Interview with Hassan Kinley, Creative Mastermind Behind KARIN + RAOUL
Pubslush had the great pleasure of interviewing Hassan Kinley, Editor-in-Chief of KARIN + RAOUL, an engaging and intriguing art and lifestyle magazine that beautifully marries photography and writing to create the utopian artistic mag. Check out the K+R website and blog for a taste (coincidentally, the theme of their latest issue) of their sultry style. You won’t be disappointed!
When did the magazine launch?
We launched the KARIN + RAOUL online gallery Sept 2005. We launched the magazine October 2010.
What is the editorial focus of KARIN + RAOUL?
Art and Lifestyle for men. Artists doing common things in an uncommon way.
Who contributes to the magazine?
Artists, entrepreneurs, trendsetters and all those people doing things their own way and winning.
The mantra of the magazine is “Doing common things in an uncommon way.” How does that translate in terms of the style and expectation of the artists featured in the magazine?
K+R style is sexy, luxurious and clean. Our expectations are extremely high regarding the artist we showcase. We look for the best and not necessarily the most popular. We want to showcase those who are the most passionate about what they do.
Explain the process of developing and publishing a new creatively driven magazine.
The process is never ending!! We are always focused on out doing ourselves. We want each issue to be the best it can be and at the same time it needs to be relevant to what is going on today. When we research content we are looking for material that truly reflects the sign of the times regarding art. That is very important to us. Once we have confirmed the theme and the content it is about editing the content so that the magazine tells a cohesive story from beginning to end. After that, it is all about the layout and design. The creative director and I go back and forth at least 10 – 15 drafts before we get to a place where we are both happy. Once the magazine is complete we send the PDF to magcloud.com. Magcloud is an on demand online printing company and distributor. Readers buy K+R magazine on our website and magloud prints and ships it right to their door step.
What are your daily responsibilities as Editor-In-Chief?
My daily responsibility is to surround myself with creative people all the time.
What’s your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
Favorite: Surrounding myself with creative people. Least favorite: It is a 24 hour commitment.
The magazine is, in my own words, an aesthetic overhaul of awesomeness, accompanied beautifully with written word. How do you balance the two worlds of image and text in a way that they complement each other?
Originally we set out to be a visual magazine. It was all about the photography. The first couple of issues looked great but lacked something I thought. I realized we were missing words. For the first time I realized that images and words were both under the umbrella of art and if I looked for writers who were passionate about writing the way our photographers are passionate about images we would have a smoking hot magazine. So we set out to do just that. I don’t feel we are there yet, but we are coming along nicely.
