LE BAIN: What does Billy bring to the fashion magazine game?
KHALYM SCHELL: I like to describe Billy Magazine as an art show in print. We approach each issue with a specific theme and select photographers and artists to interpret and contribute to this theme. Billy also has an artful approach to fashion layout. With our free form layout, each story blends into the other. We aim to seamlessly overlap fashion editorial, portraits, and documentary and found photography.
I’m such a fan of print and love of all types of magazines, so the goal was to pull all of the elements and content I enjoy in those publications into one print experience.
You said the first issue features “emotionally charged fashion stories.” Could you illustrate this with a couple of pictures from the magazine?
The first issue’s theme is "pivot," which inspired fashion stories and curated personal work that was esoteric, deeply meaningful, and nostalgic to photographers. I particularly connect to Jason Rodgers' fashion editorial of Bronx twin models Jan Carlos and Hector and all of Rafael Rios' personal work placed throughout the issue. They really remind me of my childhood growing up in New York.
"Our goal was to make anyone who saw it feel FOMO."
While working on the theme of "pivot," what did you learn that could be used to capture bigger issues? 2016 is a pivotal year.
I hope 2016 becomes a pivotal year. Right now, I think "cyclical" is a better word to describe our current state of affairs with the reoccurring race, feminist, and gender issues that should be long gone but are now back again.
Where can we find Billy, and what’s coming next?
We're launching our first few issues with Casa Magazines in the West Village. As a lover of magazines, it was important for me to have our launch reception there because it’s one of the last-standing magazine stores. After that, you can find our magazine in most specialty shops and for sale on our website. We’re also working on our next issue and updating our site to include monthly digital concepts.
Khalym Schell
To finish on a party note, you’ve been commissioned to design the Select Summer Fridays’ 2016 artworks. How did you approach it?
I’ve been going to Select Summer Fridays since the party started and even DJ'd the party when it was smaller. It’s one of my favorite parties. You can’t top the view from the roof, and the music and people are so chill. So when I was asked to do the creative direction this season, I wanted to translate the exact vibe of the roof into the design. Our goal was to make anyone who saw it feel FOMO. So I worked with photographer Lorenzo Fariello who captured cool roof scenes, and I edited them with dreamy filters in Le Bain’s rooftop colors.
Select Summer Fridays,
every Friday of the Summer on Le Bain's rooftop
The Standard, High Line | Doors open at 2pm
