Come New Year, a lot of us establish new goals and try to implement new habits. Why not resolve to read more in arguably the most enjoyable format out there – magazines! Magazines and anthologies are a great choice for the hopelessly curious with a thirst for knowledge who happen to simultaneously suffer from difficulty concentrating (a.k.a. me and most of you, my fellow millennials).
Over the last year, I have developed what can only be described as an obsession for magazines, and found myself having to defend my beloved print publications to far too many people. These beautiful prints are aesthetically pleasing, meticulously curated and often highly informative – even the advertisements (if any) perfectly fit the aesthetic.
Here are some of my absolute favorite small magazines to refresh your world view for the new year:
1. Frankie
The most delightfully quirky magazine you will ever encounter. This mag has helped me rediscover my crafty, kitschy side through artsy showcases, smart anecdotes and think pieces. It is definitely a great feel-good read that inspires and empowers women to be themselves to the fullest extent.
2. Little White Lies
The film review of your dreams. This publication boasts some stunning and fun illustrations. Each issue focuses on one favourite movie which informs the main editorial, interview, cover and main design, but also includes additional reviews. It’s really fun how LWL will explore one movie in meticulous detail, because it always gets me so excited for the film itself while offering me insight into the minds of main actors, directors and writers.
3. Purple Magazine
Combining fine art with fashion photography, this publication is the most fashion-forward and progressive on the list. For anyone who is interested in more daring and perhaps edgy developments in the art and fashion world, this is the one – a staple in indie publishing. Oh, and did I mention the photography is absolutely iconic?
4. Tank
This one is my favourite regularly purchased magazine which I adore for the way it presents fresh intellectual interpretations and analyses of the chosen theme, changing monthly. “Elitism for all” is their motto, and couldn’t be more fitting for a publication that provides access to academia’s big current topics in a digestible, fascinating way. It’s perfect for anyone who is into the Liberal Arts and creative editorials and wants something that will keep them thinking for weeks. (A bit like the ‘culture’ section in the New Yorker).
5. Cereal
An absolute classic in independent publications, this travel magazine is really something else. Its clean, minimalistic design is so aesthetically satisfying, but what gets me every time is the way in which the destinations are reviewed: the writers truly get a feel for themes within the cultures they visit, rather than just pointing out hotspots and showing some photos. It instantly inspires you to travel – and not just in a fleeting way, but in a ‘visiting your friend in their hometown’ or ‘falling in love with and in the place’ way.
6. Rookie Mag
Feminist icons and feelings. Although I am not one myself anymore, this publication written for and (often) by teens still resonates with me. It perfectly reflects teenage girls’ fascination with beauty and pop culture, while incorporating an awareness of broader issues and the implications thereof. A light read that will leave you feeling warm with nostalgia and fascination, it’s like a collective scrapbook for all the weird kids out there. Playlists, photoshoots, think pieces, journal entries, comics, interviews and DIYs grace the diary-esque pages. It is available online, but I truly recommend the Rookie Yearbooks, which are beautiful anthologies to own and flick through.
7. Flow Magazine
Mindfulness. Me-time. DIY. Meditation. Oh my, so cute!
8. American Chordata
My newest discovery on this list, AC is a multimedia publication without themes which makes for interesting connections between the stand-alone submissions published next to each other. You will find extremely vibrant and often personal prose and poetry, along with other intriguing artworks that are curated but not processed by the production team. I read the whole thing non-stop on a 6-hour train journey and it was absolutely exciting and gripping all the way through! Bonus: each issue is available on their website for free as a PDF!
9. PYLOT
A beautiful publication featuring all analogue photography. This magazine features brilliant interviews with photographers, reflections on aesthetics, fashion and the arts by writers and other creatives, and of course stunning, often conceptual photography. The deliberate choice of analogue complements the creator’s appreciation of the medium, which is reflected in the use of the magazine to its full potential. A conceptually and visually beautiful publication.
10. Beauty Papers
A brilliantly self-reflective magazine about beauty and its industry, this magazine’s aim is to ‘give beauty a brave new face’. It features daring fashion photography and pushes ‘beauty’ to its boundaries in intelligent ways. Beauty is taken to be any distortion of the body to conform or rebel, and thus analysed as a political medium. Guided by different themes, it is analysed as an indicator of broader current issues. This one really makes you think twice about the meaning of the beauty industry in our culture.
Supporting independent magazines feels great because you help the survival of print media, providing small artists and writers with platforms to express themselves and encouraging a broader range of representation and discourse in media. Meanwhile, your coffee table and Instagram aesthetic will glow up along with your post-dinner conversation topics!
And of course, ladies, keep picking up those free Vice, Crack and NME mags – they are always worth a look!