-Marquita Harris -Tenisha Anderson Fashion and magazines are a holy unity. But whilst the Vogues of this world have a godlike power, fashion is about much more than what they have to offer. Students at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) reinvented the fashion magazine in one semester. Their result: Mint, a magazine about the relationships between individuals and their clothing. ost magazines follow fashion,” says Frank Jurgen Wijlens. He coordinates the magazine minor at AMFI and isn’t particularly fond of the many Vogues, Elles and Glamours that you usually find in your local bookstore. “Instead of this quite superficial way of making a fashion magazine, we challenge our students to do something new.” And they certainly did. The 26 students involved in the minor conceptualized Mint according to their own sense of fashion. It’s Fashion to be felt, as they put it themselves. Flicking through Mint, the first things that you notice are the quirky sketches. It instantly makes you feel like doing something different. Mint gives you that opportunity. Being a fashion institute, AMFI didn’t just make a magazine. It comes along with a yearbook, a web site, a launch event and – which is probably best of all – a product line. How about a picnic skirt, or a hat slash clutch bag? The multifunctional yet odd designs suit the Mint feeling perfectly.
All of the students feel like magazines with character are the future. Uniformity is coming to an end, they believe. “Print that has character and also uses the possibilities of print will stay. Mint is an independent and creative magazine. It is something that didn’t exist before.” Which means the magazine will probably sell out soon, just as happened with last year’s Your Biggest Bang. Copies of Mint are going all over the world, for example to Germany, Australia and the U.S.A. Want to get hold of one, including the AMFI yearbook? Check out mint.amfi.nl, for sales points and more inspiration.
STORY PROFILE
-Ashley Simcox
The Uniform Project (U.P.): 1 Dress 365 Days embraces every girl’s dream of dress up. In May 2009, Sheena Matheiken and Eliza Starbuck made that “dream” into reality where Sheena vows to wear one dress for an entire year, re-creating a distinct look every time. Each day brings a new identity to play with, while celebrating all of the creativity fashion has to offer.
Qlix Magazine speaks with Marko Mitanovksi about
How this gem works: Eliza Starbuck designed a short cotton
fashion, art, and constant contradications.
"uniform" inspired by those good ol' school days, stitched in subtle
-Petra Kruijt
pockets, made it wearable front and back, and “whala” you have a dress of sustainability and cleverness all rolled up into one. With seven identical gray dresses whipped up (factoring in laundry days of course), Sheena then uses many vintage goods, handmade and recycled materials donated by public boutiques and private closets to create 365 looks from 1 dress. The online interactive forum gives visual sustainable fashion tips and allows for viewers to comment and rate as they please. The calendar gallery provides unique clothing
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combinations which one can definitely get inspired to spice up and reinvent their own wardrobe. The heart of 1 Dress 365 Days is to fundraise for the Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit educational mission dedicated to giving the children of Indian slums an opportunity for a proper education. The goal is to raise the exact amount of money that the Indian government spends on one public school, $360, and spend it on each child. The project pushes fashion boundaries. In a society where fast changing trends rule the runway streets and cheap clothes seem to fall apart after just two washes, The U.P., via one dress, opens up your mind and keeps you thinking not necessarily, "What should I wear?", but more so, "How should I wear it?". www.theuniformproject.com
CONTRIBUTERS
-Petra Kruijt
“What these students made, is very promising,” Wijlens thinks. “It is truly different from what the fashion magazine world is used to.” The chance to be a part of this minor was a big one, students confirm. “There are people from Canada, Germany and Luxembourg in this minor,” Anouk sums up. “It’s very popular.” Her event organizing colleague Lilian agrees: “And that’s no wonder, either. I learnt so much in these past few months.”