Fashion Bloc's Interview with The Editor:

What is In This Exact Moment?

In This Exact Moment Magazine, a.k.a. iTEM MAG, is a platform and movement, which highlights the California cultural experience through fashion, art and music, by visually and metaphorically showcasing it to all creative communities. iTEM is built for artists and non-artists alike; a community that appreciates collaboration and values open mindedness when it comes to presenting those different perspectives. 

The funny thing about trying to be "in this exact moment" is that no matter how hard we try, we can never truly be in the exact moment and that is why the E is backwards in the iTEM logo. If you rearrange the letter of iTEM, you get the word time; something that we never seem to have enough of. The irony of iTEM applies to the fashion industry because the fashion industry strives to be in the moment but is constantly working months in advance to sustain itself. It's a perfect example of cognitive dissonance for you! 

The iTEM label is also sort of a homage to the fashion industry, because the industry is known to use the phrase such as "it item" referencing to 'must have' products which are representing fashions at that time. I want to capture an underground perspective and fuse it with the mainstream, to bring a more balanced perspective to the industry. We want to cover fashion from a timeless perspective alongside this digital era and that is why we choose to do an in-house, limited print-media art books for our iTEM enthusiasts. 

Who are the people and projects you feature? 
We feature all genres of artists from every walk of life; designers, writers, illustrators, photographers, musicians, dancers, among many other contributors in the fields of fashion, music and the arts. We develop original features and interviews based on the artist production and if they seamlessly fall in line with our publications mission. We also are currently seeking out individuals now (and forever) to do exclusive content for our readers, where contributors are given an opportunity to showcase and even potentially sell the art work, too.

Who are your readers?
Our readers spawn from the urban city streets of the California Bay Area and they carry a millennial mindset with them (no matter their age, skin color, identity gender, sexual orientation and so forth), they understand and respect that freedom of expression is rooted in our very culture. Our readers understand that fashion and art can be put towards a good purpose, even protest when necessary. They are outliers as much as they are game players and we appreciate that!

iTEM readers respect and expect diversity in every aspect. They comprehend that without the underground culture there would be no mainstream pop-culture and respectfully, vice-versa. They also understand we need balance, in every aspect of our lives. iTEM readers are always looking forward to the next best thing as much as they are striving to be in the moment in their everyday schedules. They live for the now and prepare for what is next to come.

Our readers are students and teachers of the mind, seeking out inspiration from every aspect of life which surrounds them. They value perspective, they honor authenticity and above all, they understand that life is a definitely a tricky thing to comprehend. 

When iTEM was in its pre-issue stage the ISSU Magazine Blog said, “The sultry, dark imagery is a step away from runway fashion, but it’s sure to hold your attention.” This went alongside a free glimpse at the pre-release version of the first issue at: http://blog.issuu.com/post/158637286333/academy-of-art-school-of-fashion (THE FREE PRE-RELEASE ISSUE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM ISSUU. PLEASE PURCHASE THE DIGITAL VERSION ON OUR SHOP TO HELP SUPPORT OUR PLATFORM, HERE.)

Capsule Gallery/ Additional Info
There are a few surprises to stay tuned into this summer, so we don't want to give away too much information just yet, but I can tell you this much: This June 21st, 2017 iTEM MAG will introduce its first exclusive 24 hour art gallery capsule collection by the Editor, titled “#STATICSUMMER”, which will carry a small series of original one-of-a-kind pieces of art, as well as other limited print products for everyone that believes in our company’s mission in supporting the arts and the people behind it. ​

iTEM has produced its first combined fashion and art print issue “STATIC” which is the first chapter in our company’s history. We welcome all into the perspective of breaking through the noise and finding our way. This is the first piece available to order in the series. (VOL 1. & VOL 2. ARE SOLD OUT. VOL 3. COMING IN SPRING/SUMMER 2018 AND CAN BE PREORDERED HERE.)

We also donate at least 10% of every purchased product and put it towards our Annual Rising Artists Scholarship Award, which is given to a chosen iTEM contributor pursuing a creative career or education in our respective fields of coverage. More info can be found on our sites "About" section to be considered for the annual scholarship. 

If you add your email to our site list, then you will be the first to receive new monthly feature and interview articles, as well as one of the first to read our runway and trend reviews of each season. Not to mention our product release updates that come with exclusive deals,  just as a thank you for you interest. (We promise not to spam you, we're not here for that!) 

How have you started working with emerging talent in fashion and arts? 
I have worked with a few talents operating out of our local Bay Area and have found many emerging artists through Instagram across the world and at social events in big cities like LA, SF and NY, people that I am currently working on collaborating with. Checkout the www.itemmag.com "Feature" section, which is our Platform For Rising Artist and where we showcase those exclusive features, interviews and beautiful works of art from our emerging talents. We hope to work with contributors across the board as the voice of our publication evolves.

"Kiss it Better, Baby." Illustration by Contributor Ping- Yu Exclusively for iTEM Magazine.

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Why do you strive to support rising stars in fashion and arts?​
I have always fought for self-expression. Rising stars, “artists” in all respect, usually have some of the best talent around, yet they are the ones that are the most overlooked by the mainstream media. This could simply be by their lack of – let’s just say – commerciality for a wide audience. But I personally don’t live in a world that can ignore when talent sits right in front of me. That is just isn't apart of who I am.

One of my very few goals in life was to launch this company and now I’m here finally doing it with an entire non-profit component – realizing my own dreams – not just for me, but for other artists. I strive to support rising stars in fashion, music and the arts by giving them a platform to showcase their work and for the potential to take part in a bigger cause. If you believe art can illuminate the world, then we might just be your cup of tea!

I think we need to foster freedom of expression in the arts, because I think that is where people discover things about themselves that they may have not already known existed within them.

I want to help artists evolve into their potential in the most freeform and natural way, as well as continue to unlock my own potential in my craft. I want to encourage others to create and collaborate with one another! I completely enjoy that everyday is an new adventure at iTEM. I get to work side by side with people from a variety of different backgrounds that value each others talent. When you talk about art with others out loud, I think that is where the real magic happens, where the real social evolution begins. ​ 

​The question remains then, will you be joining us?