Another interview with Jefferson, this time focusing on
Dazed Digital
From
www.jcreport.com
Interview
January 12, 2007
Dazed, Confused, and Digital
London
http://www.jcreport.com/mailer/issue108/popups/501.html
Dazed and Confused has been one of the seminal style publications of the last decade. it's been a go-to for cutting-edge visuals and probing copy covering everything from Ragga culture to MAKIRAMA to Raf Simons. In its continued surveillance on youth culture, Dazed has turned its attention to the Web with the launch of Dazed Digital, a platform for even more unique content. Editor-in-Chief Jefferson Hack tells us of online flirtation, his open call for writers, and why the current club scene in London is so energized.
JCR: Distinguish Dazed Digital from Dazed and Confused.
JH: DD is an ideas sharing network. We are opening up the flow of ideas to contributors from all around the world, enthusiastic young people to influence and direct the content on the site. DD is its own content platform, sharing the same ideology as the magazine but with its own program of contents.
JCR: Do you see
Dazed as a British magazine or is it international?
JH: Dazed is a UK magazine with an international outlook and reach.
JCR: Any fears that the digital pub will supplant the physical one?
JH: I don't believe that print is dead. Magazines just need to react to how people are changing the way they consume their media. I think it's a great time for print. There hasn't been much innovation in magazine design since the mid-'90s, and now it's really exciting as the web is pushing editors and designers to really hone their points-of-view as competition for people's attentions gets more intense.
JCR: Why now for a digital play? Are other pubs in the
Dazed family planning a big online push as well?
JH: We wanted to wait until we could control it all in-house. We don't want to work with any third parties on the design, programming, implementation, etc. That means we can react to changes immediately and it all comes from the same office, retaining the attitude and feel that makes
Dazed so influential.
JCR: We're fascinated by the new club-kid era in London, the dressing up, the
Leigh Bowery influences, etc. What do you think is going on?
JH: It's about self-expression and identity. Color, bold haircuts, and a playful attitude to mixing styles and influences have always been a core part of UK street style. The club kid era is now very fashion-influenced. From a
Dazed perspective, I see a young, fearless generation coming through that isn't overshadowed by those in power. It takes a couple of generations to establish this, and the current crop is looking to the '80s influencers like Leigh Bowery,
Judy Blame,
Steve Strange, Westwood, etc.
JCR: What else defines the fashion pulse of London at the moment? Who are some of the talents grabbing your attention?
JH: London is about an openness to mixing styles and being open to influences. So it's less about talent that is born from here, and more what is allowed to nurture here. You see a lot of US and European artists and musicians settling here, or using the UK as a base from which to explore an international perspective. In terms of actual names that are the next generation of influencers, you will have to read
Dazed Digital.
This interview was conducted by Jason Campbell