Pilot issue of Marmalade: innovative design
An innovative magazine hoping to challenge the traditional methods of design launches next week.
The 132-page Marmalade is aimed at people in the creative design industries, from advertising and magazines through to fashion.
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It is published by newly created company Hotbed Publishing, founded by the launch editor of Boys Toys magazine Kirsty Robinson and fashion photographer Sacha Spencer Trace.
Robinson said there were several ideas in research and the plan is to launch a portfolio of titles following Marmalade – the first of which is likely to be a niche sports magazine. “We are a small company, but we are looking to expand. Our plan is to launch and we are looking for opportunities,” she told Press Gazette.
“Marmalade is the first of a number of titles we are developing and we are researching the market for other new titles. The other areas aren’t going to be as glamorous or as sexy as Marmalade. We are still in the early stages of research but the indications we have had show that they have got a lot of potential.”
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The launch of Marmalade follows the success of a pilot issue which was sent to industry insiders at the beginning of the year.
The magazine features interviews with actor Rhys Ifans and Labour politician Tony Benn by Guardian and Now magazine columnist Zoe Williams. Author Irvine Welsh is another regular contributor.
Trace said Marmalade would also showcase a lot of new talent. “There are over 400,000 people working in the creative industries in London alone and we are the only magazine catering for that niche,” she said.
It differs from existing magazines as its innovative layout and page design does not subscribe to traditional methods of publishing. The size is also smaller than the standard A4. Trace said the design had to be original because the audience was so media literate.
“It is completely different to other magazines because we don’t use Quark or any traditional desk-top publishing format. Magazines have become very boring and formulaic and the art direction has got quite lazy. We don’t use PRs and the way the magazine looked had to reflect that,” she said.
Marmalade will be published quarterly but the aim is to increase the frequency to bimonthly if the launch proves a success. It will have a print run of 20,000 and copies will be on sale throughout the UK and Europe and in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco at a cover price of £5.
Prior to launching Hotbed, Robinson edited the alternative London magazine Pil. She has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Time Out.
By Ruth Addicott
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