SATURDAY SHOPPING ♥ THE FOREVER 21 BRANDED PUBLICATION

I LOVE branded publications...IF they're done well. Well, the cool thing about a branded publication is a) if you already love the brand AND their publication is amazing, your loyalty to them cements, flourishes, ie they've got you forever. OR b) IF their publication is amazing and you haven't been a fan of the brand prior to seeing the magazine, and you like what you see, the brand may have won you over. I mean, it's really a great idea for brands to do. IF THEY DO IT RIGHT. I discussed this a little with Alexandra Suhner Isenberg on her blog Searching for Style. 

 This is the inside of above Spring issue of Forever 21 magazine. 

What's a branded publication? I guess you might not know if you don't come from the industry. It's just a magazine that a brand puts out. And it primarily focuses on their own vision, culture, message, styling, customer. Think Colors (Benetton), Acne Paper (Acne Jeans), H&M magazine and Uniqlo Paper.

Benetton's Colors...forever controversial

I just love Acne Jeans' branded publication Acne Paper. 

The paper they print on is fantastic, too. I'd love to work

for this gorgeous publication. And I don't even wear anything Acne.

H&M magazine. Not as yummy as Acne Paper, but still a good read.

I'd be happy working with them, too. 

Uniqlo Paper... Cashmere monsters! God I want to totally work with them!!! Some brands just know how to do it right. Right?

Forever 21 released their spring issue this March. Their Forever 21 magazine is a quarterly publication. I was super excited to hear they were doing one. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love F21. I truly feel like I'm at TopShop in London when I shop there...sometimes. So I was excited about the magazine. But, thus far, it's been a bit of a snooze. It reads sort of like a catalog meets Nylon. It reads 12. Or, not even. These days I should say it reads 10. I know Nylon used to be the IT mag when it first came out, because there weren't any other magazines like it at the time. With fashions we didn't see anywhere else. But now, it's a bit passé. Crotch shots and disheveled-hair covers. I don't like to hate on things, and I'm not going to on here. But you get what I'm saying. Well, Forever 21 magazine looks a lot like that. And the problem is that the people in charge of the magazine...are marketing people. Not magazine people. The reason why H&M's magazine is so fantastic, so fresh, has great stories, is really addictive and has amazing styling is because they have magazine people working on their magazine. I also don't get the age thing with Forever's magazine. Do they not look at the customers in the stores? Since the recession took over, there are plenty of regular ladies, business ladies, moms and all the others roaming the floors. I take notice to all of these things. It's what I do. 

I think this was their first issue. Um...

Maybe they'll consider hiring me, even as a consultant. Because, with their brand, we could really really have a lot of fun.♡

images of Forever 21 magazine from  http://blog.forever21.com/blog
all other images from my own files that I collect all the time