CHIC MAGAZINE

New publication has great potential to be a very informative arts magazine. (Review by Mayuri Naidu)

The definition of "chic" in the Oxford English Dictionary is "stylishness, elegance in dress; skill, effectiveness. I think the launch of the new magazine Chic at Fetish last week lived up to this. Situated on the Durban Waterfront, the venue has retro sofas and coffee tables on the first and second floor, as well as two bars and while the DJ played good music, the sound level made conversation difficult. A fun aspect of the free gift packs was a paint set - a clever idea, obviously hinting at the creativity surrounding the launch and the magazine.

There was a vibey atmosphere and the work of fashion, jewellery and handbag designers who are featured in the magazine was displayed at different points throughout the club. Cleverly, nothing had a price tag and you could purchase if you want.

Jae is featured on Chic’s first cover and she and her protégée Ally performed in the entertainment programme which also included Senzo and a fashion show. Initially, there wasn't much of a crowd which didn't lend to a great atmosphere, and my father and I both felt the launch could have benefited from better publicity in terms of huge colourful posters or signs in and around the club rather than the unimposing A4 black and white signs.

Now to the magazine. At first glance, one understands why its called “Chic” as it stands for 'current, hip, inspired, creatives". It’s a catchy slogan but if you heard it without knowing that it’s a magazine dedicated to artists, you would be disappointed. I loved that they put Jae in an outfit by "Saris for good karma", because it’s a good charity with a cause that needs to be discussed more often.

Browsing through the magazine, two points are evident. Firstly, it covers a wide range of artists from singers to graphic designers to jewellers to DJ's. I love that. My first impression was that it’s targeting the "non-white" demographic, though there is a diverse group featured. That's not necessarily a good or a bad thing, and seeing as they ARE Durban artists I suppose it should be expected! Secondly, there is a plethora of advertisements. I'm not certain if a magazine needs that for their first edition, although they obviously need to generate income for the printing and the launch. My dad pointed out that Chic is printed on good quality paper - the type that glossies like "Vogue" and "Cosmo" would use.

Chic comes out every three months and also carries reviews on CD's and books, an astrology section, a celeb section and 'top 10 lust haves', showing that they aim to be as hip as the current fashion mags but with the arts! However, there are no prices which is annoying if you are looking at something you want and you don’t know how much it'll cost.

All in all, I think Chic has great potential to be a very informative arts magazine, and I really love that it interviews chefs and musicians in the same edition. However, aiming to be a fashion mag AND an art magazine is fairly ambitious. More focus needs to be placed on creating a clearer identity and layout to appeal to the younger crowd they are aiming at. I would also suggest a serious relook at the amount of advertising they intend to carry. There are a lot of good ideas that just need to be followed through.

All congratulations to those behind Chic for bringing out such a magazine in Durban’s unpredictable consumer climate and best wishes for its success. – Mayuri Naidu