Forget the ‘latest trend’. This fashion magazine is replacing newness with a different type of luxury: creativity, originality, and slowing down.

More or Less’s creator Jaime Perlman knows the world of luxury fashion better than most. Having worked at Harper’s Bazaar and both American and British Vogue, she had seen the excesses of the industry and become aware of the urgent need to curb consumption.

In 2018, she launched the first issue with a bang: Kate Moss (‘vintage boss’) featured on the cover, dressed in pieces from her own extensive vintage collection. This and every edition since celebrate vintage, army surplus, old school uniforms, craft and even rubbish. The goal, Jaime says, is “to provoke thought about the decisions we make when we buy clothes – factoring in the realities of cost and consumption”.

Image: Antenne Books

The biannual print magazine and ongoing digital platform have showcased surreal costumes, upcycled pencil cases and vintage-clad scarecrows; featured ecological activists, craftspeople and style luminaries; and travelled from one of Britain’s biggest rewilding projects to the streets of New York.

Photographer: Zoë Ghertner; Styling: Brian Molloy

The four cover images of the fourth issue show More or Less continue to explore and widen the conversation about sustainability and representation. Model Edie Campbell dons a onesie made of cans and writes about greenwashing; supermodel Paloma Elsesser creative directs her own cover shoot and discusses race and body image in the fashion industry today; model Adesuwa Aighewi introduces Legacy, a platform supporting artisans and creative talent in Africa; and model and designer Chloë Sevigny talks about the need for a more progressive U.S. president.

An editorial on new and various definitions of luxury expounds More or Less’s central principle. Artists’ definitions range from “wine at lunch” and “the existence of dogs,” to “a quiet room” and “being able to look at a skylit night”. What luxury isn’t, is excess. Buying less can mean having, enjoying and expressing more.

Image: www.moreorlessmag.com

AtlasAction: browse More or Less’s wide ranging stories online or buy the latest print edition.

Nature-geek, urban forager and all-round wordy sort. Freelance writer for organisations that care about the future. Often found reading while walking.