SLiNK Magazine

How the hell have I only just found out about Slink Magazine? The Guardian’s Fashion blog published an interview with Slink’s editor-in-chief yesterday and it was amazing to discover that, not only does a fashion magazine for ‘plus size’ women now exist, but that the thin-bias of the fashion industry makes it extremely hard for them to acquire garments for shoots. Rivkie Baum told The Guardian’s Grace Quinn why she started the magazine:

“I graduated from the London College of Fashion and started freelancing as a fashion stylist, but I had only ever worked on straight size editorials. I ended up working in retail in a plus-size boutique and I suddenly realised that there was a market made up of women who had spending power but didn’t have any media formats that reached them. The regular glossies didn’t interest them and there was nothing luxurious or inspirational to show them what was ‘in’. I’d seen European plus-size magazines but didn’t like the editorials, and thought I could do a better job if I styled and shot them in the same way as straight size fashion shoots.”

Much as I would prefer it if all fashion magazines featured a range of sizes, rather than simply doing one shoot with a ‘plus size’ model and thinking their work is done, I really love what Slink are doing. Once word spreads that there is a fashion magazine out there with a difference – one where the majority of women won’t look at the models and then wonder “but what would that look like on me?” – I’m sure that their circulation will increase and the big titles might have to start paying attention. Here’s hoping this is the start of a revolution.

NOTE: I put ‘plus size’ in quotes because these models are usually UK size 12, 14 and 16 which is kinda normal size, in my opinion. Bit of a strange term for women who are only above average in their height.