A chic read — Montecristo Magazine turns 10
The first thing you’ll notice upon picking up a copy of Montecristo Magazine is that it’s a seriously stylish read.
Highlighting all things ‘curious and the luxurious,’ the magazine shines a spotlight on unique food, fashion, design and more happening in Vancouver — and beyond, often doing so with original photography and styling.
The Winter 2018 edition marks its 10th anniversary of the magazine, so we caught up with Sara Harowitz, the publication’s editorin-chief, chatted with Postmedia News about it pages, the milestone year and what’s next.
Q How would you describe Montecristo Magazine?
A Currently celebrating our 10th anniversary year, Montecristo tells local, national and international stories of interest to our Vancouver community, be that in regards to design, fashion, food, beauty, art or travel. The magazine, which is printed in Vancouver on 100-per cent recycled paper, celebrates what makes life beautiful, taking a strong focus on the artisanal, the creative, and the innovative through in-person interviews and original photography. We like to call it a Vancouver state of mind, which to us means that we look at and interpret the world through our city’s distinct lens. It’s about Vancouver and its place on the world stage.
Q The magazine turned 10 this year. How has it changed since it first started?
A I joined the magazine as assistant editor from HuffPost Canada in 2015, and have been lucky enough, over my tenure here, to learn the ropes from some incredible minds. I can say that while the vision for the magazine has not changed — we will always champion Vancouver and the people who make it such a special place to live — we have adapted to the online age, channelling just as much effort and care into our website as we do our printed edition. While we continue to produce our quarterly print issues, I think we have come to realize the added value of online publishing, and use that platform as a way to engage even more closely with our community, taking a hyperlocal approach that the printed edition does not always have space for. We have also grown our in-house team in the last year, which is rare for any publisher these days, let alone an independent one.
Q Why do you think it has been such a success?
A Our success should first and foremost be attributed to our founder and publisher, Pasquale Cusano, whose vision for a globally-minded regional magazine continues to carry us forward. Beyond that, I think it is the whole team’s — past and present — commitment to excellence that has helped us continuously thrive; it is not always easy, but everyone on staff remains incredibly nimble and forward-thinking.
I think there is a place in Canada for every kind of publication, from blogs to traditional newspapers; in terms of content specifically, Montecristo fills a niche need for lyrical, narrative-driven articles covering the curious and the luxurious.