Summer 2010 —
Greece’s top young fashion and lifestyle magazine offers a summer issue with all of the energy and vibrancy for which the title has become known. This energy isn’t only devoted to the good-time carousing and party antics or skatekid tricks on wheels with which the magazine identifies itself, but also focuses on the more serious side of culture. For example, there are articles devoted to both the Berlin and Bucharest Biennales and hot international talents profiled in exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo in Paris and MoMA, NYC.
Fashion gets it usual strong coverage in Ozon’s distinct style ranging from an interview with young designer Alexandra Verschueren, to seasonal previews and an offer of fashion stories ranging from Costas Avgoulis’ crypto-futuristic shoot through to the simple urban realism of Nuria Rius’ ‘I’m Not That Innocent’ womenswear story. Also given due attention: noted fashion journalist Robb Young, London menswear designer Katie Eary and Greek enfant terrible Filep Motwary.
As usual, music plays a key role in the content and an array of emerging talent is covered. Iceland’s Steed Lord is interrogated whilst Demnark’s Quadron are covered in Vangelis Karamkis’ article.
April 2010 108 Pages
Bachstage Unforgettable Oops, I did it again Quadron The Moxtape Club Frey Mudd Alex Olson Alexandra Verschueren Apichatpong Weerasethakul New Art Sceen Chaos It might seem like a crush Aurel Schmidt Linder Sterling Bucharest Biennale
Danai Dragonea
Panos Papanagiotou
Our Take —
Ozon magazine is one of Greece’s most successful magazines to come out of the newfound freedoms of the 1980’s that the country shares with some of its Mediterranean neighbours. Like numerous magazines in other parts of Europe – particularly the UK- its roots lie in covering vibrant urban culture; what was once called ‘the underground’ without the slightest sense of irony. And, like many of these magazines, the content is often geared towards a youthful audience, eager to stake out its individual generational identity. Hence, music, street culture and urban trends are all part of its usual offer. Also like these magazines, the fashion offer that forms a key part of its promise is based in a big dose of reality – attainable street brands – and a little dash of aspiration – high-end fashion that does not come cheap.
As a magazine published approximately ten times a year, Ozon has to be fairly of-the-moment. Thus, it’s art direction favours a clean modular and blockish approach enabling it to fit the dense diet of factoids and actual information on the items covered into the title. This is no mean feat in the international issue, published in both Greek and English. Yet, despite this directness, the title manages to bring a lot of creativity into the way that it approaches its fairly democratic content on topics like fashion. This immediacy should not, however, be mistaken for shallowness: in its coverage of topics such as art, design and architecture, it’s very grown-up.
