Letter From The Editor

I always say Promo Magazines’ mission is that we’re for a young woman’s whole real life. We have a very particular fashion point of view and we’re there for her through her fashion obsessions, her beauty obsessions, but we are also interested in all the other parts of her life. Promo is really meant to feel like the conversation that women have when they’re at their brunch table together, when

guys aren’t around and you’re talking about, “Oh my god, look at your shoes,” and “Ugh, what should I wear at my job interview tomorrow?” But you’re also talking about career aspirations, how to deal with your awkward boss and, of course, all the wicked gossip of your dating life.

In 1999, though, I left to go edit Self magazine. It was a very different kind of world because it was and is a magazine specifically about the body, health, fitness, and well-being. At the time I thought my mission was to focus on those things. I was extremely physically fit while I worked there. It wasn’t so much about fashion, or about the broader issues of a woman’s life. It helps to be young and stupid — no, really! I felt like I was very sure what I wanted to do as Self’s edi-tor-in-chief. And I don’t think I knew enough to be intimidated. I remember there was a moment early in my tenure when I got handed the profit and loss statement for that month and I sud-denly realized I had no business training and [yet] was in charge of this multi-million dollar business. So I quickly got up to speed and asked a lot of people a lot of questions until I com-pletely understood that part of the business. And I think, yes, there were aspects of it that were scary. All of a sudden I was managing an entire staff that was in some turmoil and they were looking to me for guidance, and that was all very new to me. But I felt like I knew what needed to be done and that helped.

At Promo we believe that women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes and you should see that in the magazine. We don’t believe in changing a woman’s body size or type. And we have a written statement going out in all of our photographers’ assignments that shares that with them. We don’t believe in removing things like freckles, beauty marks, or moles. That said, I don’t think our readers expect us to stamp our feet and say we’re absolutely not retouching anything ever. If a model comes to a photo shoot and has had a breakout that morning, I’m perfectly fine doing something about that. Do we brighten a sky so a headline will read better? Of course we do. The litmus test that I have is basically this: Could I sit across from a Promo reader and tell her what we’ve done to a photo while looking her in the eye? If I think it’s something readers would be fine with, I’m comfortable with it.

At Promo we believe that women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes and you should see that in the magazine. We don’t believe in changing a woman’s body size or type. And we have a written statement going out in all of our photographers’ assignments that shares that with them. We don’t believe in removing things like freckles, beauty marks, or moles. That said, I don’t think our readers expect us to stamp our feet and say we’re absolutely not retouching anything ever. If a model comes to a photo shoot and has had a breakout that morning, I’m perfectly fine doing something about that. Do we brighten a sky so a headline will read better? Of course we do. The litmus test that I have is basically this: Could I sit across from a Promo reader and tell her what we’ve done to a photo while looking her in the eye? If I think it’s something readers would be fine with, I’m comfortable with it.

ContributorsAn Underwater Odyssey

Photography / Retouching: Bharathan Kangatheran Wardrobe & Accessories: ReWorked Man Women

Stylist: John-Alex Shaw TannerStyling Assistant: Ash ClementsOriginal HMUA & Retouching

Corinne AtkinsVickie NguyenRenee Kathleen

THE OTHER BRIDEPhotographer: Jen Krause

Moddel: Laura Eileen Lindenmann (Splendide Models) Hair & MakeUp: Nike Alina Nitz

Dress: Rue de Seine (from Seeweiß Bridal Shop in Berlin)

PaintMakeup Artist: Kylie Eustace

Stylist: Kylie Eustace Model: Skye Fagan

Photographer : Kylie Eustace

Gone With The Wind

Creative Director: Robert Prilepi @ Marketing Cooperation Düsseldorf Photography & Retouch: Lisa Jureczko

Assistent: Christian ChemnitzClothes: Annika E. Geiger

Models: Edina Balic, Naomi Samuel, Ella GrünfeldMakeUp: Yasemin Demir

Hair: Emrah Ali & Lulzim Qunaj

FEATHERS & BONDSPhoto, styling & M&H: Paolo Prisco Photographer

Model: Olga K. & Anna S.Shoes: Justfab, Sonia Rikyel for H&M, Zara Montecarlo.

Vintage and customized clothes and accessories belong to the Photographer’s Private Collection.

HOMME NYCProduction Credits:

All Models Casted from: Clavon Model and Talent Management John Robert, Lanre Animashaun, Clay Henri & Alex Jones

Stylist: Clavon Leonard Photographer: Luis Nuñez

Walk Around TownPhotographer: Tim Leon

Model: Katerina CvetanovskiMua: May Bashi

Snow AngelPhotographer Verginiya Yancheva

Stylist- Grozdan MihaylovMUA- Marina Mladenova / Make Up Artist

Model Evelyn @ Visages Model Group

An Underwater OdysseyPhotography / Retouching: Bharathan Kangatheran

Wardrobe & Accessories: ReWorked Man WomenStylist: John-Alex Shaw TannerStyling Assistant: Ash Clements

Original HMUA & Retouching

Corinne AtkinsVickie NguyenRenee Kathleen

Photography / Retouching: Bharathan Kangatheran Wardrobe & Accessories: ReWorked Man Women

Stylist: John-Alex Shaw TannerStyling Assistant: Ash Clements