Because, sometimes, fashion needs obscenity, violence, and humor to make its world go 'round, we at Opening Ceremony jumped at the opportunity to distribute current and archived issues of Vague Paper. We got a chance to talk with the man behind the mag to properly introduce its ambiguities!

MH: The first issue actually had a different name--it was called, "I Haven’t Laughed So Much, Since My Auntie Caught Her Tit in the Mangle." It was sort of like the 0 Issue; it was a taste for Issue 1. It kind of followed the same mood and themes of Issue 1, and with Issue 1, we kind of extended it. In the back of the 0 Issue, there was an illustration--a cover for Vogue--and we changed its title to "Vague." So, we decided to call the next issue Vague Paper. 

MH: I pursued art and fashion degrees.  I also think [Vague] goes with the cutthroat and kind of dark [theme that] is very British; we have a very macabre sense of humor, and we really wanted to portray that in the publication, and also to get a bigger dig at the fashion industry, because it is quite serious. I think [Vague] became a lot darker as the issues have gone on--more melodramatic--and some of the subject matters that we are investigating are serious.

MH: Over the last couple of issues, I have tried to make it quite self-confessional, and a little bit more about myself. So, I research subject matters. For instance, this issue was the teenage issue, so we went to all the 18-year-old student graduate shows to see their work. Also, with that issue, we worked with Blommers & Schumm, who, when I was a teenager were huge and in Purple magazine. Using them was sort of a reference to me being a teenager in the 90s and to all the fashion magazines Blommers & Schumm were shooting. I guess just finding out as much about a subject area as possible. I guess the clothing is really meant to aid the photograph, more than it being about the clothes--and obviously that is an essential part, because we have subjects in the photograph, and the clothing is very important to make it atmospheric. I guess with Vogue and magazines like that, the way they work is they are review magazines. Vague Paper's not, and a lot of the editorials you see in those magazines are business, and they need to make money, and I guess we don't do that. We're not trying, hence, there are no adverts in our magazine.

MH: It actually started out as a bit of a money-making idea, because I noticed that Issue 1 was selling on eBay for, like, £30, so maybe I should re-issue some of issue 1, since I had a few in the office, and it was, of course, our anniversary. 

MH: Well, she's been killed off in this issue--Foxy Amanda Knox has slaughtered her, so she is kind of old news. But I think she probably does have a copy--she was given one during Fashion Week, but I am not really sure what her reaction was. Actually, I think she would find it quite funny; hopefully she still retains her English sense of humor and can laugh at herself.

MH: Unfortunately, Poxy Knoxy is not able to do the next issue. The next issue will be Men and Children, and I am sure we will have a nice surprise for who the next guest editor is. Maybe David Hamilton?