Monday, March 04, 2013

glassbook


On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I sat down with Jasmine Glass, Creator and Editor-in-Chief of Toronto-based beauty and fashion editorial magazine, glassbook, to gain further insight into the magazine and what goes on behind the scenes.

glassbook was launched as an online editorial publication in October 2011. Their website (www.glass-book.com) quickly reached viewership in 136 countries in just one year. In June 2012, glassbook launched their first quarterly print issue (available for purchase on eco-friendly print-on-demand site Magcloud.com), and gained immediate attention for being a Toronto publication on the rise.

Jasmine Glass is a 27-year-old, passionate and driven individual with an
eye for all things beauty. She studied Make-up Artistry at George Brown College in Toronto and found her niche within the industry after working with photographers on-set producing editorials. Jasmine saw the immense creativity that goes into producing a breathtaking editorial and immediately wanted to create a way that independent artists were able to have their work published. That thought spawned the idea for glassbook.

Initially, the brand was launched as ‘GLASS Magazine,’ but when it was time to create the website, “glass-book” was suggested as a domain name. “At first, I was hesitant about having the website be ‘glass-book.com’ as I had wanted it to be called ‘GLASS Magazine’, but eventually it stuck in my head and sort of made sense. It also sounds good when you say it, I think it flows. I wanted the contents of GLASS Magazine to also be viewed as an art book, so ‘glassbook’ it was!”

“Once we established our online presence and had a publishing platform, the editorials poured in, our Facebook page was gaining “likes” at a surprising rate and we finally had an audience for the beautiful editorial art we wanted everyone to see,” states Jasmine in an excited manner. Eight months later, glassbook was available in print. “I wanted this project to be tangible, something that people could put on their coffee tables and have as a conversation piece.”

It’s evident that passion is the driver for this magazine. “When I see beauty and fashion being showcased in its full potential, it ignites a feeling of inspiration and overwhelming passion that I hope to be able to provide others with by bringing this art to them that they might not see otherwise,” said Jasmine.

So, what are Jasmine’s plans for the future? glassbook is launching a web series where the audience can get a cozy behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating editorials and how they run the magazine. “The show is titled ‘Ambition: Exposed’ and it will bring our loyal followers and a new audience into the world of glassbook,” said Jasmine. “We are so excited and grateful that our contributors will receive the exposure they most certainly deserve.”

Along with the launch of ‘Ambition: Exposed’, glassbook will release their 4th print issue on the first day of spring (March 22nd). “This issue has truly summarized what the glassbook brand stands for. While keeping with our dark, more edgy taste, there’s also a lot of soft glamour and colour within the editorials. It’s fresh,” said Jasmine, with a smile on her face.

As spring is in full bloom and new beginnings are occurring, glassbook begins a new chapter with their new endeavours. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the beauty that glassbook has to offer.

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