125 is a London based, internationally available showcase for new work and ideas by photographers, illustrators and artists around the world. Originally marketed as a 'gallery-space-in-print' and something of a vanity project, 125 has gradually become a highly collectible example of what the industry calls luxury publishing with a loyal following around the world.
125 Magazine’s founding partners and the core editorial team are photographers Perry Curties & Jason Joyce, and art directors Rob Crane & Martin Yates who took the decision to start 125 early in 2003 after the realization that no genuinely unbiased platform for new work by both established and emerging talent existed. The first issue (themed Fashion) was released exclusively in the UK and received critical industry acclaim and a nomination in the Magazine Design Awards but was not a commercial success. In the following years the magazine has undergone a number of design and content changes and is now a 300 page, 2 kg 'gallery' of new work and ideas by photographers, stylists and illustrators around the world.
125's most unique feature is its print-sales service which makes all the photography in the magazine available as limited edition art prints through its website. Inclusion in the service is not compulsory but all contributors are offered the chance to participate, with income divided equally between photographer and 125. According to the 125 website they have sold in excess of 8000 prints online and through exhibitions with various companies and galleries including Paul Smith (fashion designer) and St. Lukes advertising agency.
Each issue has a theme and contains the work of 20-25 contributors as well as interviews with leading creative talents such as Nick Knight, Glen Luchford,Sean Ellis, Don McCullin Rankin (photographer), Magnum Photos and many others .The magazine has always sought to provide an unbiased opportunity for creative talent operating a submission process unlike traditional magazines - simply announcing a theme and deadline, with content for the magazine chosen from a postbag by the founding partners.
This process has not been without its flaws with problems arising out of the sheer number of fashion photographers and stylists submitting to each issue and unofficially "calling in" product from fashion houses and PR companies with no guarantee of publication. In more recent issues it appears that the contribution format of the magazine has changed with more and more high profile names commissioned to shoot, Rankin, Richard Kern, Perou, Christopher Griffith, Alice Hawkins, Mick Rock, Shinichi Maruyama, Ernst Fischer, Tim Simmons and more.
