Summer is now a memory, but the desire to travel and discover innovative realities in Italy continues, and so here we are on the road again! Today we take you on a discovery of Frizzifrizzi an editorial project born on the web, which in ten years of work has become a reference point for creatives and fans of art, design, fashion, and books. In this interview Simone Sbarbati, Co-founder and Director of Frizzifrizzi, tells us how to go from the idea to the development of an online publishing project.
1. How was Frizzifrizzi born?
Before Frizzifrizzi there was Freshcut, which started as a pdf magazine and then turned into a blog devoted mainly to photography, illustration, graphic design, and reports on contests and opportunities for young artists. My partner Ethel (Margutti) and I ran it. In 2006, after a couple of years of running it, we met Francesca (Arcuri). A great fashion enthusiast, she had the idea of bringing together her know-how in that field and ours in web communication and editorial activities. From that meeting Frizzifrizzi was born, which, in fact, initially dealt mainly with fashion.
2. How has the project grown from 2006 to the present?
Frizzifrizzi has changed a lot in the last 10 years: in form as in content, in the type of audience as in the latter's perception of us. We began by publishing much shorter and lighter posts, inspired by the many similar projects that were springing up internationally in the mid-2000s. Then over time we began to move toward topics that each of us was more interested in, devoting more time to research and writing, establishing a virtuous dialogue with readers that continues to this day.
We get a lot of feedback: reports, opinions, of course even criticism, but what we get on a daily basis, from those who read us, is essentially a lot of love 🙂
3. Introduce us to your team?
The core team consists of us three founders: Ethel Margutti, Francesca Arcuri and me. Ethel has been doing mostly "behind the scenes" for a few years now, Francesca has been doing fashion, design and food, as well as managing our Instagram channel, and I have been doing graphic design, illustration, photography, independent magazines and archival research.
Over the years we have had many contributors, some for long periods, others less so. For some of them Frizzifrizzi has been a stepping stone to other jobs, from journalism to digital pr.
Many people keep writing to collaborate with us, but in all these years we have realized that we do not need so many "pens" as we need authors who recognize themselves in the "Frizzifrizzi style" and are perceived as such by readers as well. At present, writing more or less regularly on Frizzifrizzi are the young Zazie Vostok, a fan of illustrated albums, Sabrina Ramacci, graphologist and fanzine fetishist, Federico Demartini, ludolinguist, Augusto Maurandi, gallery owner, art director and photographer, Davide Calì, author, cartoonist and illustrator, Tommaso Bovo, designer and lecturer, Carlo Occhiena, designer, Francesco Liggieri, artist and curator.
4. Where is your newsroom located? Do you work in the office or remotely?
Ours is a "diffuse" editorial office. We follow our grandmothers' advice and play the grape game, "each to his own." So many distant desks, united virtually through a screen.
5. How do you organize editorial planning? Do you use any tools for management of the work?
Compared to the early years today we work more slowly without worrying too much about getting on the news right away. This allows us to organize ourselves a minimum. We try to make every single day revolve around one, maximum two themes, with a "common thread," sometimes more obvious, sometimes more subtle, to tie it all together.
We do not use any particular tools, apart from a few plugins (which we change all the time) to calendar the releases. On social we schedule day by day, trying to "feel", as much as possible, the pulse of the readers.
6. What target audience is Frizzifrizzi targeting?
Our audience is much more female than male. The reader-typical is 25 to 45 years old, lives in a large North-Central city (Milan above all), and often works in the creative field. Among those from whom we receive the most feedback are illustrators, photographers, designers, teachers, and students.
We are neither an in-depth online magazine nor one that publishes all kinds of nonsense to gather clicks. We have never chased virality. I always tell friends that I see Frizzifrizzi as a small thing made with love, and I like it to be and stay that way.
What we do is show and tell every day about projects, ideas, and products that we believe are worth knowing about or that we think might serve as inspiration-more often both together.
7. Ever thought of creating a paper version?
Many people have thought of it for us. In the sense that we have been asked often and continue to be asked. But the answer is always the same: do we have the time, the means and -- throwing our skills on the table with as much humility as possible -- the ability to make a magazine in print that really adds something to the independent publishing landscape and, more importantly, to the cultural lives of potential readers? I think not. And a simple "porting" of Frizzifrizzi to paper would not make sense.
8. Million dollar question: do you make money from a publishing project?
The answer is much, much lower than that million dollars 🙂 Yes, you can make money from a publishing project. We don't make a lot of compromises so let's just say that, in that sense, we do very well shooting ourselves in the foot. But a publishing project also opens the door to a whole range of other activities.
10. What plans do you have for the future of Frizzifrizzi?
In the short term, plan for the next few weeks.
In the medium term, maybe start producing some publications of our own.
In the long run, stay relevant, whatever platform we find ourselves on in the coming years.
Ilenia Dalmasso