Lydia Garnett, Accent
We start the new week with Lydia Garnett (right), who with Lucy Nurnberg creates the biannual magazine Accent. Celebrating people who live their lives on their own terms, Accent has published two print editions since launching as an online quarterly in 2012. We catch up with Lydia as issue three comes together and plans for a new supper club event are announced.
Tell us about your typical Monday at work.
Monday is the one day of the week that we have the whole day working together, so it’s totally dedicated to Accent. Depending on where we are in the cycle of issue production, we’re either taking meetings, out on shoots, or reading and editing new stories. If the sun’s shining, and we’ve cracked off enough of the day's jobs, we treat ourselves to a game of basketball and a pint with our friends.
Describe the state of your desk and tell us a little about your office.
We don’t have an office at the moment — but the kitchen table proves very useful! There’s always a cup of coffee on the go and some tunes in the background.
What magazine matters to you most this morning?
Accent! Leading up to the new issue launch, it’s the only thing on our mind right now, although we have a backlog of New Yorkers that need reading...
Can you tell us when we might be seeing the next issue of Accent?
The new issue of Accent is landing on June 20 and we'll be celebrating with a big party at the Gallery of Everything in Mayfair, London. More details will be announced soon sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about it.
Accent began as an online journal before moving to print. How have events helped that progression?
Back when we were an online quarterly, we made a name for ourselves by hosting diverse events — from intimate gigs to pop-up exhibitions, film screenings and workshops. It helped us create an amazing network and following around the magazine, and have a presence beyond the digital realm. Having established a readership, we were able to take the leap to print. Now we want to think of as many ways as possible to bring the pages to life, starting with our first supper club.
What can you tell us about the supper club?
>We’re launching a series of eccentric dinner parties that will bring the magazine to life. It's a supper club with a twist — you sit through three delicious courses of food while being entertained by some of the stars from our issues, and some of Accent's biggest inspirations. Expect to see everything from opera recitals to tabletop vogue ballroom dancing and wild performance art.
Our first event is on Sunday May 14 at Servant Jazz Quarters in London, with an Indian feast from The Little Cooking Pot, Tanqueray Mojitos and some very special guests to be announced. Tickets are available at the Accent shop: shop.accent-magazine.com
Pick a spread from the last issue of Accent and tell us what it says about the magazine.
This is the last spread from our feature with cover star Andrew Logan, the radiant artist and founder of the legendary dress-up pageant Alternative Miss World. We asked Andrew's friends and fans (among them Grayson Perry, Zandra Rhodes and Brian Eno) to tell us what was so special about him. The magazine exists to tell the stories of amazing people in a way that is honest and fully reflective of their individual personalities. We wanted the Andrew Logan profile to be as full of light and character as the man himself.
What’s going to be the highlight of this week for you?
The cover shoot for the next issue is taking place this week, with a great team and a very special cover star, and we can't wait to see the results.
What will you be doing after this chat?
We're off to organise a feature with a fabulous psychic medium, stay tuned!