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Freelance focus: Debate and discussion at London's new magazine club

Posted: 17/09/09 By: Laura Oliver

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It was a heated debate over Vogue's choice of cover models that led to the formation of a new club for people interested in the magazine industry.

Established by freelance journalist and London College of Communication journalism student, Kate Rintoul, the new group will meet weekly to discuss and debate the latest issues affecting the magazine industry.

The Arts London Monthly Magazine Club was born out of a fashion society, also set up by Rintoul, which incorporates all of London's University of Arts colleges, she tells Journalism.co.uk.

Meeting on the third Wednesday of each month, participants discuss a title selected by the society and the fashion book shop, RD Franks, where the meetings are held.

Recently launched Love and Ten Man have been covered so far, says Rintoul, who is preparing for the next meeting on September 30.

"The idea of the magazine club arose last December when Kate Moss donned the cover of British Vogue (again) and in January, when Cheryl Cole controversially took up the pose. The Fashion Society members were divided and we had some really heated conversations over the choices made," explains Rintoul.

"Since then, everyone who has been told loves the idea. Magazines are a real indulgence for some people and they have found it great to have an event based on this."

The group discusses features, magazine shoots and the editorial decisions behind the magazine, and problems the title may have encountered during these processes.

The first meeting looked at Love magazine, the background of its editor, Katie Grand, and events at Pop magazine.

"The idea of the club is to get different perspectives on the same magazine and this has worked, with the more visual people highlighting details about the shoots and layout; and the 'wordy' people like me drawing on features and uses of language," she explains.

She plans to open up the club to Arts London alumni and the mailing list of RD Franks, members of which have shown initial interest in attending.

Rintoul, who aspires to work within the fashion magazine industry herself, is entering her second year at LCC and is hoping to take on the editorship of the Arts London colleges' paper.

"Even just starting a journalism career, I am aware of the trials that print journalism faces - so recognise that encouraging people, especially students to keep picking up copies is a positive thing for the industry," she says.

The club is looking for more ideas and participants - for more information contact thefashionsociety [at] hotmail.com.

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