With what is shaping up to be a widely celebrated changing of the guard, Christopher Michael catches up with i-D’s new New York Fashion Director for a curious Q&A on his new adventure. Alastair McKimm continues to maintain his position as the fashion director of The Last Magazine, along with his other brand commitments and magazine contributions, but seems to have reserved a great amount of excitement for his new appointment.
A Models.com interview by Christopher Michael
Photos courtesy of Alastair McKimm / i-D Magazine
CM: How did your new position come about?
As i-D expands, there is so much content to be created, and a lot of that work involves contributors and talent in New York, so the i-D team were looking for a New York Fashion Director to head up the fashion department in the New York office. I’ve been working at i-D in some shape or form since 2001, when I started assisting Edward [Enninful] in London, before I moved to New York, so I guess that’s how it all came about!
CM: It seems to have been a natural evolution. What sort of changes will come along with this new position?
As well as my usual story and cover contributions, I’ll be involved in commissioning and coming up with creative for print and online content.
CM: Traditionally, there is a single fashion director at a magazine. What are the reasons behind having multiple fashion directors at i-D?
It’s purely due to the amount of work, and the fact that i-D is rapidly becoming a global brand. As I mentioned, i-D is growing at an incredible pace, and the online platform is huge. We’re opening an office in New York, so it makes sense to have a fashion team there. I’m really excited to be part of that.
CM: Will you be required to spend more time in London than you already do?
I’ve always been back and forth to London for work every season. I feel like the whole team will be traveling more now than ever, and I definitely intend to be in London during each issue.
CM: Are you excited about the massive online expansion taking place with the magazine?
I’m really excited about it! At the moment, the team has so much energy, and it feels like an incredible new chapter, of which I’m really proud to be part. There’s an incredible freedom to it, and I think, with the online expansion, anything is possible.
CM: What is your role in the i-D online content?
The whole team will be involved. It’s going to take an army. I’ll be styling videos and online stories, as well as coming up with collaborations, concepts and commissions.
CM: Will you be able to continue working for the other publications to which you frequently contribute?
i-D has always been a freelance magazine, and it will continue to be so. I’m still fashion director at The Last Magazine, and will contribute to other publications if and when I have time.
CM: i-D has always been the source of street culture and independent ideas on fashion. In its new incarnation, with the large focus on moving image, what do you think its role will be in the industry moving forward?
The magazine and the website will keep the style bible philosophy that i-D has championed since 1980. Digital is just a different set of tools. We plan to be at the forefront of fashion and street culture in both print and digital, working with the most exciting creative talent in fashion and film. The whole landscape is changing. Film is really exciting, and we’re finally getting a chance to access that. We’re trying to embrace it, rather than looking nostalgically at fashion imagery.
There’s so much out there that I think, what’s really important now, more than ever, is a platform that edits everything exciting that’s going on, and puts it all in one place.
