📚 Fashion Grunge Library #5: a chat w/ Lauren of @90smagsandmore

·56 min·3 clips

Lauren describes 17 mixing hard-hitting stories about assault and homelessness with articles about 'winter fat.'

1. Fashion Grunge Podcast talks with Lauren of @90smagsandmore about teen magazines and collector culture. 2. Lauren is a TikTok and Instagram magazine collector, and the host says her posts bring back memories of 17. 3. The episode asks how 17, Nylon, Spin, Jane, YM, and Teen Vogue shaped a generation’s taste. 4. Lauren says her first owned 17 came from a Brandy cover event at Fair Oaks Mall in Northern Virginia. 5. She remembers getting the free 17 issue in line, expecting Brandy to sign it, and leaving with a pristine copy. 6. Lauren says a birthday subscription followed, and she read every issue through the 1995-2000 period. 7. She describes 17 as her main magazine, while her mother restricted YM and tore out Rolling Stone pages she thought were inappropriate. 8. Lauren says she and a friend even pulled teen magazines from a recycling area at a local dump. 9. She and the host note that 17 still looks good now because of its layouts, fashion themes, and graphics. 10. Lauren gives examples from a Brad Renfro cover issue and says collectors now pay $50-$60 for some 17 copies. 11. She contrasts that with a Sassy issue featuring Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, which she says can cost hundreds of dollars. 12. Lauren says she bought eight YMs for $40 and feels the seller undervalued them. 13. She and the host talk about keeping subscription mailers, postcards, and other promotional inserts that came with magazines. 14. Lauren points to Romeo and Juliet postcards from 1996 and says movie promotions inside magazines were part of the appeal. 15. She says 17 could include hard reporting, such as stories about homelessness and sexual assault, alongside body-image advice. 16. Lauren also says Teen Vogue offered more thoughtful stories and fashion, especially as its editorial voice grew more political. 17. The conversation shifts to print decline, with Lauren saying there is 'just not much left' and that Teen Vogue is no longer the same separate print destination. 18. Lauren and the host describe a format that once had huge circulation, visible editors, and a shared cultural center. 19. Listeners who love 90s teen magazines, nostalgic fashion, and magazine collecting will get the most from this conversation. 20. Listeners looking for a fast celebrity recap or current-fashion news may skip this one.

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