I love print. I love magazines. But after Exclusive Books stopped importing my favourite magazine, TANK, I’ve been stuck for options. I’ve been collecting copies of the Monocle, more a ‘must-buy’ than ‘must-read’ magazine. The editor, Tyler Brûlé, leaves me with a sense of lingering guilt because I’m doing okay without a private Jet and Harvard Economics Degree. I’ve been told that South African magazines have it tough. You know, rise of digital, the need to wash down content to appeal to the masses, sell advertising, so many competitive titles. I’m by no means qualified to be a print critic. But from our offering of Poppy Youth Counter-Culture magazines, the Rugby Ball Sports-Fanatical and the Sweaty Palm Bikini Pullout titles, there just seems to be a void in a cultured local offering.

Maybe I’m getting older. The kind of age where a crafted review of shaving cream can really appeal to me. Whats missing from local mags is normally just plain good f*cking writing. This week I picked up a copy of Fantastic Man from Church in Speakers Corner. Besides the interview of one my favourite bands, Hot Chip, which first caught me, they also feature quirky lists like “Summer Plans – A Census of the Summertime Intentions and Plans of Gentlemen from around the World’. A pretentious but obviously wry poke on the readers view of themselves.

The magazine layout is beautiful and traditional. Stacked columns, straight laced Fonts and center-aligned headings printed dutifully on recycled paper. It reminds me of the private school tuition that I never had. I like their take on Masculinity. Their images define style more as an open ended morphing of colors, trends, cuts and personalities. A view that’s perhaps a hard sell in a country which has to remind itself to wear a collared shirt out to Tiger Tiger every Thursday night. Rather than epitomizing style as a manicured newly minted suit, there’s a knowing Old Money hidden between the pages. The kind of Old Money which maybe at times has no money. The choice of images flow with the writing, featuring subtle and thought-out photography. This issue had a fashion editorial for the ‘fuller figured’ man.

The Journalist Bob Colacello

Interview with Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip

Fashion Editorial for "men of quite Marvellous Shape"

Vacation 4. Malibu. Photography by Jeff Burton