Spindle, Issue One
You always run a bit of a risk picking up free magazines. For instance the day I picked up Spindle I was recovering from a rather embarrassing incident where I had picked up an interesting-looking zine, in full view of a large group of people, only to later find out that it was full of graphic porn and fascist-influenced articles.
So, with this incident fresh in my mind and the image of a gagged woman looking up at me from the front cover, you might understand why I hesitated in picking up a copy of Spindle. Luckily, it turns out that Spindle can in no way be classed as either pornographic or offensive. Instead Spindle is a showcase of emerging talent across the fields of fashion, music art and design.
As with many such magazines, it is heavier on the fashion and music than the art and design, but still packs an interesting punch with features on subjects including knitting-based street art. It purposefully steers clears of things like listings and reviews, reasoning that such things are readily available on the internet, a better medium for such content, and instead focuses on less time sensitive content.
Design-wise the magazine is a tasty visual delight, with lots of colour and imagery complementing the extravagant and interesting content. Printed on high-quality, glossy paper and weighing in at just under 100 pages it’s a nice hunk of magazine to hold in your hands, and feels like something you’d pay for. Unusually for a free magazine there are no adverts.
To find out where you can pick up a copy, or to download a free PDF, see the Spindle website.
