Everyone's obsessed with 'knolling' their stuff and putting the photos on Instagram
No matter how cluttered your Instagram feed may be, photos of objects neatly laid out against stark, neutral backgrounds are bound to draw your attention.
Items that are photographed from above and arranged so that viewers can see everything at once invite the eye to wander to each singular piece while also admiring the aesthetic as a whole.
It turns out this trend actually has a name and a surprisingly long history.
It dates all the way back to 1987, when a janitor at Frank Gehry's furniture fabrication shop realized how nice it looked when he laid out all his tools at right angles, Sophie Hay at The Long Lyst has discovered.
The janitor, Andrew Kromelow, called his display "knolling," based on the clean lines of the mid-century modern Knoll furniture that Gehry was working on at the time.
American artist and sculptor Tom Sachs, who also spent time in Gehry's shop, picked up on Kromelow's knolling habit and turned it into an aesthetic with informal guidelines. He used the mantra "Always Be Knolling" in his own studio and in his work, and even made a studio manual that explained how to knoll to his employees in 2009.
Knolling soon evolved to encompass anything laid out neatly, and became synonymous with magazine spreads with clean layouts that showcased numerous products in a clear way. Visual designers loved it because the style made their products easy on the eyes.
Bloggers soon adopted the style in their own photography to mimic magazines and draw readers. Then, the practice naturally progressed to Instagram.
Many Instagrammers do not use the term "knolling," but refer to such a design as a "flatlay," The Long Lyst explains. An Instagram account known as Flatlays popped up in 2014 to document "our favorite flatlays from all across the globe."
Instead of being as rigid as the original knolling designs, these flatlays were less formal. They were styled to seem more haphazard.
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Brands were quick to realize how the photography style could work for them, too. GAP and Sephora are two big name brands that are particularly adept at employing the trend to entice followers to shop their latest collections.
And knolling today is not just about selling products, but a lifestyle. In addition to the bags, shoes, shirts, or jeans that are neatly laid out, the photographers also include a touch of reality.
A camera is placed next to shoes, flowers are arranged near a shirt, or a cup of coffee is set down next to a scarf. Suddenly you can envision yourself in a cleaner, more organized life - and all you need to achieve it is to buy that scarf or those sandals.
So the next time you see your favorite Instagram celebrity, brand, or style blogger showcasing their beautifully laid out products, now you'll know what to call it.
Long live knolling.