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Interview with Jefferson Hack
Written by Fabio Crovi
Jefferson Hack and Rankin were young students when decided to start a magazine, or better say a fanzine, naming it Dazed & Confused. Initially coming out occasionally, it was a kind of black and white poster magazine.
It was 1992 and despite their mistakes, they went forward fearlessly and with great enthusiasm, until Rankin broke away to devote more time to his career as a photographer, while Hack was progressively expanding his opportunities to experiment in publishing also using different channels: he started Another Magazine, Another Man, not to mention the launch to the digital platform.
FC |
Why did you start your own magazine? How was the very beginning?
JH | Dazed was co-founded by myself and Rankin. We had made three or four issues of the student magazine ‘Untitled’ for the combined London art colleges and we got the bug for magazine making. I was 18 when I met Rankin and we launched Dazed when I was 19, as a black and white poster magazine. It was a fanzine, a totally uncommercial DIY affair. We really had no idea what we were
Which have been the turning points of your life as magazine editor?
The Fashion-Able cover guest edited by Alexander McQueen, shot by Nick Knight and styled by Katy England. The moment we grew up. Going to South Africa with Rankin for our Aids issue. A commitment to social stories and life changing, as you realize what you have. President Clinton name checking Dazed as responsible for Heroin Chic. A complete media ****storm that you cannot control but just have to sit back and enjoy the attention, even if it’s misdirected. Launching Another magazine on September 10th 2001. The hangover the next day was not unexpected. Meeting all the great fashion editors: Katy Grand, Katie England, Alister Mackie, Cathy Edwards, Nicola Formichetti, Tabitha Simmons; and great contributors like Alexander McQueen and Corrine Day who sadly are no longer with us; and of course Kate from whom I learnt so much.
How come you decided to create Another Magazine after you already had Dazed & Confused?
The editors and I were growing up and they needed more pages. Also a conflict was arising between an establishment voice vs. the new generation at Dazed, so I said to Katie England that we would set up Another and let the new generation come through Dazed. It worked! We made Dazed super relevant to the new generation and we established the biannual market in the UK for fashion magazines. Not bad!
Five years later, we also we launched Another Man – Another was for men and women and there was not enough room to reflect the seasons. The seasons were growing – more and more designers, more and more products to shoot, so we had to launch Another Man as a stand-alone magazine and the talented Alister Mackie created the vision for that title.
Is there a common trait among the people that work close to you? Is there a specific talent you are looking for?
Extreme passion and commitment. Rule breakers.
You are considered one of the few sacred monsters in the world of magazines. How did you reach that status? What ís the secret to become one? Do you have fixed rules?
I spoke to Pharrell Willams in Miami about how much he does and how many projects he has going on and how he manages to focus on them all and he says ‘I have no social life’ and I feel the same. I work all the time. The only person in the world who can make me stop is my daughter Lila.
Would you describe yourself more like a workaholic or a dreamer?
To work creatively you have to have a dream. But I am not a solo worker. I always work in teams. I have many collaborators for my projects. I think it was John or Yoko that said to dream a dream alone is only a dream, to dream a dream together, is reality. That’s how I think.
Do you think it is now a good moment for independents acts?
In times of uncertainty people crave authenticity and the independents do that best. Also they are more personal and more collectable (usually). Even though I have seen some great magazines made by independents, I have also seen some really disappointing cynical attempts. The more any sector grows, the more useless ideas are circulated.
Who would you put on the cover tomorrow?
For Dazed Azealia Banks or Carey Mulligan; for Another Magazine Jessica Chastain or Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma.
Who deserves the decade cover?
Kate Moss
Which is the main difference you can tell between British and Italian magazines?
Italian magazines have less white space (usually)!
What ís the most beloved privilege of doing your job?
Complete unedited, uncompromised self-expression. It’s a huge privilege but also a responsibility, so I try use it well and surround myself with people and collaborators who are smarter than me.