I never thought fashion blogger sketching/illustrating as a genre could be taken so far as to become a plausible aesthetic backbone of a magazine. But Sketchbook, a new mag that I think is finished, but not out yet, has chosen Fashion Bloggers as their theme to kick start their first issue and literally illustrating their point on the cover. I do fear what with the growing amount of bloggers' exposure, people have started to roll their eyes with cynicism and thought "Urgh. Not.Another.Blogger Not that bloody blogger again...BLOG OFF!". (**EDIT** Just had to correct that faux statement lest it causes offense to new bloggers...) That said, just going by Sketchbook's online visuals, I'm thinking they've taken the subject of fashion bloggers and done something interesting text wise and given it a distinct visual treatment too.
For a start, they've asked John Paul Thurlow, man who's on a magazine
sketching mission, to illustrated me on the cover. I'm extremely glad
that John, found this particular image on Page 12 of Google Images as
it a) features the wonderful fabric jewellery of Giia and b) makes me
look like I've had a radical bobbed hair cut (he likened it to Anna
Wintour which is a leeeetle terrifying...).
I did the interview with Sketchbook's journalist a while back so bear with me but would it be weird to say that reading a quote of mine made me laugh. Yes, I am that sad human being, that chortles at quotes that I myself said...
"I've never had a moment where I've seen someone and thought, I want to be [dressed] exactly like that person, because as a kid I wanted to be everyone. People like Claudia Kishi, or a random actress on a Cantonese soap opera...or a member of Shampoo."
The ickle ickle preview images on the homepage looks altogether promising... an interview with Fred Butler about fashion on film, a feature on Diane Pernet (it would be WRONG to have a fashion bloggers' issue without her...), features on photography David Benjamin Sherry and jelly makers Bompas & Parr and then these wonderful illustrations inspired by bloggers...
Fashion Toast illustrated by Clare Owen
Jak & Jil illustrated by Anna Zejmo
Facehunter illustrated by Donya Todd
The fashion spreads also look pretty varied too...
I'm now waiting to receive the issue so I can sniff the paper and confirm that it smells good...
