NAKE – not your ordinary teen magazine

Opening up or going to your ordinary teen magazine online, makeup, dating tips and how to be liked by others are the topics the teenage world seems to revolve around. Whilst self expression and relationships are important issues, is it really all teenagers long for in times of protests, pandemics and increasing social awareness?

NAKE is a small team of students and young professionals standing up for what they thought was missing in their teenage years, and still is. ‘Growing up we were confronted with the same physical and ideological stigmas, concepts and topics. There was no variety within media for teens, the world was presented in a very one-dimensional way. Looking at teenage magazines now, not much has changed. We want to make use of our privileges to take a step towards a more open-minded and inclusive society’, says Marion, co-founder and publisher. In order to do so, the team works closely together with professionals, content creators and artists to provide a broad variety of perspectives online, as well as offline.

NAKE, as they describe it, is on everyday culture and slightly important issues. They want to provide a medium as diverse, variable and bold as youth itself whilst representing all teenagers equally. NAKE’s notion on that was put into action in the first printed edition based on the overall topic ‘role models’.

Whilst the topic itself is omnipresent for teens, looking at current social and societal developments it is also more relevant than ever. But why a print magazine for teenagers in 2020? ‘I think the task of print, especially when thinking about teenagers, is not to be a mass medium (anymore). Print is about value, significance and conveying what an individual as well as a generation stands for. Whilst young people obviously have access to media online, 44% of Austrian teenagers say they’re overwhelmed by it. This issue is a chance to create something for teenagers apart from the digital world’, says Carina, former editor in chief and art director.

With every article having a completely different design approach, diversity and open-mindedness is not only emphasized but a tool for execution. ‘Whilst the necessity to be inclusive in all aspects was the basis, it’s also important to create a media as diverse, bold and ever-changing as teenage years themself. Being a teenager means being full of clear thoughts and conflicting ideas, it can be super fun and easy one day and very serious the next. But this bittersweet mess defines who you are and what you stand for. It should be empathised, not hidden’, says Carina about her approach.

What’s next for NAKE? Whilst the second print issue is planned to be released this coming winter, the team is also currently working on developing the online platform. ‘Coming up we want to evaluate our content even more profoundly. We want to know what the next generation thinks, how they feel about the world and how this is presented to them. We want to work closely together with teenagers in creating and shaping this world by being part of NAKE’, says Marion.

Find out more about NAKE on Instagram and their website.

Credits:
Image 1: Art Direction & Design Carina Stella // Photography Susanne Reiterer
Image 2: Art Direction & Design Carina Stella
Image 3: Art Direction & Design Carina Stella // Photography Frances Stusche
Image 4: Art Direction & Design Carina Stella
Image 5: Art Direction & Design Carina Stella // Photography Aliya Nurgaliyeva

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