Are magazines still relevant? Paradis, Apartamento, Modern Matter

More than ever I’m finding that the magazines I read (as opposed to buying, then placing untouched in a pile for two months) are those with a unique or personal point of view. Possibly an influence from the blog phenomenon, it feels like these mags have more to say and are therefore savoured, returned to and kept. Three I’m liking at the moment:

Paradis
A 400-page doorstop of a magazine, this is supposedly a biannual but in reality it only comes out ‘when it’s ready’. My favourite features in issue 6 are Juergen Teller’s 62-page portfolio with some compelling landscapes; Andrew Perry’s John Lydon story illustrated by Elizabeth Peyton, and Michael Thompson’s memories of assisting Irving Penn.


Apartamento
Each issue of ‘everyday life interiors’ magazine, Apartamento is thicker than its predecessor. This is a magazine about living but it’s not really ‘lifestyle’ in the glossy ‘I want to be them’ sense of the word. Instead it’s full of interesting stories about the homes and lives of interesting people – some of whom you’ve heard of, some not. But none of them are trying to sell you anything. It can easily take six months to read (and often reread) this, which make the £12 cover price more digestible.


Modern Matter
To me this is a magazine of stories, essays, conversations and imagery around communication and technology and how they relate to fashion and art. Some of it is hard to digest in one go because when it comes to technology, it’s still evolving. This is the kind of magazine it will be good to go back to in two years time and look at how we were talking about the emerging technologies and theories of the time. The paper, design and production are truly lush, and quite timeless.


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