Independent men’s magazine At Large will debut an updated look when its spring issue hits newsstands on April 19.
The tri-annual glossy can thank new hire Rockwell Harwood, who joined as art and design director in February. Harwood was the creative director of Details, which shuttered late last year.
“We always wanted him but we couldn’t have him. He was at Condé Nast,” said creative director Randall Mesdon, who scooped up Harwood to refine the design of the magazine.
New contributors to the upcoming issue features actor Jack Huston, model Lucky Blue Smith, model-turned-actor Travis Fimmel and a limited-edition cover of Callie Thorne Dewitt on four separate covers.
The magazine dubbed “Issue 5” includes work from Harwood’s former colleague from Details, fashion director Matthew Marden and Mr Porter style director Dan May. Other contributors include veteran fashion creative director David Bradshaw and Nick Wooster, who serves as editor at large for the glossy.
“One of the goals of At Large was for it to be a nurturing platform. We would nurture different voices and opinions in our industry,” Mesdon said. “We have a very small team that is in our New York offices, but a lot of our contributors are truly at large.”
The name — At Large — is taken seriously and may one day take the literal form of being produced in a different city each issue. Mesdon said he’d like to take At Large on the road and produce the magazine from Australia and Japan.
Mesdon said At Large is looking to pump up its online presence with some new hires, but noted that as a tri-annual, it “will not compete with a monthly magazine” by “inserting ourselves in people’s lives.”
He was of course referring to the frequency of posting new stories.
“You need to have your presence online,” he acknowledged. “But we do not want to do nonsensical content. I hope it isn’t pretentious to say that.”
With no tangible digital goals other than to spread awareness, the creative director said the main focus is print and to “provide an object that is more luxury.”
The upcoming 240-page issue includes interviews on artist Fabio Viale, fashion exec Andy Spade and a portfolio of Los Angeles artists that includes Larry Bell, Jonas Wood and Piero Golia. On the newsstand, At Large distributes about 15,000 copies in the American market, with issues going out to Barnes & Noble, select museums, high-end hotels and fashion stores.
“Our mission is truly to be collectible,” said Mesdon, noting that the magazine, which costs $20 a pop has a circulation of about 18,000.
That laser-focus on producing a collectible object is central to At Large’s mission, as more print magazines change their focus to other revenue streams, or fade away altogether.
“The magazine as we know it is undeniably changing super, super fast,” he offered. “I’m not sure any of us have an understanding or a grasp of where it will be in five years.”