Overview & role
5000 copies per issue, hand-delivered to over 180 London-based stockists, including The Photographer’s Gallery, APC, Carhartt, Shoreditch House. Available to order online – shipped to Tokyo, New York, Berlin and beyond
ART DIRECTOR: EMMA BALEBELA. MY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
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Maintaining an eagle editorial eye over every page, word, print mark
Content strategy and direction
Producing interviews with artists, including musicians like Gorillaz and 1960s photographers like Terry O’Neill
Working with over 60 people per issue (writers, advertisers, designers, PR agencies, photographers)
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Sourcing advertising from the likes of Celine, Noah, Folk, Fred Perry, Bestival
Organising concerts at Shacklewell Arms, MOTH Club, The Old Blue Last
Managing partnership festival stages at Festival Republic’s The Great Escape
Merch and one-off collectables to reaffirm DIY roots
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Moodboarding, references, directing shoots. Website, promo GIFs and Instagram design
Working collaboratively with art director, Emma Balebela (Cool Brother is a two person team) on every printed page
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x6 looks per issue: x3 locations, x2 models, x1 shoot day
Modelled by up-and-coming artists
Organised, styled and directed by me
Project strategy
Problem
Music journalism doesn’t pay. Landed ‘dream job’ at UK’s most revered music magazine, and the day rate was £65!?
Solution
Can’t get a job? Make a job. Launch a magazine, springboard your career
Strategy
Fund it by advertising. Print more copies to get more ads. Make it free. Distribute London-wide. Put on gigs. Host festival stages. Have fun, spread joy, cause a stir
Result?
Result! Just ask Hedi Slimane. (And, so, Cool Brother was born)
Content strategy
Music
Interview series and features bringing you closer to the bands you love. For example:
1) Tour Diaries
Your alternative to gig reviews (because who reads them, really?). Giving musicians disposable cameras to document festivals and tour. See the shows through their eyes – on stage, backstage and throughout the in-betweens with an AAA pass
Artists: The Orielles, Little Dragon, The Growlers, Rhye, Pip Blom, Courtney Barnett, Maribou State
2) Behind The Lens
Long-form interviews with ‘60s icon photographers. Unearthing undocumented stories about their music legend friends
Photographers: Terry O’Neill, Baron Wolman, Gered Mankowitz
Artists: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Allen Ginsberg, Marianne Faithfull, William S. Burroughs
3) Tuesdays
See what days off from the music industry look like. Tuesdays is an open door to your favourite artists’ homes. One star per issue – shot on medium format, featuring candid photos + long-form chats
Artists: The Drums, Kano, Country Teasers, Puma Blue
Illustration & photography
A different visual theme per issue. Work by up-and-coming artists capturing youth, spirit and candour
Illustrators: Tim Head, SJ Hockett, Dan Whitehouse, Kate Walton, Max Marshall, Steph Dutton, John Strover, Alfie Wheatley, Jake Hollings, Darren Shaddick, Joseph Grahame, Zac Crocker, Benn Jackson, Jack Richards, Zoran Pungercar, Noah Harmon, Stepien Waldemar, Ana Popescu, Antony Huchette, Jun Cen, Kate Pugsley, Kit Agar, Robbie Simon, Tishk Barzanji
Photographers: Daniel Gonzalez, Adam Connett, Julia Klottrup, Mike Spears, Matt Martin, Marc Vallée, Fiona Smallshaw, Joe Goicoechea, Ben Wrigglesworth, Cole Flynn Quirke, Adria Robles, Matt Correia, Sadie Bailey, Michael Townsend, Callum Bailey, Cameron Hoerth, Kuba Trzciński
Style
High-end streetwear modelled by up-and-coming London-based artists. Brought to life with interviews with each protagonist, celebrating creativity and their craft
Details: x6 looks per issue: x3 locations, x2 models, x1 shoot day
Models: Alfie Kungu, Holly St Clair, James Christopher, Laura Harper, Eoghan Barra
Designers: YMC, YMC x Mundial, Folk, Carhartt, Rains, Ace & Tate, Norse Projects, Our Legacy, Wood Wood, Heresy, Bella Freud, Polari, Carne Bolente, Nanamica, Converse, Good News, Stepney Workers Club, Dr. Banana, Potato Head, Maison Kitsuné, Clarks Originals
