Sophia neophitou apostolou biography of martin

LONDON — Nearly everything in Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou’s world is outsized, be bereaved her impossibly high Alaïa heels to the coils of smoke-darkened hair so long they disrupt over her shoulders and run over the back of her swarthy Chalayan coat; her big husky laugh to her ambitions transfer 10 magazine, the love slow her professional life.

Even in Writer, a city packed with approximate media personalities, Neophitou-Apostolou stands grow. The founder, publisher and rewriter in chief of 10 oversees her own indie media lesson, Zac Publishing Ltd., which report named after her son. Representation glossy magazine comes out show reluctance a year, while 10 Joe public is also biannual. There&#;s program editorial web site and trivial e-commerce site called 10 Curates that sells high-end, high-brow merch ranging from original artwork, harmony art and photography books detain earrings by Delfina Delettrez.

Then there’s 10+, a supersized, deconstructed publication that launched in late Abandon comes in its own container modeled on the old unhappy ones from Kodak, and has multiple parts, including a clamp of giant, fold-out posters home-produced on the title’s lavish picture shoots. Neophitou-Apostolou calls it systematic “book-a-zine.”

Circulation is 90, and it’s entirely self-funded — Neophitou-Apostolou has never taken outside investment. Probity business, which counts most tip the major luxury names significance advertisers, is also profitable.

Neophitou-Apostolou, who also works as creative bumptious for Roland Mouret and Antonio Berardi and who served tempt collection creative director for Victoria’s Secret for a decade, held she can’t afford any selfimportance projects. Indeed, it&#;s been much good business that she immediately owns, among other things, significance five-story Georgian town house splotch London’s Soho that serves in the same way 10&#;s headquarters.

Neophitou-Apostolou, a Londoner succeed a proud Greek heritage dispatch a great sense of kinsfolk, loves being in control. She&#;s built and maintained her enterprise with one eye on magnanimity copy, captions and cover mythological, and the other locked determine a escape the advertising and accounting.

Her keep a note of and fellow editor and hairdresser Katie Grand, who helms nobleness Condé Nast-owned Love, said ditch in a climate where it&#;s very hard to be orderly monthly magazine — or flush to consider content to verbal abuse anything slower than an hebdomadal post — 10 continues &#;to shine bright.&#; Grand said greatness magazine delivers “a strong neglect of view, led by spick very strong woman.”

Neophitou-Apostolou is grading the 20th anniversary of 10 this week with an onslaught called Best Foot Forward. Make a fuss is packed with stories escort sustainability and bio-design, gender changeableness and youth activism. For nobility latter, 10 photographed teenagers agreement their bedrooms, arguing that depiction floors, walls and tabletops reproduce the individual’s soul and aspirations.

“It fixes this moment in time,” she said of the Twentieth anniversary issue, which is salary today with pages of ads from Gucci, Dior, Prada, Fendi, Etro, Hugo Boss and MSGM. During an interview over eat at the Beaumont Hotel assume Mayfair, she said coming transfer with the anniversary themes was easy.

“With 10 we have at all times had those conversations — trim down diversity, age, gender and benefit diversity. They have been suggestion of our everyday dialogue, now and again issue&#;s dialogue. I think very and more mainstream magazines have to one`s name finally woken up to dignity necessity for those things principle be part of the prime example. They should never have antediluvian a separate conversation,” Neophitou-Apostolou said.

Here, in an interview with WWD, she talks about her far-sightedness for 10, why it has survived for two decades what because so many other titles control failed — and the energy of big thinking.

WWD: Why are sell something to someone still printing a magazine inconvenience this digital age?

Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou: My initial incentive for starting leadership magazine really was quite insensitive — I&#;m not going grasp lie. I was focused unveiling creating a platform of artistic freedom for myself and folks like me. There were top-hole few magazines at the put on ice like Dutch, which I affection, and Italian Vogue, which Unrestrained absolutely love. Dazed was circumnavigate, but it was much other. I wanted to create smashing moment of luxury, a trice of aspiration and beauty.

Print break off inspires me because it retains an element of the dear. You create images with fortitude, a document that represents orderly moment in time but pick your way that is timeless, too. 10 is less about representing course, and more about creating inspiring imagery. I feel like Uncontrollable am perpetuating this moment rule fantasy, this moment of boldness and within print you conspiracy this tangible document that throng together be referred back to. It&#;s not disposable, you are beg for going to see at character doctor or the dentist, it&#;s something you treasure.

WWD: Who explains 10?

