1905 Magazine Benefit Show — Strangers Collective

A Pop-Up Event Presented by Strangers Collective
54 1/2 East San Francisco St. #7
Saturday, February 18, 2017, 7-10 pm

There’s a fashion movement brewing in Santa Fe, and the proof is in the pages of 1905 Magazine. Editors Mariah Romero and Darnell Thomas founded the quarterly digital publication in 2014, with the help of their fellow students at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Now they’re taking their first steps into the larger fashion industry, and ushering a community of young style mavens to the cultural forefront in Santa Fe and beyond. Strangers Collective is pleased to present the 1905 Benefit Party, a pop-up fashion event at 54 1/2 East San Francisco Street on Saturday, February 18 from 7-10 pm. Artwork and merchandise from the magazine will be available for purchase at the reception, in support of Thomas and Romero’s sweeping vision for the publication. This event is free and open to the public, and will include complimentary refreshments.

Thomas and Romero dreamed up 1905 Magazine in a typography class at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design in winter 2014. Romero was a sophomore graphic design student, and Thomas was a junior majoring in business and graphic design. Both of them were interested in fashion, but SFUAD didn’t have any classes on the subject. “We were both working on fashion-related projects, to have something in our portfolios,” says Romero. “We knew other people were also doing photo shoots, and we wanted to create a community to bring it all together.”

The duo chose the title 1905 Magazine as a reference to the birth year of legendary designer Christian Dior, and put together their first issue over winter break in 2014. Up-and-coming designers, photographers, writers, stylists and chefs quickly filled their masthead. For almost a year, they produced monthly issues. Thomas, Romero and their contributors produced editorial fashion spreads using borrowed clothes from local thrift shops, cooked up stunning culinary features in the kitchens of their college apartments, and designed style guides that encouraged their readers to embrace their individuality.

“We give off the message that you don’t have to be trendy to be stylish,” says Thomas. “It’s not about what’s on the runway at fashion week; that’s what everyone else is doing. You don’t need a lot of money to have an eye for style.” The SFUAD community quickly embraced the new cultural platform. The graphic design department helped fund a print edition of 1905 in spring 2015, and a film student made a documentary about the magazine. That fall, Thomas and Romero switched to a quarterly publication schedule and got serious about polishing up the design and content. The monthly issues often ran over 100 pages, but they worked hard to edit it down to around 60 in 1905’s seasonal manifestation.

“We want it to look as professional as the magazines we’re looking up to,” says Romero. They’ve examined every detail of Darling, Kinfolk and other arts and culture publications for inspiration. “We want to be at that level,” Romero says. “This isn’t just a student project any more, it’s what we want to do.” Their hard work paid off in 2016: the wildly popular social networking app Snapchat featured some of their images in its Discover feed, and an LA author profiled them for an upcoming lifestyle book.

Thomas graduated from SFUAD in 2016, and Romero will get her diploma this spring. They didn’t think twice about carrying 1905 Magazine into the professional world with them, and they’re bringing their collaborators along for the ride. The 1905 Magazine Benefit Show will feature photographs and designs by a number of contributors to the publication. SFUAD graphic design professor David Grey, who has mentored Thomas and Romero, will contribute artwork to the exhibition. Andie Fuller, who has contributed recipes to the magazine’s culinary section, collaborated with Romero and Thomas to design a cookbook that will debut at the event. A new line of 1905 Magazine merchandise will also be available, at a price range of $5-$50.

“1905 Magazine represents a new vanguard of local, talented fashion professionals,” says Strangers Collective co-director Kyle Farrell. “They’re already shaping Santa Fe culture, so we’re calling on the community to further elevate this inspiring project.” For more information and high resolution images, contact Jordan Eddy at strangersartcollective@gmail.com.

Contributors: Lydia Abernathy, Jennifer Carrillo, David Grey, Laura San Román, Mark Baker-Sanchez, Amy West, Jonathon Duarte, Callan Ramirez, Keynan Johnson, Andie Fuller, Jennie Johnsrud, Mariah Romero & Darnell Thomas.