Posture Magazine // Pussy Riot

 Posture Mag // Pussy Riot

We recently had our friends at Posture Magazine in our Brooklyn photo studio shooting a feature with the one and only Nadya Tolokonnikova of Russian political punk band/art collective, Pussy Riot. With an ever growing list of provocative demonstrations and politically charged music, she is probably best known for her group's 2012 guerrilla performance in a church protesting President Vladimir Putin and the church's support of his presidential campaign. This resulted in a 2 year prison sentence for her as well as another member of the all girl group after being charged for "hooliganism". In turn, Pussy Riot became an international symbol of Putin's crackdown on free speech. This of course carries over to our current situation that seems to be unfolding under the rise of Trump in their most recent video depiction called, "Make America Great Again".

After the shoot at our studio rental space, we managed to sit down with Winter Mendelson, founder of Brooklyn based Posture Magazine to talk about the origins of the publication along with their time with Nadya. This spread will be featured in their upcoming 4th issue. For now, we recommend getting a hold of their previous print magazines that are available for sale here. They are also offering the special option to become a member and join the community. All the proceeds will be going towards the release of the 4th issue if you'd like to get involved.

1. First of all tell us a little bit about Posture Magazine and how it came to be?

I launched Posture in 2013 as a blog actually. I moved to New York City right after graduating from The University of Georgia in 2012, and I went looking for a "space" that elevated queer and feminist perspectives in art and fashion. Surprisingly, I couldn't really find any websites or blogs that took an intersectional approach or that I connected with. I decided to create my own magazine and brand, it just just made sense to me. It happened really organically. I worked low paying jobs at the time (and of course unpaid internships) by day and was able to save up to release our first print edition in 2015. We have now released three issues and are working on the fourth. Print has always been an important component to Posture. It's something our audience really loves. It feels like the print magazine almost acts as documentation for this culture, as if it is an artifact that will be found by future generations. 

2.  How has you and your team's overall experience been so far with getting this new publication off the ground? 

I can't lie and tell you that it has been easy. I think most people understand that the media industry is really struggling, and starting a new magazine is very hard. Traditional models of publishing are essentially gone (ie: relying on advertising), so you have to get really creative with how you develop your business model and make money. I'm also of course particular about who I work with, so it has been a slow process. We have a lot of support from our community and we come together to make beautiful and important work. We have come so far and I'm hopeful that this can become something more than just sustainable, but profitable, so that we can employ and give back to the community that we exist to serve. 

3. You recently shot a feature with Nadya, activist and front woman of Russian punk band/ art collective, Pussy Riot for your upcoming 4th issue. How did that go? 

It was amazing to meet and work with Nadya. She is so strong and knows exactly what she wants. I can't wait to see and share the final images! 

4. You mentioned that since arriving in NYC that she's been pretty overloaded with requests from different publications. It's really great that you were able to set something up with her, especially given the tensions of our current sociopolitical climate. How did you manage to get in touch with her?

I found her reps emails and just gave it a shot! I am never afraid to reach out to anyone. The worst thing that can happen is that you don't get a response, or someone says no. It doesn't scare me like it used to, and incredible things have happened from becoming more fearless. Everyone on the team is the same. We jump through hoops to get who we want. And this issue is going to include some major talent! I'm actually really happy to say we got a kind "no" from Madonna's team. I couldn't believe that they even responded to me...haha. Moving on up. 

5. When is the next issue set to be released and where can we find it?

We are aiming for mid-late summer. We're in the process of locking in sponsorship to cover costs, so I don't have a specific date yet, but soon! 

6. How did you hear about Starr Street Studios?

I live in Bushwick so have known about Starr Street Studios for awhile. I've been wanting to shoot here so I'm glad we got the chance to do so with Nadya. Thank you!