Thalia: What was your motivation behind producing this zine?
Benji: The motivation was to create something authentic and special to showcase our ethos and the brilliant work created by our group members. We really hope to inspire a generation of creatives with issue 001.
Reuben: Because the contributors deserve it. If the big magazines aren’t making space for the upcoming talent then why not make your own? It’s a stepping stone – for many of the contributors it will be the first time they’ve ever had their work in print and that’s something special. On top of all the logical reasons to why we’re producing this zine is that it brings the community closer together and encourages even more collaboration within the group.

Thalia: What made you decide to take on the zine form?
Benji: Again, it’s that authenticity of having something physical in your hand that you can keep forever. It wouldn’t be the same if everything was displayed online, it all seems very robotic – that’s why we try to have regular meet-ups with our group members through events and shoots. Making a physical product still seems very genuine and it’s something that requires attention, unlike the internet which is ostensibly deteriorating that attention span.
Reuben: It’s timeless. Looking back, this zine will be the beginning of something new. Also, print is not dead.

Thalia: Talk us through the artists whose work has gone into the zine?
Benji: The zine will be split up into sections of art, fashion, photography and a little bit of music – it’ll feature photography contributions from Rosie Matheson, Mia Clark, Polly Rose, Elijah Horne, Woody Rankin, Oleg Koval, Karolina Wybraniec, Hannah Sheridan, Theo Williams, William Sheepskin, Louis Tuakli-Mason and Alf Santos. There are also interview features with musicians New World Ray and Toni Njoku, artists Emmanuel and Lemuel Unaji, Field of Ponies fashion designer Julie Berube and photographer Rosie Matheson. It’s an exciting line-up that highlights how diverse our platform is. We can’t reveal too much because we want people to have their own perspectives on the artists and their work.
Reuben: It’s a real montage of work. We like to mix things up and see what happens. This is not purely a fashion magazine where everything looks super glamorous. It’s real people showing you a glimpse of their own worlds. The photographer I am most excited about is Wybraniec Karolina, a 17 year old photographer from Poland. I randomly stumbled upon her Instagram and thought she was way ahead of her time. Also Woody Rankin will be featuring some incredibly touching images from a charity documentary series he shot in India.

Case of 12 VOSS Still 800ml $37.59

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