After a couple of weeks of hinting about our 'Style Salvage Speaks to' feature we can now finally begin posting our interviews. Over the course of the next month we will be posting interviews covering as many facets of the men's style industry as possible, including a number of designers, stylists, journalists, buyers and shop owners... even fellow bloggers! As most of the blogging world's attention has been diverted to the goings on in Milan, Paris and an ever increasing number of trade shows around the globe, this feature will provide something a little different. Even though we have been watching the shows we believe that there is much more to men's style and fashion than what happens on the runway.
We thought that we would start off proceedings with our little chat with BUCK magazines editor and founder, Steve Doyle and Fashion Editor (and long time blogger) Elliott James Sainsbury. As mentioned on Wednesday, Steve has just launched his own blog where he is documenting his random collection of thoughts, so it is a fitting time to get to now the man behind BUCK that little bit more. We have supported BUCK ever since we first heard about its launch last year and have seen it develop into a fine magazine; it has certainly filled a gaping hole in the market.
Steve met up with the chaps at their offices in Bethnal Green the evening before they flew off to Milan to cover the shows....
We thought that we would start off proceedings with our little chat with BUCK magazines editor and founder, Steve Doyle and Fashion Editor (and long time blogger) Elliott James Sainsbury. As mentioned on Wednesday, Steve has just launched his own blog where he is documenting his random collection of thoughts, so it is a fitting time to get to now the man behind BUCK that little bit more. We have supported BUCK ever since we first heard about its launch last year and have seen it develop into a fine magazine; it has certainly filled a gaping hole in the market.
Style Salvage: Are you surprised to be founder and editor of a Men's lifestyle magazine at the age of 26?
Steve Doyle: Not at all because it feels so right. It doesn't surprise me because I was very determined to do it and when I'm determined to do something, I tend to do it.
SS: How did you get into journalism?
SD: I actually worked in fashion programmes for the BBC, I'm not sure if you remember but it was for a show called Style Challenge. It was on in the daytime and no one seems to remember it. It was one of the first makeover shows, where they kept the person they were making over in the dark and then at the end they had this spin the mirror momentSteve Doyle: Not at all because it feels so right. It doesn't surprise me because I was very determined to do it and when I'm determined to do something, I tend to do it.
SS: How did you get into journalism?
SS: Wow, TV is missing something like that!
SS: Who would you say was the target BUCK reader?
SS: They can read like an aspirational catalogue...
SD: Yeah, it is all a bit constraining. Which is why we do the street style feature, the in your home feature...it is from their point of view, the readers point of view. Okay, this guy has designed his own wall in this way, we then show the shopping pages after so you can get the look in your own house but it not all a PR push from a brand. With some magazines every page is PR copy, it really is no wonder people aren't buying magazines anymore.
SS: My gripe with a number of leading men's magazines is that it difficult to see what is editorial content and what are adverts or advertorials, everything is blurred in to one.
SS: There are so few adverts in BUCK and many of the ones that are in there are dedicated to emerging designers, for examples there were two full pages of JW Anderson
SD: We've featured Carola Euler, Unconditional, SOAR...We think they are going to be important and want to build this relationship from the startSS: It is a close knit team here, where did you find everyone?
SS: I assumed that you were a group of friends maybe, living in a flat together and then one day you thought, fuck it, let's just start our own magazine.
SS: If such a thing exists, could you describe your typical day?
SS: I was amazed at how widely stocked the magazine is, even from the launch issue...
SD: The cover is by far the most difficult. The cover is so hard to decide. On the launch cover we almost had a full breakdown, there were nearly tears because it was so stressful. How can you ever sum it up in one image. There were so many mistakes we made with that first cover, which is why the 2nd and 3rd covers look different, for example the BUCK logo was in the middle of the page, but in 2 and 3 we have switched it to the left and the reason for that is that when you have it in a corner shop...SS: ...You can't actually see the title.
SS: We should just blame the display... The issues are getting stronger and stronger, so it feels like you are learning as you go...
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Come back for part two of the interview tomorrow!
6 comments:
wow, good stuff guys. Buck is a great magazine and it is always great to here more on the origins. I'm looking forward to reading more on this feature.
The more i see and hear of Steve Doyle, the more i think he is wonderful. At last someone who champions men's fashion. And he doesn't sound like fashion wank either. I mentioned Buck a few times on my blog. Great magazine - deserves to be spoken about. x
James: Thanks James, we love to find out more about the people admire. I doubt the rest of the interviews will be this long but we just had too much fun with this one!
Yeepcha: Ha,I agree that he isn't fashion wank! He had a vision and has worked hard to make it a reality. I hope his enthusiasm and knowledge comes acros in the interview. He really is a lovely chap who can grow one awesome moustache. The industry needs more characters like him.
Best of luck with the magazine, my boyfriend certainly think there is a real gap in the market for something like this so he'll definitely be reading!
What a brilliant & insightful interview. When I first read about the launch of BUCK in PR Week I knew it would work and after buying the first issue I wasn't disappointed! There was such a massive void in the market for a magazine like this - Street Style and In Your Home are definitely my favourite features. Keep up the good work & can't wait for the second part of the interview!
I'm a massive fan of Buck and this was an excellent and insightful interview. I love seeing how different people work, so thank you for the first part!
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