{"id":26294,"date":"2022-04-27T15:35:59","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T19:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=26294"},"modified":"2022-04-27T15:35:59","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T19:35:59","slug":"platform-magazine-challenges-students-promotes-creative-expression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/platform-magazine-challenges-students-promotes-creative-expression\/","title":{"rendered":"Platform Magazine Challenges Students, Promotes Creative Expression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Mary Giuffrida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t be that far off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what a day on the set of a Platform Magazine<\/a> shoot is like. It\u2019s chaotic and powerful, a meeting of creative minds in the pursuit of a common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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)<\/a> student with a concentration in fashion development and product management. More than half of Platform\u2019s members are like Morgan: students at the Wilson College of Textiles taking what they\u2019ve learned in class and applying it to their work in the magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Susannah
Susannah Richardson, Writing Co-Director (Middle Left) and Morgan Snow, Editor-In-Chief (Middle Right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s mission is the desire to be an open and inclusive space for all voices to express themselves and be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cWhat I really wanted to do was create an atmosphere that can be seen even from the outside,\u201d Snow says. \u201cSomewhere that is accepting of all people and a place where your ideas can be seen, heard and put onto paper.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The atmosphere that Snow and their team have created is an extension of what they\u2019ve learned at the Wilson College: to create without bounds. The college\u2019s students working at Platform are innovative and adaptable, and the freedom they have at the magazine means there\u2019s no limit to what they can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes with other magazines there\u2019s this idea that something doesn\u2019t fit in with their image or value,\u201d Snow explains. \u201cOur image and values are authenticity, integrity and expression, so I would never limit us in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platform\u2019s writing co-director, Susannah Richardson, a junior studying FTM with a concentration in brand management and marketing, continues this mindset with Platform\u2019s writers. She encourages them to explore their lives and the issues that affect them in their writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur very being is expression,\u201d Richardson says. \u201cWe have no bounds on expression for our writers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Platform has grown they\u2019ve continually pushed themselves to cultivate this well rounded perspective, and it\u2019s clear to anyone who reads their issues that they\u2019ve gotten better and better each time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t just a name \u2014 it\u2019s a promise \u2014 a commitment to their mission of being a platform for student voices, talents and opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platform\u2019s newest issue<\/a> had its digital launch on Monday, April 11, boasting bold editorial spreads and dynamic articles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s daring,\u201d Snow says. \u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s going to catch your eye; it\u2019s something that\u2019s very expressive and editorial. It\u2019s our best magazine yet.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow emphasizes that each and every one of Platform\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallery: Platform behind the scenes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n