Calling all women. There is a new online fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at those sized 14 and up. The bi-monthly publication, titled SLiNK, is the brainchild of former fashion stylist and freelance journalist Rivkie Baum.
Miss Baum, 25, was working as a personal shopper specialising in plus sizes when she realised there was a gap in the market for a plus-size magazine that had the same aspirational qualities of the mainstream glossies.
She tells People: "Many of the magazines use skinny models and even if they do use 'plus size', they are usually a size 12.
"I think there is a bit of a media emphasis that implies we should be a certain slim size and I think that's awful. We have had a lot of 'regular-sized' girls reading the magazine commenting that it is nice to see someone that's curvy." Launched last month, SLiNK features fashion, beauty, hair and make-up trends with top tips from industry leaders including celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford and Dior's Andrew Gallimore. In addition to fashion, there are articles on travel, arts, reviews, technology, music and television, plus a recipe section run by the head chef of the Flemings Hotel in Mayfair, London.
Ms Baum studied fashion design at the London College of Fashion before working on various independent and mainstream publications, and commercial and celebrity shoots.
She says: "I became aware that lots of plus-size women didn't even pay attention to trends as there was no media format that showed them in an obtainable yet aspirational format. Plus size is such a hot topic in the media, yet it still carries so many negative connotations. I wasn't sure how the industry would feel about a plus-size glossy but to date, it has nearly all been incredibly positive." Based on the success so far, Miss Baum, who lives in Golders Green, north London, hopes to put SLiNK into print by the end of the year.
