System #13
A print magazine bigging up print may seem a little self-interested but the latest issue of fashion/culture mag System has taken the idea and run with it really nicely.
Opening with a Juergen Teller reportage shoot from New York magazine shop Casa Magazines that makes the most of the densely packed shelves and floors of the tiny Greenwich Village shop, there follows a series of comments from magazine editors.
It’s a read that will appeal to all magCulturalists, not simply because of the evident dedication to print but because of the details and anecdotes shared. Participants range from the biggest US titles (Esquire, InStyle) to smaller local publications like Buffalo Zine via figures like ZEITMagazin’s Christoph Amend and Tyler Brulé.
Some admit they are biased, others are bolder. There’s no single message that comes through, but together the many arguments and points make a powerful but realistic case for the future of print. The one contrary view comes from Visionaire founder Cecilia Dean, who asks ‘Why do we chop down trees and use toxic inks to create something disposable?’
The 48-page freature ends with Love editor-in-chief Katie Grand’s succinct comment, ‘Nothing beats a well-designed and well-edited print magazine’.