Editor & Art Director - The Glossy Zine
Studio Von Birken
Fashion, Pop & Art
New York, USA
446 Kent Ave #12D, NY 11211
Email: studio@studiovonbirken.com
- Category: Art, Beauty, Fashion
- Periodicity: Bi-Annual
- Language: English / German
- Circulation: 1,500
- Price: $ 10
- Web: http://www.editorandartdirector.com
Founded in 2004
Formerly published as "K&K Magazine"
Exclusive Interview
Editor & Art Director - The Glossy Zine
What is your magazine about?
Fashion, Pop & Art. It's about finding an interesting mix between the high & the low, picking up current trends, topics and people. We are all about presenting things that interest us on a bi-annual basis - it's really about our "edit" of current things, that work within the topic, which we develop for each issue. Right now we are finalizing "Nr. 7 - The Sunday Issue. It should be good.
Who’s behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
It's us, Katia Kuethe & Philipp Muessigmann. We are both fashion/beauty art directors and work on anything from fragrance bottles to advertising.
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
It is either only us two, or sometimes interns if we want/need. We work for half a year on an issue, but very on&off. So we come up with a theme for an issue & then we begin commissioning stories one after the other. We don't even know in advance how many or what kind of stories we are looking for. It's a very organic process. Maybe we meet an interesting person, and then offer a few pages. Or we admire someone's work, and ask him/her for a collaboration. It's pretty loose all in all.
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
Getting started. Getting picked up by distribution. Getting bigger and/or better?
Which are the key ingredients for the success of your magazine?
Personality.
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be “the” thing to help the magazine to improve?
Money & Advertising.
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
Be better. Even more free, working less within magazine standards.
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
Seems it's a lot of designers, fashion people, art directors, photographers.
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
Yes, it is important and also a [stressful] part of the strategy. But it is fun to not have to discuss ideas first with a lot of people, but to have the freedom to do what you want. Big difference to commercial work.
What’s your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
We love advertorials, the idea of is very cool - but it is better if it is actually called out that way. As opposed to showing product editorially, that is being advertised in the magazine.
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
We love it. For it's naivite & just for having done it.
Magazine favorite(s) that inspired you in your career.
Vintage "Twen". Diana Vreeland writing. Maurizio Cattelan's magazine "Permanent Food" is just the best of the best.
Do you keep old copies of magazines? If so, what is your favorite in your collection?
Twen's. And some Nova's. Or Queen? Although we make a point out to NOT look at them ever for inspiration.
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself a maniac?
We have to be maniacs - it's the material we need for the work we do.
We are compiling answers from some of the most innovative magazine makers around the world today. Who else should we ask?
The New Interview Magazine. More Fabien than ever.
Answered by Katia Kuethe (Publisher / Creative Director)
Magazine: Editor & Art Director - The Glossy Zine
Email: studio@studiovonbirken.com
Date: 21-10-2008
Publisher
Studio Von Birken
475 Kent Ave #607, NY 11211, Brooklyn, USA
Staff
Editor & Art director: Katia Kuethe...
Editor & Art director: Philipp Muessigmann...
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