A Magazine #5 Martine Sitbon issue

[runner]

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE NEXT ISSUE OF A MAGAZINE COMING OUT IN MAY 2007.
AFTER MARTIN MARGIELA, YOHJI YAMAMOTO, HAIDER ACKERMANN AND UNDERCOVER’S JUN TAKAHASHI THE NEXT CURATOR WILL BE MARTINE SITBON.

Martine Sitbon is a cult designer acclaimed throughout the international fashion scene. Fashion designers keenly look to her as a key reference. Her world, as rich in terms of design propositions as in terms of images, never ceases to be consistent with the zeitgeist, often one step ahead of trends.

Her wardrobe is a clever contemporary mix of references that range from late 19th century dandies, to the late 70s and 80s rock icons, also encompassing the strange and otherworldly savour of other more secretive images, from movies to historical painting. Rock’n’Romantic...

Having graduated from the Studio Bercot, Martine Sitbon launched her own label in 1986 and presented her first show in Paris, which famously combined the spirit of Alice in Wonderland, technicoloured hues and black
dandy suits and a Velvet Underground soundtrack.
With an important record of collections and an eclectic mix of sources, she quickly became the cult designer. Martine Sitbon blends vintage chic, historic references, an urban toughness and a wispy femininity to produce
pieces that are distinctive. The duality has made her a significant force in fashion. She draws on an eclectic mix of sources and has consistently explored contemporary themes. Rock music, especially from the late 60s and
early 80s, has often been a strong inspiration. But through a dichotomic process ? an intention to mix opposites and work with contrasts ? Martine Sitbon also offered a vision populated by strange dolls, cheeky and nonchalant dandies, harnessed warriors and vinyl-clad Barbarellas. The tough and the angelic, the masculine and the infantile, the rock’n’roll and the naivety successfully mingled. By taking couture elements like bows and flowers, but reworking them in a spontaneous, modern, comfortable way, Martine Sitbon succeeded in expressing a unique modernity.

The idea underlying this edition is to decipher step by step the creative process specific to the designer. Over a 6-month period, A MAGAZINE will strive to carefully depict the construction of the new label ‘Rue du Mail
designed by Martine Sitbon’, focussing on her research process, her professional encounters as well as on her numerous discoveries.

Along this main thread, from reports to conversations, many figureheads close to Martine Sitbon’s environment will enrich the editorial segment of the magazine: Marc Ascoli, Julie Verhoeven, Sofia Coppola, Zoe Cassavetes,
Craig McDean, Marie Rucki from Studio Bercot, Andree Putmann, Anette Messager, Nick Knight and Anna Sui, to name but a few.

modenatie.com

 

[runner]

More info & contact:
A MAGAZINE
e-mail : [email protected]

....

 

[runner]

btw apparently the #6 issue will be curated by Veronique Branquinho

 

[runner]

the cover

modenatie.com

 

[mikel]

Looks interesting

 

[purplish06]

Stunning cover

 

[MulletProof]

thanks runner!, the cover looks very nice.. love the harmony in all the colours

...I'm excited about the branquinho issue, how often does this come out? it's bi-annual, right?.

 

[Cybie]

want to see more.

 

[novella]

The cover is incredibly gorgeous! I love the colors and the composition!

 

[runner]

you're welcome MulletProof
it is supposed to be biannual, but actually at yearly intervals these days.
it says VB issue will be released in October though.
so maybe almost irregularly?

OBJECTIVES
A return to a poetic, fresh and ‘pure’ fashion magazine is the main aim.
A magazine that makes a cultural statement, a statement against homogenisation and for individuality. Our feeling is that existing fashion magazines are defined too much by marketing and reasoned thinking. The designers’ messages and information are no longer communicated, little justice is done to their ideas, and the desire to score means that all magazines have started to look like each other, with the same advertisements, the same sections and the same approaches.
A magazine that is made out of respect for the design and the designer.
A magazine in which we want to question fashion because we are fascinated by it.
A magazine in which we want to use the designers’ parameters we love:
passion, emotion, fascination, spontaneity, craftsmanship, authenticity.
Therefore A MAGAZINE is conceived and designed in the same way as a fashion designer creates a new collection every season.
To guarantee that the magazine remains surprising, varied and innovative we invite a new guest curator for each issue.
A MAGAZINE is clearly a unique niche product ? both on the conceptual and the advertorial level.

WHO?
Centred around A MAGAZINE is a creative team of editors, the guest curator ? who will be an international fashion designer, group or fashion house ? and an international network of contributors.
Each of his collaborations ? with an artist, a photographer, a scenographer, a filmmaker, a choreographer ? started with a conversation. Sometimes, as is apparent from interviews within this issue, a few words were enough to realise beautiful projects, develop special friendships, build things that transcend the ordinary.
Every magazine is a new story.

