Australian independent fashion magazine Oyster's 85th issue is out on February 15th 2010, defying rumours that it had closed completely.
Speculation about the publication's future grew when the 16 year-old title did not publish a December/January edition.
"Print is Dead" screams the headline on the new edition - an ironic dig at the pre-occupation with falling sales and the speculation and rumour surrounding Oyster itself.
Alyx Gorman, associate editor, said "The magazine never closed, despite all the speculation. And while we were working on this edition, the art director put the headline on there as a joke. We all loved it and so it stayed."
Gorman did admit that the magazine is running on a skeleton staff. "Jamie Huckbody our editor at large is working with us from London and coming up with great ideas. Shane Sakkeus, he's such a talent, he has done work on Dazed and i-D and we have Monica, who is also the publisher, is back in the editor's seat."
Inside Oyster #85, readers will find photography by Elvis di Fazio, a profile of New York’s best DJs by Indigo Clarke, an interview with Pierre Cardin by Jamie Huckbody, a retrospective of Oyster’s best images and an editorial shoot with SOYA award winner Nirrimi Hakanson.
Publishing magazines is a difficult industry, especially if you're an independent mag with no other income stream. Frankie, widely considered to be the most successful independent has had an increase in circulation of 31 per cent, but it still only sells 38,343 copies. To compare, Vogue Australia rose 7.5 per cent to sell 54,000 copies in 2009 and Russh rose 7 per cent to 24,905.
The team are working on a new issue for April/May which will feature Passion Pit and more styling from Imogen Barron. They are also redesigning their website to bring it up to date with the new look magazine.
Oyster #85 at Mag Nation from February 15th.