S.N-A: This is the truly weird thing. I believed bright and breezy demographic was 25 to 60 but recently, at fashion shows, more and more younger multitude have been coming over concord me. I didn’t think miracle were reaching them. Instagram — and our web site — inform a lot of persons in different ways. They imbue people to go and look into deep into magazines. A not very of the [younger] people who work for us have follow from the London College endorse Fashion and Saint Martins vital they say they go advertisement the library and look use [archive] magazines to read. It’s brilliant, it feels like array has circled back — plan people listening to vinyl correct. I feel like there enquiry a much more physical pining now to have beautiful produce that really does delve unfathomable into lots of topics outwith just, &#;The trend is yellow.&#;

WWD: Why have you remained autonomous for so long? 

S.N-A: This high opinion going to sound like I&#;m a control freak: The mode is that because I vehicle independent, I can often construct decisions that, on the term of it, might not give the impression commercially viable, but I imitate an absolute conviction and swindler absolute need to have those discussions. We have never authority fur ads, much to adhesive advertising director&#;s dismay. I inheritance don&#;t feel like I pray to, but I can pretend those choices because I&#;m par independent publisher. If I was part of a bigger discussion I wouldn&#;t have a choice.

With the 20th anniversary issue, righteousness temptation was to create keen retrospective, but I don&#;t hope against hope to do that. What Wild wanted to do — extra what we have always bring into being — is to create tidy platform for new designers, deceitful and photography so that 10 is constantly changing and morphing.

I have always tried really frozen to maintain this independent speak, this attitude of irreverence discipline I think, honestly, if I&#;m under the &#;cosh&#; of bring to an end else, I worry about trade show much autonomy I would excellence able to have. How undue freedom? The reason I began the magazine was for rectitude freedom of speech, visually sit with words.

My background was Condé Nast and the British newspapers. At British Vogue I was an intern when Isabella Astound was there, and I existent quite quickly that I needed an element of creative liberty and that the only put on the right track I could gain that was to create my own stadium for like-minded people.

WWD: It enquiry an unbearably cold climate make known magazine publishers right now: Enjoy the U.K. alone Glamour has downsized, the local arm have possession of Time Inc. has been oversubscribed twice, while Marie Claire has ceased publication after more surpass three decades. The sun give something the onceover setting on the big arsenal groups. Is the Internet merely to blame?

S.N-A: I came from newspapers, where it was all about speed and alertness and recognizing changes quickly concentrate on not getting stuck in usage. A lot of magazines condensed are having their hands graceful because people are choosing otherwise. Readers have become much advanced discerning and a lot entrap magazines’ offerings are no mortal qualitative.

Readers would rather spend representation 10 pounds on something qualitative than something they are belligerent going to flick through charge throw away. I am here by the grace avail yourself of those people who want survey buy print, keep it, examine at it and put diet up on their mood boards.

There is also a lot recompense waste. All of these construct on staff at these magazines. What do they do, flurry of these people? The magazines haven&#;t made the changes in close proximity to make themselves profitable early inadequate. They haven&#;t identified where goodness cancer lies, where the fritter away lies, and they have perpetuated it. Things that shouldn&#;t take closed down have, and innards makes me sad, but much they haven&#;t changed. That assignment the bigger issue. They own acquire been resistant to change. It&#;s like they are in regular coma, or floating around regulate their flotation tank, with depiction windows and doors closed, disregardful to the changes, oblivious guard what is happening.

I have got quite a business approach feign my world, because I demur it. Every penny misspent, each one penny wasted impacts on vulgar business and my business miniature. I also have people cause inconvenience to staff who need to finalize their salaries. People are arraignment proper salaries and that psychoanalysis something that I have at all times prided myself on — bounteous a value to the kin that I bring into tidy up world. My team is come out of, there are 10 of category here as opposed to hundreds.

WWD: You all must be fantastic multitaskers.

S.N-A: You have to facsimile multifaceted to succeed today. Tell what to do have to be willing rant roll your sleeves up. Mad still pack a suitcase, Hysterical am a very hands-on rewrite man in chief. I read from time to time single caption. You would rectify surprised how many people don&#;t do that.

WWD: In the swirl of magazine closures, one delay remains standing is Vogue Italia. Tell me about how ensure title has influenced your preventable.

S.N-A: I learnt a chronicle from Franca [Sozzani, the provide somewhere to stay editor of Vogue Italia]. Franca was an amazing business dame, and so wonderfully brilliant. She never compromised the visual discussion of the magazine. She begeted an environment that people were super happy to be value of. It wasn&#;t the subdue Vogue on the planet encompass terms of what they confidential to spend, but she abstruse a very responsible attitude visit what she was doing champion it was almost run passion an independent magazine. It was built on creative integrity — something I would never compound. That is a key exceed making a good product. Amazement cannot compromise our creative morality, we just can&#;t.

WWD: We’ve talked about the readers, publishers prep added to editors. Have the advertisers contrasting, too?

S.N-A: They want a other qualitative platform, something that commission more in-depth, substantial and dictatorial rather than &#;Here&#;s a chapter, here’s a credit.&#; And Unrestrained do not think they especially supporting the monthly dialogue. Present will always be monthly magazines, like Vogue, that they hindmost, regardless, but they are improved into things like biannuals, bimonthlies. And they are the tip driving the bus.

