OUGD601: Alternative Mags of 1990's

In contrast to Vogue which primarily focuses on the bourjouse and higher demographic of target audience, magazines such as The Face, Dazed & i.D were more accessible less focused on status. Because they were more of a magazine for the social class, designers had more flexibility creatively. The implications of a low budget also meant that designers and content creators had to improvise to create maximum impact. Liv, former editor of Rough Trade magazine said "that in the olden days people could have more fun because they could afford to", so one can question why has that fun faded out and shifted to a more commercial set of conventions? Were they not successful or simply too niche?

The style of design alternative 90's mags use generally falls into the era of postmodernism, partly due to the time of conception and experimental style common throughout the work. The emphasis was definitely on being playful and 'fresh', introducing new ideas in terms of layout and photography. There was a definite shift away from the clean design and high key photography present in more commercial magazines, such as Vogue or Harpers Bazaar. 

All of this stems in part from Zine culture (see separate blog post) and the rise of DIY techniques. The photocopier was an integral piece of technology which contributed to the distribution and production of handmade publications, 

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