SCAD Style: Garden & Gun, the future of the lifestyle magazine
On Thursday, April 18, the university welcomed the editors and directors of Charleston-based magazine Garden & Gun to SCAD Style 2013. President and CEO Rebecca Darwin, Editor-in-Chief David DiBenedetto, Brand Development Director Jessica Derrick, Art Director Marshal McKinney, and Senior Style Editor M.K. Quinlan spoke about the future of their Southern lifestyle magazine in a panel discussion moderated by Beth Concepcion, chair of the writing department.
Darwin, who founded Garden & Gun in 2007 after a successful career in publishing, explained that she wanted to create a “magazine that made Southerners feel proud about what we have in our backyard.” For Darwin, the name “Garden & Gun” captures this unique sense of cultural pride; while “Garden” represents Southerners’ relationship with the land, “Gun” encapsulates Southern culture.
Upon first hearing the name, Darwin said she remembered “closing my eyes and thinking, ‘I know what this can be.’”
Now an almost seven-year-old magazine, Garden & Gun publishes six issues per year, a number that Darwin believes keeps readers in anticipation. According to Derrick, the team works to ensure that every issue responds to their audience’s tastes and interests, yet at the same time illustrates the evolving Garden & Gun brand.
Part of the magazine’s evolution is their move to e-reader versions, a format that McKinney jokingly said he is “adapting [to] like a grumpy old man.” His mantra — “to stay modern and classic at the same time” helps the magazine retain their look and focus while keeping up with digital trends. The magazine’s first digital issue will debut with the June/July issue. DiBenedetto believes the digital version will help the magazine’s audience reach new readers.
When asked what type of stories he looks for, DiBenedetto explained, “It’s about the mix of stories … it’s a lot like having a great cocktail party.” In each issue, DiBenedetto looks for pieces that will engage and surprise readers. He encouraged young writers to submit front and back-of-the-book pieces with “new angles that haven’t been written about before.”
Quinlan added that the magazine’s style sections focus on authenticity as opposed to trends. “One of the appealing things about style in the South is that we don’t follow trends,” she said.
At the end of the discussion, Darwin commended SCAD students for using their talents in Savannah instead of in larger cities. She compared SCAD’s mission to that of the magazine’s.
“We’re doing just as good work as is coming out of New York, but we’re doing it in Charleston.”
