1991: The Magazine That Takes You Through Time, One Year At A Time
1991. You may remember it, that is, if you were born yet, as the year Bill Clinton decided to run for president or the end of the Cold War. Noah Johnson remembers 1991 as the year he got his first car, listened to the album that changed his life (Nirvana’s Nevermind) and watched his favorite skate video (Blind Skateboard’s Video Days). Oh, and the year he’s dedicated to the premiere issue of his new project, A Year Magazine. The Four Pins founder and Complex Magazine Features Editor sits in a hoodie and forwards cap as we chat. He has an extensive resume in fashion: T Magazine, DETAILS and Style.com (now owned by Conde Nast). Each issue of his first hands-on project is centered around a single year in American history, that was both personally significant to Johnson and significant to our cultural zeitgeist. Ironically, however, the magazine comes out every six months.
Why did you choose 1991 to be your launch year?
The primary answer is that it was random. Not that it’s arbitrary, but that it’s not pegged to anything timely. The spirit of the magazine is about the time period it represents.
Why did you choose 1991 to be your launch year?
The primary answer is that it was random. Not that it’s arbitrary, but that it’s not pegged to anything timely. The spirit of the magazine is about the time period it represents.
It seems like this issue is very much geared towards stories of New York.
That’s just a byproduct of where it’s created. This being the first issue, reaching out to certain people I’ve worked with. I think in future issues it will feel like it reaches a little wider.
You seem careful to comment on nostalgia with the Frank Zappa quote you include. The resurgence of the ‘90s are really big right now and can often feel kind of cheesy. What’s your take?
The whole nostalgic aspect of that quote really resonated with me. The fact that he imagines the closing nostalgia gap as being the end of the world, you know? I think as all media moves into hyper-speed, nostalgia, too moves in a hyper cycle. The idea of creating a biannual magazine works counter to that cycle in a way. It’s about slowing things down. It’s about looking back and reflecting about what’s happening.
So do you think there is beauty in bringing back the past?
I think it works both ways. The problem is it gets tired because so much of it gets so familiar. There’s only a handful of references people choose to use with the ‘90s and the ‘80s. I think it’s all fun. I am not opposed to in general. Especially in fashion, it’s cool to revisit things. But I am a little bit weary about people being too precious about the past.