Why I Created Fashion Review
I just finished replying to an email that asked me quite an important question that I never thought about asking myself: Why does this issue matter now, or matter to you, my readers?
The philosophy behind Fashion Review isn’t a recent idea; it was born from my longstanding desire to publish something physical, as for the past 3 years, everything I’ve done is strictly digital. I tried writing a book, but it was too difficult to tackle. I’ve certainly planned for different magazine ideas, but nothing felt right. I could not get past the question of why people would want to read my magazine.
The reasons why I decided to go forward with Fashion Review are as follows: I wanted a physical magazine dedicated to the discussion of nuances rather than consumption or celebrity-driven. I am aware that 100% of fashion magazines out there contain commentary pieces to some capacity, but I want something that is, as I said, dedicated to it, focusing on reviews and criticisms. Another reason, which relates to the first, why I was motivated to start a fashion magazine in this direction was Susan Sontag. I mentioned a few times in my Instagram stories or my videos that I found her work enigmatic and powerful, albeit dense and hard to understand most of the time, the way she worded her thoughts and painted an analytical picture about a play, film, or a cultural phenomenon was healing in a way. Because of her, I started taking written reviews more seriously, eventually leading to this point: I started a magazine all about written reviews from myself and opinionated fashionistas like yourself.
But why does this publication matter to you if you’re not a contributor? The same reason why I was attracted to written words in the first place: precision. A 30-minute podcast fashion show review may mention the same points that I bring up in an 800-word written review, but the tone of voice, depth, precision, and, quite frankly, types of entertainment are drastically different.
Check out Fashion Review Issue 1 & 2!
With written words, I can find the best way to tell you exactly what the clothes mean to me and how they make me feel. It’s about my respect for some reviews that require more time to develop, and more than a rambling session of immature thoughts. I want to give you sentences and sentiments that are considered, processed, and carefully crafted. Nothing is wrong with other formats, but there are situations where a short video would suffice, situations where a weekly email blast is the best way, and situations where edited articles in a physical magazine are a better format for getting across what I’m trying to say. Fashion Review is the magazine for thoughts and emotions that impulsive short-form content can’t 100% represent.
I hope this increases your understanding of Fashion Review's purpose, why this magazine matters to you, and why it matters now.