Good looks, bad manners
by Roni on Aug.08, 2010, in category Magazines
5 reasons to like Twill Magazine:
It is well presented
It has some really beautiful photographed productions
It has depth articles about real subjects
You can read it for free online
You can read it for free online (this one counts twice)
So why do we hate it?
Well, you know how sometimes you see a really beautiful girl/boy and then discover s/he has a very bad character? After a while you start thinking they’re not that pretty, unattractive even… The same goes for Twill – It might just be the most obnoxious magazine there is.
My relationship with this publication started-off on the right foot. Twill is a thick magazine divided into two sections – the first is made of articles (in the last issue the theme was democracy). The second part is dedicated to photographed pieces, many many many of them, to my liking.
True, the price tag was a little disappointing – 25 euros, but I got over it when I found out that the whole content of Twill is accessible online. The problems only started later that day, when I got to read Twill’s Manifesto.
First of all, Twill’s people explain, “this is not a fashion magazine”, and even if you found it next to Numéro and Paper Planes, don’t be mistaken to believe so. Because Twill is an ”intellectual magazine”, and the fashion spreads in it are actually “glossy storyboards”.
Twill is also “an exclusive magazine that only few people can enjoy”, so if you didn’t get your PHD yet, leave it aside for those who can understand the big words.
And that’s not all, “each text is printed only in the original source language (English, French, and Italian) assuming a truly cosmopolitan audience”. If you happen to speak Spanish, Russian, Chinese or any other mambo jambo, don’t even bother to make sense of this.
Are you offended yet ?
I was. But then I started asking myself what kind of person would write these lines? What kind of person would publish a beautiful magazine and then apologize for it? What kind of person would insult their target audience? …I’m sorry, but if I want to read about democracy I’ll probably buy The Economist.
There’s no doubt about it, Twill is a Fashion Magazine, but it’s made by people that have to hide their interest in style under a thick layer of so-called intellect.
All of a sudden, I don’t feel like reading it anymore.
August 8th, 2010 at 11:00 am
It sounds like they want to publish a fashion magazine but are ashamed about it, so they feel the need to conceal it.
August 8th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
I just happen to cross this post, and I can not agree more.
I have never read the magazine itself, but can not stand the attitude…
I would never be able to understand why people, instead of explaining why their product is good an unique,
focus in saying why all the rest is bad… modesty and humility are not opposite of marketing!
August 8th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Belly – you got it just right.
Imagine how much money and effort the editor is putting in to this product – one he’s not even proud of…
August 8th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
I agree with you Mickis. Modesty and humility are crucial ingredients when you’re trying to build a good reputation.
Arrogance never got anyone very far.
April 19th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Hi Roni and fellow readers,
Here we are the big headed arrogant ones…
We noticed your comments only recently, hence our thanks for your appraisal and your critique come a bit late (no irony, being criticized is at least a sign of attention….).
The following is neither a defence nor an attack; we just wish to clarify our stance.
The idea that people can be tagged with absolute judgments is far from our thoughts. For instance, we don’t believe that a successful entrepreneur is better than a Mexican cook in a NY joint that, if not good at making money, could be a much better lover or singer. Equally impossible is to rank an unknown scientist against a famous designer or a famous scientist against an unknown designer. All depends from the point of view and context, therefore any judgment is absolutely subjective and makes sense only within the confines for the person that judges. And to speak English or Italian or French is clearly not something to boast, considering that millions of people speak those languages. But there is nothing cunning in the Twill project, like being a fashion magazine with an intellectual disguise or pretence.
Our dream is to be bought for our text as much as for the nice images. We are really trying to address an audience that has nothing to do with mainstream fashion. People that are interested in fashion only when it can offer an aesthetic improvement to the images, regardless of brands or the latest catwalk.
These people are better than others? No, they are simply different.
Do they exist? We don’t know.
Are we offering them something worth reading? We are trying.
Should they rather buy the Economist? Maybe.
Should we plead guilty of bad manners? We can see many defects in ourselves, but we are certainly not arrogant, conceited or bad mannered.
The Twill staff.