Bazaar, Elle, & Vogue get a lot of well-deserved attention on the newsstand, but as many of you well know, there are plenty of smaller glossies that are just as—if not more—inspiring. In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re giving props to these chic, smaller-circ books who give us so many satisfying stories, shoots, and ideas. We skipped over the big guns——like Purple, Pop, and Visionaire—because we know you’ve already got them stockpiled and stashed under your bed. Here’s our list—compiled by our fantastic intern, Lucy, a FIT student who is far cooler than I was or sadly, will ever be—of the top 10 indie fashion magazines:
10
Christened 10—a bold, simple number that is recognizable in any language—the book has attracted a large international following. The 300+page publication is chock full of contemporary culture of every sort and for those who can’t be bothered to read the staff’s well-written pieces, it serves as a spell binding picture book that’s hard to put down.
A4
A recent winner of the Chimera Press Design Award , A4 cleverly connects street culture, high art, and fashion in a series of collage-like pictorials. The Polish book aims to promote young artists in all fields, and promote they do: Crisp and clear without being cold, their well-designed pages are highly memorable. (Bonus: Their online site isn’t too shabby either.
BON MAGAZINE
With so much high-quality fashion pouring out of Sweden (hello Cheap Monday, H&M, Acne, and Filippa K) that it’s no surprise that the country has cornered the market on Scandinavian-influenced mags. The country’s leading fashion magazine, Bon, takes the cake with it’s visually and verbally dense pages. The tome and it’s online component offer up sophisticated coverage from all the international weeks, but hones in on—and rightfully so—their homegrown talent.
TANK
Launched in 1998 by the eponymous creative agency, the “bookzine” focuses on architecture, fashion, and overall great design. Expect quirky spins on boldfaced names—from Miuccia Prada to David Sims and Dior— up-and-coming stars in fashion, art, graphic design, and other visual fields. The multi-talented minds behind Tank also produce a radio station, publishing house, and online TV segments.
NUMERO
French-based Numero allows all you impatient trend hounds to get a sneak peak at the fashions of tomorrow. (Modelizers will appreciate the editorial team’s ahead-of-the curve front-cover placement of young catwalkers.) The magazine, which has earned accolades for its arresting photographs and influential design, serves as a must-read for the W magazine subscribers who prefer their style news served up with some edge.
PLASTIQUE
The recently launched Plastique offers a behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot lifestyle. While stories touch on contemporary cinema and art, the real reason to pick up the book is its many thoughtful interviews with designers, photographers, illustrators and more.
A Magazine
Curated by a rotating roster of intellectual designers (including Yohji Yamamoto, Martine Sitbon, and Martin Margiela) A Magazine delves into the inspirations, craftsmanship ideals, and external influences that are crucial to the design process. the insightful presentation of such oft-over-looked stories will prove to be rewarding to those who are interested in what goes on behind the atelier’s gilded doors.
LULA MAGAZINE
London-based Lula taps into the fairytale trend that’s prevailed in certain fashion and art circles as of late. Helmed by former Vogue UKer, Leith Clarke, it’s plum full of romantic, ethereal photos, cameos by bewitching girls—such as Zooey Deschanel, Erin Fetherston, and Karen Elson—and nostalgic stories of timeworn treasures including Anne of Green Gables books, heart lockets, and more. Not only does each issue spin a well-crafted yarn, but Lula’s online flipbook is just as enchanting.
WONDERLAND
If the Steven Sprouse-like logo doesn’t tip you off about Wonderland’s energetic coverage of the film, fashion, and art worlds, you’ll figure it out once you flip open the first page. Created by young Londoner, (A Visionaire alum and former Mario Testino assistant) Huw Gwyther, the book looks at with the unabashed, rocking enthusiasm of undergrads at St. Martins (of which Gwyther is an alumni, duh).
FLY MAGAZINE
By offering short fashion films (in lieu of photoshoots) via web and limited-edition DVDs only, the Paris-and New York based magazine is quietly redefining the medium. Recent trendsetting contributors include Shirin Neshat, Julia Restoin Toirfeld, Missy Rayder, and Debbie Harry. If it sounds impressive, that’s because it is.
Did we forget any?
Technorati Tags: Glam Media, GlamCHiC, Fashion Magazines, Indie Fashion, Models, Designers,
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