FACTS
A MAGAZINE is published twice a year. The first issue (Martin Margiela) was launched in June 2004,
the second (Yohji Yamamoto) at the beginning of January 2005 at Pitti Uomo in Florence, the third (Haider Ackermann) during his summer show in Paris. We try to link the release on an event or a special moment. The 4th issue, released june 2006 was curated by Jun Takahashi [UNDERCOVER]

In 2007 Martine Sitbon (release in June), the fashion icon of the 80’s, takes a new start, a good reason to explain her feelings in a magazine and Veronique Branquinho (release in October) celebrates her 10 years fashion designing.
The confrontation between those two complete different situations, starting points, visions, will be already a fascinating journalistic theme.

TARGET GROUP
A MAGAZINE readers are an international culturally involved group of people interested in fashion - fashion designers, fashion students, graphic designers, art directors, architects, artists, curators, photographers, make-up artists, journalists.
All people who are looking and longing for a different fashion magazine, more authentic and pure than the mainstream glossies of today.

DISTRIBUTION
A MAGAZINE is distributed:
? world-wide by professional distributors :
Idea Books (Amsterdam) for book- and museum shops, fashion- boutiques, concept stores,…
Export Press (Paris) for the better press shops.
? free to 500 important fashion journalists and to Flanders Fashion Institute’s world-wide network

A MAGAZINE is available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Great-Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands,
Japan, China, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia,
South-Africa, Canada, U.S.A. …a.o.

ADVERTISING
PARTNERSHIPS
Because we wish to oppose ‘globalisation’, we take up a clear and controversial position when it comes to adverts. We ask the major advertisers to depart from the usual marketing strategy and opt for a new creative adventure.
If possible we look for advertisements as an essential part of the statement and the philosophy of the magazine. The expression ‘tailor made publicity’ sounds good in our ears.
Compared to traditional advertising the uniqueness of the magazine lies in the fact that the advertisers are more considered as ‘partners’, who are interested in the niche market of the magazine and who consider an ‘advertisement feature ’in the spirit of the magazine important for their approach of a very specific and characteristic international niche market.

modenatie.com

 

[adorefaith]

thanks runner...

 

[Whitelinen]

I just found out about this magazine, it seems like a good creation. So far they have had five issues.

Issue #1 curated by Maison Martin Margiela
Issue #2 curated by Yohji Yamamoto
Issue #3 curated by Haider Ackermann
Issue #4 curated by Jun Takahashi
Issue #5 curated by Martine Sitbon.

Their website is http://www.modenatie.com/www/FFI/MAGAZINE/A-magazine/index.htm, take a look for beautiful scans of the magazines.

I wonder where one can buy this in Finland, as they say they sell it here too?

 

[Scott]

^actually they've really had 9---four being with their previous publishers with the title actually going through the alphabet. but they disassociated themselves with that one after they had some issues with them so they re-affirmed the aesthetics but had to do it with a different title. the first ones were-A by Dirk Van Saene,B by Bernhard Willhelm,C by Hussein Chalayan and D by Olivier Theyskens.

you know,i saw this on the site last week and i was a bit surprised to be honest. i mean martine is lovely but i just couldn't imagine seeing her do this. maybe because it's been so idiosyncratic.....even with fun-loving Bernhard doing one of the very first issues. maybe a bit too trendy...perhaps less dynamical than the previous curators. and i saw that her friend...the uber trendy,uber grotesque anna sui was part of the issue as well. doesn't sound like my cuppa to be honest.

 

[Pedro]

^just to mention that they also published issue E by Viktor & Rolf (the first decade), which was the last issue from the first series.

 

[Whitelinen]

A by Dirk Van Saene,B by Bernhard Willhelm,C by Hussein Chalayan and D by Olivier Theyskens.

Oh! I wish I could get to see these.

 

[softgrey]

the sitbon issue sounds like a fascinating look at the designer's 'comeback' journey...

glad to see she's making her way back into the fashion consciousness...
...

 

[Scott]

^just to mention that they also published issue E by Viktor & Rolf (the first decade), which was the last issue from the first series.

i don't want to re-hash old news but that was actually the issue when Walter Van Beirendonck(who created the initial concept)and ed & chief Gerdi Esch unattached their names from it. there were alot of problems because martin margiela was supposed to curate the issue but the publishers in turn decided they were going to use it as a catalogue for their pretentious exhibition.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

What I'd do to get my hands on several of these issues...!

Very cool and intriguing concept. Very fresh, as it's so incredibly rare to hear from many of these designers. Thank you, Runner.

 

[mariemaud]

sounds very interesting, thank you Runner

 

[runner]

you're welcome adorefaith, wheneveriwakeup, mariemaud



nick knight

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