Sleek Magazine - Alexanderstraße, Berlin

Having visited a small independent publication - I thought it only fair to see Berlin's biggest before I go.



The only option was Sleek as it's one of the few times where a product lives up to it's name.

When I arrived at their offices - a towering sky scraper amongst the new developments occuring at Alexanderstraße - I was presented with a white room. White tables and chairs, white bookshelves, white Macs and white lilies. Now that is Sleek.







I sat down with Editor in Chief, Annika von Taube, to discuss Berlin's Magazine for art and fashion.

"Germany has a history for quality printing, production and attention to detail - we want to uphold that, using image as our starting point. We aim to treat art and fashion as two separate entities."

Sleek is effective in using it's local resources - it is printed in Hamburg (the birth place of publishing) and the content is produced in Berlin (the new hub for 'cool'). Each issue has a different cover treatment (something which I love and is comparable to what Wonderland is doing in the UK), from metalic fonts, to silk plastic coating and cut out imprints - each cover catches my eye in a different way.

"Print is quite strong in Germany. We try to keep as much of the production kept here, but it is also good to recognise the talent that is avaiable in the fashion community around us. We use a lot of creatives from London, Paris and New York to get a product with an international standard"



Unlike other magazines which worship celebrity and prioritise hype, Sleek seems like a classic - if it's possible for a quarterly magazine to do such a thing. The recent article on high profile stars at Berlin Fashion Week seems particularly relevant here.

Flipping through the mag, I am truely impressed. The first thing that strikes me (other than the beautiful covers) is the paper quality. Thick and crisp, with a mix of glossy and rough. In the latest issue, the centre section looks at 'Berlin People and Places', giving an insight into the lives of Angelika Taschen and Kaviar Gauche, as well as looking at the newly opened Soho House Berlin (you'll need to buy a copy to see who else is featured).





It's no surprise that a magazine which pays so much attention to detail, has a team of staff who have the same ethos:





















While the magazine is increasing it's distribution, if you're not in London, it's hard to get your hands on an issue of Sleek (surprise surprise). Luckily, you can buy online here and in the meantime, keep up to date with the team on their Facebook page.

-- Jonathan

Thanks to everyone at Sleek for welcoming me and taking time out for Les Garcons de Glasgow.