Platform Magazine Challenges Students, Promotes Creative Expression

April 27, 2022 Wilson College Communications 3-min. read

Model poses in front of blue background, through a picture frame, with her leg posed in the air.

By Mary Giuffrida

Lights are flashing as modeling directors and photographers alike toss out pose after pose to expertly styled models. The set is lined with props, carefully planned and placed to accentuate every color and line that can be seen through the lens of a camera. In the back, makeup artists are brushing color onto the lids of the next round of models, and lighting techs test different colors and brightness to achieve the perfect ambiance. Anyone walking in would think they had stumbled onto the set of a Vogue shoot, and they wouldn’t be that far off.

This is what a day on the set of a Platform Magazine shoot is like. It’s chaotic and powerful, a meeting of creative minds in the pursuit of a common goal.

Platform Magazine is a student-run fashion and culture magazine here at NC State headed by Editor-in-Chief Morgan Snow, a senior fashion and textile management (FTM) student with a concentration in fashion development and product management. More than half of Platform’s members are like Morgan: students at the Wilson College of Textiles taking what they’ve learned in class and applying it to their work in the magazine.

Susannah Richardson, Writing Co-Director and Morgan Snow — Susannah Richardson, Writing Co-Director (Middle Left) and Morgan Snow, Editor-In-Chief (Middle Right)

Platform is pushing boundaries, combining think pieces and op-eds with artistic and editorial photoshoots to create a genuine space for students and non-students alike to explore the world around them. At the forefront of Platform’s mission is the desire to be an open and inclusive space for all voices to express themselves and be heard.

According to Snow, fostering this safe and creative environment was their biggest goal when they stepped into the role of editor-in-chief.

“What I really wanted to do was create an atmosphere that can be seen even from the outside,” Snow says. “Somewhere that is accepting of all people and a place where your ideas can be seen, heard and put onto paper.”

The atmosphere that Snow and their team have created is an extension of what they’ve learned at the Wilson College: to create without bounds. The college’s students working at Platform are innovative and adaptable, and the freedom they have at the magazine means there’s no limit to what they can do.

“Sometimes with other magazines there’s this idea that something doesn’t fit in with their image or value,” Snow explains. “Our image and values are authenticity, integrity and expression, so I would never limit us in that way.”

Platform’s writing co-director, Susannah Richardson, a junior studying FTM with a concentration in brand management and marketing, continues this mindset with Platform’s writers. She encourages them to explore their lives and the issues that affect them in their writing.

“Our very being is expression,” Richardson says. “We have no bounds on expression for our writers.”

As Platform has grown they’ve continually pushed themselves to cultivate this well rounded perspective, and it’s clear to anyone who reads their issues that they’ve gotten better and better each time.

Platform was founded in 2016 as PackFashion Magazine with the primary intention of being a student run and led organization. In 2019 the magazine transitioned to its current name, using the rebrand as a chance to blossom into their potential as a creative community. The name isn’t just a name — it’s a promise — a commitment to their mission of being a platform for student voices, talents and opinions.

Platform is also a source of valuable experience for its members. Students involved in the production of the magazine engage with the broader fashion community in an extremely influential way. They develop important skills and connections which will serve them as they move from the college to the workforce.

Platform’s newest issue had its digital launch on Monday, April 11, boasting bold editorial spreads and dynamic articles

“It’s daring,” Snow says. “It’s something that’s going to catch your eye; it’s something that’s very expressive and editorial. It’s our best magazine yet.”

Snow emphasizes that each and every one of Platform’s almost 140 members, 84 of which are Wilson College students, plays an integral role in creating the final issue released to the public. From writers, editors and layout designers to models, set designers and photographers, every member of the Platform community has the opportunity to make their mark.