WorkGraphic Design

Aesthetic Theories is the magazine promising us a 'cerebral lifestyle'

"Join the cerebral lifestyle," commands new(ish) mag Aesthetic Theories. Yeah, it sounds a little Portlandia-ish, but when it looks this nice, who are we to sniff at it?

Written By:
Aesthetic Theories magazine issue two displayed flat lay, showing navy and red covers alongside an open spread featuring colourful collaged imagery and text layouts

The mag, now on its second issue, is a biannual straight outta LA that focuses on “artists, designers, intellectuals, and institutions that reflect and shape our cultural and creative patterns.” This means an impressively broad range of features covering interesting goings-on across Tokyo, London, Berlin, Melbourne and more.

In this issue (clearly not struggling with the ‘difficult second album’ curse), the magazine broadly rails against what the editor-in-chief Samine Joudat describes as “a need for commodification that forces everything to become the same”. In practice, that means features including an interview with Ace Hotel New York’s chief brand officer Kelly Sawdon; a feature in which a Michelin-starred chef talks discusses culture and politics (and of course, food); a photo series about the lesser-known side of LA by Minh T; and a look at the same city’s brutalist buildings from architect Nicola Montuschi.

Aesthetic Theories magazine's second issue, with a dark blue cover featuring a silhouetted tree and white mailing label on the spine
Open spread from Aesthetic Theories magazine showing a brutalist building photograph on the left and numbered page references on the right page
Open magazine spread with coral pink pages showing "an optic exposition" title and a photograph of a surfer riding a wave beneath cloudy sky
Open magazine spread showing an interior photograph of Common Room Roasters café with bicycles and plants, alongside an article page with the headline "common room roasters
Open magazine spread showing article on Dominique Crenn with two-column text on left page and portrait photograph of chef on right page
Open pages of Aesthetic Theories magazine showing an article titled "brutal concrete" with architectural photography of concrete structures and text
Open spread of Aesthetic Theories magazine showing a red cover with a cut-out window and an interior page with abstract collaged artwork in multiple colours
Open magazine spread showing an article titled "massimo bottura / food for soul" with text on the left page and a portrait photograph of a man with glasses holding fresh produce on the right page
Open magazine spread showing a chef in white coat preparing and plating food in a professional kitchen setting
Open pages of Aesthetic Theories magazine showing architectural photography and pink-toned design layout with brutalist building interior
Open magazine spread showing a feature on Ace Hotel New York at 29th and Broadway, with body text on the right page and headline typography on the left
Man in white shirt and navy trousers seated at a table reading Aesthetic Theories magazine with a coffee cup nearby
Styled flat lay featuring Aesthetic Theories magazine with blue colour swatches, a cream hydrangea flower and a lit candle on a black geometric surface
Flat lay of a white cup containing latte art with a heart design, dark sunglasses and a blue magazine beside it
Share

Further Reading