We might be biased to say, but there’s no question that a good magazine starts with a good team. Historical context, on-site experience, years of people-watching. A lot goes into crafting an engaging story. So it’s no surprise that when it came to the relaunch of their editorial project, ASOS would enlist heavyweights to take on its reins – in walks Lyas and Pat McGrath.
Images Courtesy of ASOS
Fresh from celebrating its 25th anniversary last year, ASOS is bringing back their editorial publication after originally stopping its publishing in 2019. ASOS Magazine will relaunch this September as a quarterly digital publication on Substack, alongside a limited-edition print edition, as the fashion retailer looks to reconnect with customers through storytelling, style inspiration and cultural conversation.
It’s a natural comeback amidst a climate of readers keen to unpack what goes behind the scene. For years, the fashion industry has been a bubble for the few. But now, customers are interested to know more about the brands they purchase and the world in which they exist. And ASOS is willing to open up its POV with its new autumn campaign, taking shoppers behind the scenes, revealing the internal expertise and global trends that guide modern style, offering a more curated and personalised experience across their website and channels.
To inject fresh energy into the relaunch, ASOS has brought together two major names from the fashion and beauty worlds: Lyas, the content creator known for his irreverent approach to fashion and his open-to-all fashion week watch-parties, and generation-defining, industry-leading makeup artist Pat McGrath. “British fashion has always been rooted in fierce individualism – and that fearless spirit is exactly what has kept it so endlessly thrilling,” says Pat, speaking on this new chapter in British fashion.
“I have had the extraordinary joy of working with some of the greatest creative forces this country has ever produced, and what stays the same, season after season, decade after decade, is the audacity,” she continues. “The absolute refusal to be anything other than entirely original. London has never been afraid to be strange, to be bold, to be provocative, to be completely itself.”
Today’s fashion fans reject traditional elitism in favour of voices that feel relatable, witty, and inclusive. Lyas will join the editorial team, bringing the same fun and disruptive energy that has made his social commentary resonate with a new generation of audiences that value his transparency. “I’ve always loved how ASOS makes fashion feel accessible, and I’m excited to be joining the editorial team to celebrate all the things that make people fall in love with fashion in the first place,” he says.
McGrath, meanwhile, brings authority to the project with her decades of beauty expertise and cultural influence she achieved through being, quite simply, the best in the game – from iconic runway moments to era-defining fashion campaigns and ahead of her own label, Pat McGrath Labs. Who could ever forget the viral glass/porcelain skin beauty look she created for Maison Margiela’s last couture show by John Galliano?
“Fashion and beauty are so subjective and so deeply personal to every individual,” she tells Wonderland, when asked how fashion and beauty can change how we feel about ourselves. “For me, true self-belief always comes from within – but fashion and beauty are the most glorious, extraordinary enhancers, there to make you feel as magnificent within yourself as you possibly can.”
“A silhouette can change the way you carry yourself through a room,” she continues. “A sweep of colour can shift your entire mood in an instant. They allow us to experiment, to express who we are – or to become someone entirely new, just for a moment. At their most powerful, fashion and beauty are not about hiding or correcting anything. They are tools of pure self-expression that can make you feel completely, utterly yourself. Used well, they do not create confidence so much as reveal it.”
The return of ASOS Magazine will form part of a wider strategy rolling out this autumn, with further details on the first issue, editorial leadership and the cover talent announced in the coming weeks. “I’ve been an ASOS customer for years and always loved its ability to make fashion feel accessible and inspiring,” added McGrath on the partnership. Our eyes are peeled!
