13 Comments

I like anti-design, as long as it has a certain aesthetic value to it. And it connects with the content, style and character of the magazine. The idea of design is to have a visual journey that reflects the content. This is simply too ugly for me. I won't buy this. 032 could have asked a 12 year old or someone who has no design sense to create this... it would have a more of a social comment than this redesign. If this design is just to get attention.. will it in the end improve on sales?
Calvin
2007-09-03 22:02:09

I don't think sales are much of a concern for 032c, they have a tiny print run and only distribute to specialist arts outlets. I've always liked the design, but why shouldn't they try something different after 5 years? It feels more like a return to their original newsprint issues.
Magazines are far too precious over photography at the moment, leading to countless interchangeable bi-annual 'fashion' mags that have very little editorial voice. It used to feel indulgent and aspirational, now it's just dull.
Minor quibble - Ashley Heath certainly made Homme Plus (singular) what it is today, but he didn't launch it - that was Kathryn Flett
Dave
2007-09-04 11:02:33

@Calvin: I get a little confused by you saying that "I like anti-design, as long as it has a certain aesthetic value to it." This suggests a paradox, because what anti-design is left when it lacks a certain 'aesthetic value' I furhtermore think that 032c should stay far far away, even further away from it then it is now, from glossy-like/semi-glossy attempts to create some niche in magazine land; it just won't do. Way to many 'creatives' are recycling the elements of dull and proven till death examples of all the coffeetable-fähig paperstacks (no names here) I like 032c this way, would love to see it even more radical. Surprise us.
vos broekema
2007-09-04 22:11:08

While I feel the efforts of much of the 'anti design' rely heavily on a not so distant past I have to agree with von broekema. The staggering glossy sameness that bulges in every newsagent throughout the consumer world has left this end of the market gagged. Whom should I trust amongst the din of monotone voices reciting the same message? Certainly someone offering to take a stand should be offered some form of reward. Isn't it supposed to be exciting and fun? At least sometimes surely.
Jeffrey Oley
2007-09-05 10:22:31

Dave, NICK LOGAN launched Arena Homme Plus (I was part of the internal think tank) naming it in tribute to his beloved Comme suits. I took over the entire direction of the magazine in its second year when Nick felt it was underachieving creatively and commercially. Thanks for your kind words, I certainly would not want to take credit for issues 2, 3 and 4 of that particular magazine.

For the record, I conceived, named and launched Pop, leaving that magazine at issue 5.

Ashley Heath
Ashley Heath
2007-09-05 12:01:19

032c is to this decade what Purple was to the 90s: a deft mix of fresh and relevant visuals, a strong editorial voice, and most importantly, integrity. Just as Purple (before it split into Journal and Fashion) pushed a rather romantic, spleen-driven agenda with a stong emphasis on amateur photography and experimental texts, 032c manages to weave political critique into a medium and milieu that is most resistant to it: fashion. as for integrity, this is something most British fashion-culture mags, save i-D or Another, have never had. especially not The Face or Pop, the latter with a numbing degree of interest in fashion for fashion's sake. I always find it suspicious when a collaborator washes his/her dirty laundry in public via innuendo ('clunky collaboration') on his/her work with 032c. not very classy and simply irrelevant. I am a contributor, both editorial and visual, and have never been displeased with the layouts or the nature in which collaborations have been conducted.
Payam Tikhon Sharifi
2007-09-07 19:05:05

Payam, I never intended to make irrelevent comment, just to add to an interesting debate that Joerg Koch drew my attention to [editor's comment: Jörg Koch denies that this is the case.].

Creative Review chose to highlight my thoughts. I guess they found them relevent.

English is your second language? I always meant to ask.
Ashley Heath
2007-09-10 13:01:40

[ashley's comment: Joerg sat with my girlfriend in Berlin two weeks ago and highlighted this blog. Fact. This is stupid. Over and out.]
Ashley Heath
2007-09-11 11:02:39

"For the record, I conceived, named and launched Pop, leaving that magazine at issue 5." says Ashley Heath.

BFD
Pablo Picasso
2007-09-26 10:52:52

Dear Ashley Heath,

I would very much like to show you my photographic book.

Kind regards

Larry Dunstan
http://www.larrydunstan.com
larry dunstan
2007-10-02 15:42:55

Anyone know when the next 032c will be out and who's art directing it?

Also everything is about what Ashley Heath used to do, but where's he working now? (Aside from tending very attentively to this blog discussion. It's refreshing that editors like that can make time for these kinds of discussions. You don't see the editors at Another even giving posts like this the time of day. Kudos!) Should be interesting ...
kat
2007-10-04 18:41:22

I'm launching a new magazine called 032k, made up of tears from Another, Pop, Arena Homme + and 032c..it's the way of the future and very GREEN. It will look like all these 4 magazines.
Mario Meiselas
2007-10-20 11:42:00

Dear Ashley Heath,

I like 032c graphic design. very nice and original
Regards
Chris
Tiger balm
2009-01-21 03:46:33

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