FEATURE: Lone Wolf

BY EDITOR
​Natalia Borecka is the founder and editor-in-chief of Lone Wolf Magazine, a little indie fashion publication based out of San Francisco whose ultimate mission is to stimulate and empower the minds of all creative women around the world.
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​After working as a commercial fashion photographer in the industry for many years Borecka directed all of her energy into the one thing she loved most. Her combined talents of writing and editing from her formal English education background with her love of photography (and the short time she spent at Law School) all have attribute to her success as an independent fashion entrepreneur.

“It's the moment my dream became reality, when I suddenly understood on a deep physical level, that I could make my dreams come true with enough work. It was a major turning point in my life.” said Borecka.

Lone Wolf Magazine has been in full swing for four years now. Though that may be quite young in terms of existing fashion publications, this magazine’s bold spirit has allowed it to stick out beyond the rest, as if it’s been around for decades. When the company first started making a name for itself, the number one goal was to create a real-life fairy tale fashion book for adults. But as time has progressed and the readers craving for stimulating material become fine toned, Lone Wolf moved away from the fantasy fashion and into a more intellectually appreciated publication realm.

When I asked Borecka to tell me more about her readership she responded with, “Oh, this is my favorite question!” and proceeded to share with an undeniably soulful description of the magazines enthusiasts, “The Lone Wolf reader is just this incredible human being, full of a dreamy philosophical kind of intelligence, self-awareness and inclination towards self-reflection. She's an artist through and through. I really love her with all my heart. If I close my eyes I can see her right now, sitting cross legged in her vintage kimono on her bedroom floor surrounded by books - everything from Jack Kerouac and Simone de Beauvoir to Bell Hooks. Her hair an awful mess that keeps falling into her eyes and just behind her you could hear a record playing something slow and soulful. She's all rough edges and cynicism wrapped in silk.”

When considering the amount of energy that goes into every second of producing content, Borecka finds comfort and passion in what she does. Every issue of Lone wolf, in a sense, reflects the true essence of Borecka’s heart and soul.

In issue 11, it dove into questions about the meaning of life, nihilism and being a better human, all that were personal questions that she was trying to recognize at the time. The newest issue is raw and unfiltered— it is all about authenticity, vulnerability and embracing your true self. This organic approach to creating the magazine is an emotional one, something that no artist could ever just check at the door.

“I strongly believe that if your personal philosophies fail to line up with your business, you're done. Those are your values, and without staying true to your values, you don't have much to work for. You'll be digging yourself into ever deeper trenches of cognitive dissonance.” explained Borecka.

Some of Borecka’s first memories had influence upon her before she could even recognize the potential success she could gain from starting a publication business. When she was a young girl, she remembers vividly a friend asking her what she would do if she won a million dollars and she responded, “Start a publishing company.” When she was just 10 years old she also made her first crudely stapled magazines. Surely, her love was reconfirmed after opening up the shipment box of the first Lone Wolf issue and feeling the luxury bound paper it in her palms.

“It feels like something magical. A little package full of promises, new things to learn, new things to see, but in a highly curated format. I think we're all drowning in the garbage you now find online.” said Borecka.

​And that’s what makes Lone Wolf Magazine so unique from other fashion magazine competitors. It’s not telling you what music to listen to, what to where and how to wear it. It’s not analyzing trends and giving you beauty tips like Elle and Cosmopolitan. Instead, Lone Wolf gives its readers content of substance that builds up a woman’s confidence, giving them coverage that inspires them and potentially makes them better individuals, even if by the slightest. 

“Our goal as a magazine is to make you question everything you see around you, to look at the world differently and understand how you can become a more loving, honest, compassionate human being. No other fashion magazine on the market right now does that.” said Borecka.

“I consider it a great honor to be able to do this work. I don't take it lightly, nor do I let a single day pass without being grateful for the opportunity to live this life. I check in with my younger self often, reaching somewhere inside where that little girl still lives, and I feel her awe and wonder at the life that I've managed to build for myself.” said Borecka.

Journalist, reporters, writers and anybody serving the public domain are often told to leave their feelings at the door-- to keep their emotions in check. However, it has never been and never will be that simple.

In an age of dying print publications and too much online noise, existing print publications with clear voices and positive intent like Lone Wolf Magazine is refreshing.

“It will be refreshing to read a magazine that both empowers and educates the reader while giving a heavy dose of inspiration.” said commentator for Refinery 29, Hilary Pearlson.

This coffee table book-- must have-- can be purchased worldwide and found at a list of distributors across the U.S. and Canada at lonewolfmag.com. As it continues to blossom into the future, the transformation of the publication and its followers will continue to influence one another, by evolving together in this limitless artistic space of expression.

Images Courtesy of Lone Wolf Magazine