FANTASTIC MAN: For Young and Old, Issue 27
In spite of all the digital channels vying for our time, there is still a place for a well-designed, well-printed, thoughtful magazine. True that a lot of what is shown is not particularly practical, but that’s not the point — fashion magazines, the best ones, are about possibilities of what one may choose to wear if one so wants to. We don’t have to all wear the same clothes as everyone else, and what we wear can express a lot more than simple shelter from the elements. As a wise woman once told me, at a certain age, what are they really going to do to you anyway?
I particularly admire their use of language. The writing is some of the best anywhere. This month, the theme is one close to our sensibility: intergenerational interaction. “On the utter IRRELEVANCE of age in an era of communication and camaraderie” is the opening line of a wonderful piece by Richard Benson, that inspired the Transformation piece below.
A good magazine, like any printed material, is worth holding onto. Most American magazines barely last a day around the studio. They are glanced at and disposed of, just like the Instagram feeds they envy. A good one, crafted with the knowledge that the viewer is a discerning and sophisticated reader, is another matter. It is read cover to cover, each word, and the images carefully studied. It is an enriching and expanding cultural experience. This is how good magazines used to be, before their death throes at the hands of Google and Facebook decimating the ad-based publishing model. It’s a pleasure to support the few of them still at it with gusto.
