Created in 2009 from global contributors all within the network of users at Ninteen74.com, Schön! Magazine is the ultimate in creative collaborations, showcasing a dynamic and diverse array of ideas and talent. This bi-monthly publication presents an innovative collection of fashion, photography, illustration and writings. Read worldwide in over 156 countries, it has attracted lots of attention amongst some of Fashions key players. Models 1 talks to Raoul Keil, founder of Nineteen74.com and editor in chief of Schön!

 
Models 1: Ninteen74.com is an online platform for creative individuals to interact. This is an interesting concept. How does it work?

Raoul Keil:We launched Nineteen74.com in June 2008, with an aim to create a platform for creative people around the world to connect with creatives alike along with providing business contacts and ideas to be shared on a global scale. The best thing about Nineteen74.com is our established address book of contacts listing an A-Z of creatives’ profession and interests from photographers, designers, stylists to manufacturers, journalists, agents, suppliers to PRs, models and much much more. Creativity is the surrounding and connecting topic. All just a click away! And that idea worked pretty well, as we have created by now a network with over 60,000 creative talented people and we make sure that only these sign up.

M1: Tell me about Schön! Magazine?

RK: Schön! Magazine was originally set up in June 2009 as an online magazine with the idea of exposing the rising talents from our Nineteen74.com site. The idea was to simply create a picture book from some of the cherry picked talents and share it with the world! We endeavored to create a fashionable visual publication with the incentive to collaborate and publicize the exchange of create ideas. It was an instant hit! To our surprise there was so much interest from creatives on a global scale that we had to take this publication to the next level. From starting off just as a super successful online magazine over a year ago with over 1,5 million hits, to going into print from our 6th issue and published in over 36 countries, we have a come a long way in a very short space of time. And the future for Schön! is looking even more very exciting !

Alessandra Ambrosio, shot by Jannis Tsipoulanis for issue 5



 M1: How did you get into fashion?

RK: By the pure interest of it. 

M1: What does your role involve, as Editor in Chief?

RK: As I never thought of even running/having a magazine I was never sure of what my role would involve as an Editor in Chief. Now I have the pleasure of being the first in contact with some of the most talented creatives who are so keen on being featured in Schön! It’s crazy to think from where we started to where we are, but no doubt hard work goes a long way.

M1: How do you go about finding contributors for the magazine?

RK: Research! I have a great team and we are constantly scouring through books, the net, in magazines, galleries, bumping into people, at parties etc! I am always on the lookout for talent around me.

 M1: There are a lot of fashion forward publications nowadays, what are you doing at Schön! to make sure that you stand out amongst the competition?



Jack Guinness, shot by Dimitris Theocharis for issue 4



 RK: I try to stay true to myself, and one of the best things happened to me is finding an amazing assistant, Zohra has a plug to my head and together we are able to make that publication as wonderful as it has become and get the best results by working with people we admire . And I find that with the amount of new publication it’s not a competition, it’s actually very inspiring.

M1: Your magazine is published every two months. Describe the process involved in the production of an issue.

RK: Yes, Schön! is a bi-monthly magazine. Each issue involves a great team, great ideas and great contributors with the hope of always exceeding the quality of work with each upcoming issue.

M1: Working with lots of contributors from around the world, there must be conflicting opinions about what goes in the publication, in terms of shoots and stories. How do you go about resolving this?

  

Rahma Mohamed, shot by Dimitris Theocharis for issue 4



RK: We are usually swamped with editorials to review from contributors on a daily basis, if it makes us go WOW in the first instance, everything else does not matter.

M1: Who would you most like to work with?

 RK: Love to work with somebody, but unfortunately she is not old enough yet, but her mum will do! Madonna.

M1: How actively do you get involved with seasonal events such as Fashion Week?

RK: I view them online. Thank god for the Internet.

M1: Everything is moving forward online, and it seems as though as soon as we get on board with one form of cyberspace development, something new is introduced. How do you keep up with this?



Pete Boulton, shot by Dimitris Theocharis for issue 7


RK: I started everything online, from the creation Nineteen74.com to Schön! Magazine. For us it seems like we are going back in time as we have now gone into print and now available in 36 different countries.

M1: What do you predict is coming up next for us, fashion wise?

RK: I would be the richest man if I knew.



M1: If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing right now?

RK: Something creative! I will probably be hunting down the streets to quench my thirst for creativity. I simply admire talent as I don’t have a talent of my own.

M1: Who would be your ultimate dinner date?

RK: My boyfriend is my perfect dinner date!

To view Schön! Magazine go to www.schonmagazine.com 

Posted by Sarah, sarah@models1.co.uk