date
2020/05/04

MODA

MODA is a grunge and casual, street fashion magazine that I produced as an editor in chief and production editor as part of my coursework at the University of Essex. I helped define the identity, tone, and voice of the publication and focused on bringing out the core values the magazine wants to communicate to its audience.

I always value working with people who radiate enthusiasm and passion for what they do, that is my engine for creativity. Working together and leading the team to produce our single issue of the MODA magazine swelled me with the creative juices that I felt withering away during the Covid-19 pandemic. I write more about this and the creative constraints on page 3.

I wrote an interview feature about local and newcomer residents and their outlook on Essex fashion. Initially, I found it hard to find my own place here, so finding connecting points was crucial (pages 4-9). It's reflected even in my design decision to go with yellow, white, and blue as prime colours of the piece representing the county's landscape and the traditional colours of Colchester United F.C.

I believe that to excel as a writer, one needs to understand all the creative processes, the inner workings, and the purpose that the brand is offering, perhaps even in the context of the place in which it finds itself. MODA magazine was produced mainly by foreign students living in the historical and palpable English landscape of Colchester. My goal as a writer and editor was to be vocal about the clash and blend of different cultures. This was the focus of the MODA and the lead story.

Producing a fashion magazine for the readership of 18-35-year-olds living in Essex, I was curious to explore what the county lives and works for, and what concerns the young minds. No, it is not just parties, sex, and makeup, although we covered all of those. Our investigation has led to a rising interest in well-being, sexuality, mental health, and surprisingly, dogs (page 18).

For the production of the MODA magazine, I overlooked the principal design and style, created layouts, and edited copies and pictures. It was important to keep the magazine relevant to our audience through fun and smart content and design decisions. This meant working on an idea for months for it to be scrapped altogether, spending hours looking at colour schemes, and chasing deadlines. Fortunately, the grunge aesthetic did something to kick off my creative juices. Two years after the publication, the Internet is now predicting a comeback of the soft grunge Tumblr movement.