We're Making a Magazine!!!

The idea behind this magazine is for FAB and the larger Calvin community to have an avenue to communicate ideas and expressions of what FAB is all about. This will be an opportunity for the Fashion Advisory Board to express the core ideas behind the club, in new ways. While the fashion shows have been amazing opportunities for FAB, a magazine lends itself to additional means of expression. There are a few aspects to this project:
- Reviews – a chance to comment on the fashion industry, responding to things that we see happening, that we think need addressing. Also, this can include reviews of designers’ work, fashion shows, companies, etc.
- FAB exposure – sections of the magazine simply describing what FAB is and what it aims to accomplish. This can include editorials as well.
- D.I.Y. – (Do It Yourself) A section devoted to sharing methods and tips on different aspects of making your own clothing… everything from info on sewing machines, to jewelry making to finding places were you can get material, etc.
- Calvin Designers – This would be a section where Calvin designers can show their work. This could involve everything from photo shoots to design drawings to designers’ explanations of their work.
- Articles/Essays – This section would offer a lot of freedom. Here, we would encourage FAB members and the rest of the Calvin community to contribute articles pertaining to fashion… everything from ethical shopping to body image issues to theology.

The physical magazine we hope can be a standard magazine-sized, full-color, glossy product. In order to make this happen, we need a way to pay for the printing expenses. Advertising is one way to help offset the costs. So, be thinking about businesses, organizations, or people that would be interested in advertising in a magazine like this.

This would be a huge endeavor for the Fashion Advisory Board. So, we will need a lot of people who want to be a part of it. We will need:
- Writers for the articles
- Photographers for the shoots and for other articles
- Graphic designers for magazine layout
- Editors to make sure the content we put in the magazine is of high quality.
- People to manage advertising
- Artists to do illustrations for articles (examples: DIY instruction articles and other random drawings for articles)

Additional ideas:
- Photo Shoots – we would like to assemble teams of designers, photographers, models and hair & make-up people to do photo shoots. For example, a designer could have a theme for the shoot and work with the photographer to pick a location… The team can meet at a location to do the shoot. Get creative, bring special lighting, props, play around with working in different weather conditions and interesting locations (location ideas: GR city parks, laundromats, nature preserve, restaurants, parents’ home, attics, lake Michigan, Grand River, the heckman library, a public bus, etc.) Take lots and lots and lots of pictures.

- Articles – For the articles try to explore issues pertaining to fashion and Christianity. A big reason FAB is here is because Christians have a tendency to write-off fashion… so we’re looking for thought-provoking articles. Some examples/suggestions:
- How the fashion industry distorts our perceptions of beauty
- What are the effects of fashion on division vs. unity?
- Theological fashion – What Would Jesus Wear?
- What are we saying with what we wear? (Raising awareness? Modesty? Ect.)
- Is it ok for Christians to wear diamonds given the shady practices of jewelry companies?
- The art of fashion vs. the Christian idea of simplicity and humility
- D.I.Y. articles about thrifting, reusing old clothes and materials, alternative make-up and hair methods, knitting, embroidery, stencil art, patches, etc.
- What companies/stores support ethical manufacturing? Which don’t?
- Information about manufacturing practices.
- Expression vs. Modesty
- Gender issues
- Body image issues / eating disorders
how different clothes look on different body types
-meaning/intention of colors
-comparison/contrast of 2 outfits that are very similar... one is expensive and arduous, the other is thrift and environmentally friendly
-methods for combating the negative messages from the media
-healthy nutrition/lifestyles
-vegan fashion for dummies
modesty boundaries
-fashion ads and magazine photos: how ethical is airbrushing perfection?
-to what extent do magazines alter photographs to "perfect" the women?
-gender inequality
-telling gender roles to take a hike
There are billions of other things you can write about; these are just a few ideas.

This magazine is an amazing opportunity for use to publicly explore issues that have often been swept under the rug. It is a chance for artists to offer up their work to the community for thoughtful consideration… And we’ll look so good doing it!