Ok, here comes the rambling idiot….
Definitely a men’s fashion magazine, something contemporary, a cross between an ultra-hip Japanese fashion magazine and a coffee table picture book.
I have two ideas for the title:
“Soûl”- It means ‘drunk’ in French, or ‘plastered’ rather, which is the state of the majority of the 20-something year olds that go to the “La Suite” fashion parties.
I would like to have a little logo with that, a silhouette of a man, from the side, all shaggy hair and baggy pants, swigging from a bottle.
Or
“Percerin” – Named after Monsieur Jean Percerin, the tailor to Louis XIV, He used all those amazing fabrics, and I like the way he made men look pretty, with organza Edwardian collars, brocade on velvet, and his famous flax capes. Also, I really admire any dressmaker who can convince a teenage King to wear leggings and pose for a portrait.
Cover and format:
The magazine would be landscape, slightly larger than regular size, like ‘W’ only it opened sideways.
I love a good glossy cover, The cover compared to the rest of the magazine, should be extra glossy, like you could hang a “wet paint” sign on it.
I would always like to have the cover spreading on the back cover, like a panoramic photo. It’s nice to have not only photos but also illustrations on the cover. The title would definitely span the front page in shiny reflector paper, and on the back page written out backwards, like a mirror.
Cover content:
I am sick to death of male actors and sports stars splashed all over fashion magazines, I’ve been tormented my Mr. Beckham and his bald head on the cover of GQ so much, I’ve stopped buying it!
I would rule out all “glamour” people, also I like hugely posey, dramatic, has-the-photographer-gone-mad type of photos on covers, so I’d like to see different types of people on a cover. Like I would love to see on the cover:
-Matt Mulhall: you know the hairdresser who does the hair for the Burberry boys, slick and bouncy. The man is a genius!)
-Shawn White: snowboarder, great red hair, interesting look, provided he showed up on time for the shoot (inside joke ha!ha!... ok, not funny.) Yes, he’s a sports star, but he doesn’t try to be the fashion editor of the magazine himself!
-Terry Richardson: Despite what all you lot said about him in the Terry Richardson post, and the fact that he doesn’t wear umm… pants sometimes, I still think he’s rather fun and mad, and would make an amazing cover subject. I wonder why he’s not on the other end of the camera sometimes.
- Peter Philips: Make-up artist, (he drew all the cards and dice on the boys faces at Alexander Mcqueen show), because I’ve never seen a make-up artist on a cover before, and he is the man to go to for dry skin.
Paper and layout:
All paper should be Cibachrome/Ilfochrome glossies, like a National Geographic, with lots of fold outs in the fashion spreads, because I am so obsessed with panoramic shots.
Layout, Brown writing on cream background, for all pages that magazines usually use monochrome for. Also the writing should be half hand written, some type written, some regular print, like an edited draft, if you get what I mean, also on the border or outline, there should be little illustrated doodles, like you got bored and just started a drawing.
No bright colours,“ Haettenschweiler”, or “Impact” fonts.
In Addition, for information that require a storyboarding outline (eg. Contributors, club reviews etc…) all photos, graphics should “step-out” of the box, and it should be like a 70’s comic strip.
Articles:
More on textile exhibitions in the events, trunk shows, design shows for fashion schools.
Profiles on new contemporary designers (the ones that don’t show during the fashion weeks.),on fashion students and their lifestyles. More articles on tailoring, I’d like to see tailoring and fabrics given more attention, also the mills that the fabrics come from.
Interviews of make-up artists, and their work backstage at the shows and on shoots, I think this is a more subtle way of encouraging make-up for men, rather than displaying the products in a catalogue way, It’s a better way of informing all those pretty boys in Dior Homme drainpipes that touché éclat will fix that raccoon/zombie look all of them get after an entire night of vodka and half a carton of cigarettes.
More spotlight on skateboard/snowboard style (because huge reflector Oakleys and Miu Miu bomber jackets look very cool together), on local bands (not the ones that have their agents pay 12,000 quid to dress them) that developed their own style. Something else I’d like to see is the style of designers, not all of them wear the clothes they make.
Fashion spreads:
I’d like more realistic shoots, in more realistic places like a dorm, or a postage stamp sized garden. I’d like to cast off the streets, because there are so many interesting people out there. Also I would love to have a spread on designers, For example Oliver Theysken’s would make an interesting portrait shoot, several pages longs, sans his couture clad models of course. He has such a beautiful face, and there are so many fun things you could style him in. The clothes portrayed would be a mix of new designers, classic accessories, tailored stuff, and personal street style.
and I would make sure to list the price for all goods, because I don’t want to give my readers a four-way coronary when they go out to buy a Vuitton chronometer. I would also love to do a fashion spread that combines photography and graphic illustrations.
I would never seriously consider “having” a fashion magazine. I would love to invest in a fashion magazine, and start on the ideas, but I would hire an editor, someone you knew how to keep the magazine on the stands.
If I was the editor, one of two things would happen, either I would turn it into French photography magazine “PHOTO” (too much photos not enough articles on fashion.) or all the responsibility would go to my head, and I’d have fashion spreads of anorexic boys in Alexander Mcqueen dresses and bondage gear, and turn it into “TÊTU” (Not a pretty sight!). In addition, magazine editors really take the brunt, from the staff as well as the publishers! It’s too much pressure.
or maybe ...or I'll just buy Conde Nast Publishing Group ....