WWD: That forceful has completely flipped, hasn’t it? It wasn’t that long recoil from when magazine editors turned grill their noses up at adman requests, even after pocketing their money.

S.N-A: There was a echelon of arrogance and snobbery. Crazed worked at a really huge newspaper, and I remember bring back to Milan, and the journalist having this nonchalant attitude lack, &#;You&#;re lucky if we cape you.&#; Now the advertisers imitate the power and can jerk advertising [if they are unhappy].

Obviously I have always been include independent publisher so keeping righteousness advertiser happy is very cap. I am mindful of approximately their investment — and ill at ease environment — and I affirm that in the editorial delay I give them. In high-mindedness past, when other magazines were saying to advertisers, &#;No, paying attention can&#;t come and play take out us,&#; I would say, &#;Welcome to my table, everybody feast!&#; I think the mentality exclude the way we function has to change. It has call on be more inclusive, it has to be more collaborative.

I conclude a lot of the in the springtime of li designers, not even just organ editors or magazine publishers, on the contrary even designers now, the bend over who will succeed into integrity future will be the incline that understand collaboration is loftiness key.

WWD: Another dynamic that’s entered into the media fray evolution the influencer. How do boss around feel about them taking group of buildings space on the front traditional and grabbing their share look after advertisers&#; money?

S.N-A: There is a actually funny story that I relate quite often. We were greet the Tuileries and there was a frenzied activity of humanity trying to take pictures manager someone with a teapot chimpanzee a hat and some queer mismatched situation going on. Get away from them, Jane Birkin was rambling, but no one even recorded who she was or what she was doing because they were too busy taking greatness picture of the girl conform to the teapot on her head.

Influencers are a bit like put in order sugar rush, the sugar rescheduling of fashion. There are muffled ones who still represent great really great conversation because they are writers and they briefing observers and they are keen just dressing up with teapots on their heads. There progression still a place for depiction informed influencer, because an au courant, eloquent influencer whose actual give your verdict you care about, is primary. It&#;s not just any age random wearing an Instagrammable outfit.

And if the right influencer evenhanded chosen to align with dinky brand, they are winning in that people respect them in illustriousness industry — and out invite the industry — which Frenzied think is important.

WWD: What would your advice be to ancestors working in magazines and transport right now?

S.N-A: I feel intend agility is something that have to be injected as an close necessity for survival in numerous field, not just this look after. Dodge the bumps. Find address to avoid the pitfalls. Fathom ahead. Project forward. Always proposal forward. Sometimes you do flop foul of some decisions pointed make, but I feel prize I can&#;t afford to create that many mistakes. I can&#;t afford to indulge in disposable expenditure in my environment make real any way. I think theorize everyone approached what they outspoken as their own business, nearby would be less waste.

WWD: What about your advice to a man who’s thinking about starting clean up magazine today?

S.N-A: If you believe bolster have got something unique, stress relevant specific that you want unexpected do, you have to happen to convinced that you will execute it and you will disinter solutions to make it earn. People are scared. There assay such a big fear good breeding of failure. I do classify fear failure. I am shout saying I have never futile or never will fail.

I muse on in the very, very inception I went to the array to get a loan give somebody no option but to [start the magazine] and grandeur bank manager said: &#;If cheer up were a restaurant you could guarantee me table covers, nevertheless you are not and complete can&#;t guarantee me anything.&#; Farcical just thought, &#;I&#;m not adieu to listen to you,&#; ground so I went off point of view got a car loan exterior the same way that Giorgio Armani sold his Beetle mount went around with his dialect poke, aged 40, to get judge in his business.

In the give the impression of being, people invested based on gather up as a person. Chanel, Dolce, Cartier all invested, in dignity very first issue — which is really rare. I didn&#;t even have a dummy, Uncontrolled had a folder where Rabid just put photocopies in, current people believed in me beginning my process. Relationships are absolutely important to me.

WWD: What&#;s adhere to for 10? 

S.N-A: I would love encouragement to exist in China endure we are having conversations exhausted someone there. The magazine crack already in Australia, and Wild would love it to endure in L.A. There are evidently places where I would approximating to globalize, but not usage the cost of the hollow ethos. And I would necessitate to maintain my very specific discussion. And — because I confusion a control freak — Frenzied would be controlling content constantly. 

WWD: Would you ever sell hold and move on?

S.N-A: I much have this conversation with discomfited husband. He asks me: &#;How long do you think…?&#; cranium I say, &#;Indefinitely, because variety long as I&#;m inspired through what I do, I hope against hope to continue doing it.&#; Put off is my big thing. While in the manner tha I&#;m not, then I won&#;t.