Photographer: Caoimhe Hahn
Stylist, director: me
Written content & creative direction examples
Interview series and features bringing you closer to the bands you love
COVER
EDITOR'S LETTER: INSIDE DBL SPREAD
COVER
INSIDE DBL FRONT AND BACK LINING
MASTHEAD: DBL SPREAD
TUESDAYS WITH PUMA BLUE: DBL SPREAD #1
TUESDAYS WITH PUMA BLUE: DBL SPREAD #2
TUESDAYS WITH PUMA BLUE: DBL SPREAD #3
TUESDAYS WITH PUMA BLUE: DBL SPREAD #4
BEHIND THE LENS WITH BARON WOLMAN: DBL SPREAD #1
BEHIND THE LENS WITH BARON WOLMAN: DBL SPREAD #2
BEHIND THE LENS WITH BARON WOLMAN: DBL SPREAD #3
ROWAN ALLEN SHOOTS FROM THE HIP: DBL SPREAD
TOUR DIARIES WITH RHYE: DBL SPREAD #1
TOUR DIARIES WITH RHYE: DBL SPREAD #2
TOUR DIARIES WITH RHYE: DBL SPREAD #3
CHARLES WATSON INTERVIEW: DBL SPREAD
GORILLAZ INTERVIEW: DBL SPREAD
TUESDAYS WITH THE DRUMS: DBL SPREAD #3
Photography & illustration examples
A different visual theme per issue. Work by up-and-coming artists capturing youth, spirit and candour
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALFIE WHEATLEY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: BEN WRIGGLESWORTH (LEFT), FIONA SMALLSHAW (RIGHT)
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SJ HOCKETT
ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN STROVER (RIGHT)
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIET KLOTTRUP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC VALLÉE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT CORREIA
Style content
Style Notes
High-end streetwear brands modelled by up-and-coming London-based artists. Brought to life with interviews with each protagonist, celebrating creativity and their craft
Details: x6 looks per issue: x3 locations, x2 models, x1 shoot day
Models: Alfie Kungu, Holly St Clair, James Christopher, Laura Harper, Eoghan Barra
Designers: YMC, YMC x Mundial, Folk, Carhartt, Rains, Ace & Tate, Norse Projects, Our Legacy, Wood Wood, Heresy, Bella Freud, Polari, Carne Bolente, Nanamica, Converse, Good News, Stepney Workers Club, Dr. Banana, Potato Head, Maison Kitsuné, Clarks Originals
Photographer: Caoimhe Hahn
Stylist, director: me
Marketing strategy
Events, advertising, collabs, DIY marketing and merch
1) Events
Organising gigs and launch nights to get people talking and promote cultural relevance
Venues: The Great Escape Festival, Green Door Store, Shacklewell Arms, MOTH Club, The Macbeth, many more
Bands: Pottery, Porridge Radio, The Murder Capital, Ugly, PVA, Rhythm Method, Mystery Jets, many more
Co-promoting events with: Festival Republic, Rockfeedback, Eat Your Own Ears, London In Stereo, many more
Also approached by: Fred Perry, The Social, McQueen
2) Advertising and collabs
Organising advertising, partnerships and creative collabs with...
Clothing brands: Celine, Noah, Folk, Fred Perry, McQueen, Lazy Oaf, Saint Laurent, Stepney Workers Club, SCRT, Mahala
Festivals, venues and music promotors: Bestival, Green Man, Jazz Cafe, Phonox, XOYO, Festival Republic, Eat Your Own Ears, Crosstown Converts, Parallel Lines, Lovebox festival, Spilt Milk, Saxon, Glasswerk Presents, The Great Escape festival, Citadel festival
Other: Iconic Images, Howl, Mother, Friendly Records, Thingy, Ex Why Zed, Hatch, Whip, many more
3) DIY marketing
Connecting with audience by making handmade merch, poster-zines and one-off collectables to reaffirm DIY roots
Cool Brother: Instagram feed
Managing all social posts, creating GIFs, curating Instagram grid to remain on-brand
Achievements & learnings
In a year’s work
An ever-growing family
Cool Brother was a two person team, but we couldn’t have done it without the musicians, artists, illustrators and contributors who featured on each and every page. That’s why we call ourselves an ever-growing family
DIY = do it young. 365 days in milestones
Partnerships
Approached by Fred Perry, Noah, McQueen, Festival Republic, Lazy Oaf, Saint Laurent, Celine and more
Events
80+ performances and our own festival stage at Festival Republic’s ‘The Great Escape’ festival
Hedi Slimane
Hearing through Saint Laurent’s publicist that Hedi Slimane found Cool Brother and requested they advertise
McQueen
McQueen (previously Alexander McQueen) creative team inviting us to create a collaborative clothing collection
INSTAGRAM: @COOLBROTHERZINE