“We all participate in weaving the social fabric; we should therefore all participate in patching the fabric when it develops holes,” says Anne C. Weisberg in her literary guide, Everything a Working Mother Needs to Know. That’s certainly an appropriate analogy for this industry, as well as this issue, which is all about social responsibility.

On page 8, columnist Liz Howard highlights companies that are contributing to worthy causes in Third World countries, while still enhancing their annual revenues. “There are so many millions of people in the world with no hope for themselves or future generations,” she notes. “Supporting a social business is one small step. Starting a social business is a huge contribution to the quality of life on the planet.”

I explore a rather touchy subject on page 10 – counterfeit furniture production. It’s an issue that is often overlooked in this industry, which is all the more reason why it needs to be addressed. “The next generation of designers will be forced into other professions if their earning ability is destroyed by rampant counterfeiting,” says M2L Group Inc., which recently launched a Web site that teaches consumers how to spot a knockoff and what to do if they’ve been duped.

As a magazine, it’s Furniture & Interiors’ social responsibility to be candid with our readers. That being said, I have a very important announcement to make. We’re relaunching Furniture & Interiors’ with an even better product called North American Design, which was created to meet the information needs of today’s architects, interior designers, design/build contractors and furniture companies.

Each group plays an important role in the design industry. They influence major decisions related to the purchases of fabrics, paints, furniture and furnishings, home and office electronics, and many other services vital to the design profession. In fact, it is their social responsibility to work together to produce an ideal product for the end-user, and we hope the new magazine can shine some light on topics that affect all of these groups.

Our first issue will address another social responsibility that has been on everyone’s minds lately, but you’ll have to wait until the fall to find out what that is. We’ll see you then.