working on a quality assurance scheme and plans to apply for a trade mark (the IPKat imagines this is a certification mark) in order to further its work.

“For many years we have been frustrated by the sometimes dubious copies of Mackintosh style that market themselves by using the well-known design icon”,

said the Director of the Society, pointing to consumers who were disappointed by inferior quality “Mockintosh” products. However, Pat Marsden, a purveyor of Mackintosh-inspired products pointed out:

“The heritage organisations have long dismissed Mackintosh-style products and it seems hypocritical for them to decide to take control now. Some of the craftspeople I work with have decades of experience and they are clear about the fact that they are Mackintosh inspired — they are not copies. It seems very unfair to now ask them to come cap in hand to be told if what they have done is good enough to be given official approval”.

The IPKat points out that the success of this scheme will depend on whether consumers actively seek “official” Mackintosh products, or if instead all they care about is that the product has the Mackintosh “look” which is something they can judge for themselves. Merpel, controversial kitten of mystery adds that, unless the products are made to Mackintosh designs, they aren’t really genuine Mackintosh products at all.

See Mackintosh’s house here
More Mackintoshes here and here