MA Strategic Fashion Marketing launches STRAT. Magazine

A new extra-curricular collaborative project between the full residency and online courses of the MA Strategic Fashion Marketing at the Fashion Business School will see students create a multi-platform brand.

Named to reflect the course’s focus on strategy, as well as the college’s impending move to Stratford for autumn 2023, the magazine will cover a mixture of fashion business content, with insights into consumer culture, market trends, street style and fashion trends, as well as emerging fashion designers and talent from the wider LCF and UAL communities.

Dr Nina Van Volkinburg, Course Leader for the full residency course explained, "The significance of marketing is that it holds a mirror up to our present, but simultaneously influences our futures through powerful storytelling. By launching STRAT magazine, we are handing over the reins to the next generation of purpose-led fashion marketers motivated to create a lasting impact outside of the classroom.”

Under the guidance of Lecturer in Marketing, Hannah Kane, who has a background in publishing as the founder and editor of award-winning style, culture and philosophy magazine PHOENIX, the participating students are organised into several departments: features, art, production, partnerships, and social media to work cooperatively to bring the magazine to life through original prose and photography. Further collaboration across LCF courses such as photography and illustration will be explored, and there is a paid opportunity for a recent graduate as an editorial graphic designer through Arts Temps.

Kirsty Nevett, Course Leader for the new online version of the flagship, MA Strategic Fashion Marketing, believes that collaboration is integral, both in the industry and within the school. “Both Nina and I, as course leaders of the in person and online courses, were keen to connect our virtual and IRL students in a meaningful way. We wanted to do this by giving them a memorable experience with industry-ready skills wrapped up in an artefact that marked their time as Master's students and could be used for future employability. The magazine format affords them the ability to use their commentary and professional writing to respond to industry news/macro topics as well as learn to translate this narrative into visual outputs. We are lucky to have a professional journalist and writer in our academic team in Hannah, so combining our vision and ideas with Hannah's creative translation gave us STRAT. of which we are proud and excited in equal measure.”

The cohorts of the two courses will each receive a print copy of the magazine, and it will have wider impact on the industry through selected free of charge distribution to key agencies and firms. In addition, there will be copies available to purchase. The digital presence will initially take the form of social channels: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Youtube, with fresh content being created to boost brand awareness and cover topical industry news.

STRAT. Digital Editor Margarita Ivanova, from the MA SFM Online course says, “Having the possibility to work on STRAT. was incredibly exciting. I knew I had to sign up. I think it's an amazing opportunity in terms of allowing for experience and getting a foot in the door of the industry.”

Features Editor Anupriya Dutta Gupta has always been fascinated by fashion glossies. “Being someone who loves words as much as fashion, my dream job always involved a place at the Vogue masthead. Needless to say, when we were told about the launch of STRAT. magazine by our very own department at LCF, I knew I had to be a part of this iconic new venture! Leading the Features Team for STRAT not only feels like I am living that exciting dream, but it is also going to be an enriching experience that will help me grow as a writer, editor and fashion professional."

The first print issue will launch in spring 2023 and the social media channels will be launched in December 2022. For now, the students are busy ideating brand identity, and starting to commission an exciting range of features. Stay tuned for more updates.