Claudia Rubín, Designer at The New York Times Magazine

SPD: What year?
Claudia Rubín: 2008

SPD: What were you up to?
CR: I was 13 and in the 7th grade. Haha.

SPD: What magazine?
CR: Nylon Magazine.

SPD: What was it that so enthralled you?
CR: At the time, I was completely obsessed with the TV show Gossip Girl and Nylon did a split run with the two main characters. I originally bought both just because I loved the cover stars but ended up loving the magazine and subscribing until I graduated high school. The design was so fun compared to other teen magazines, but still sophisticated. I felt very cool and ~adult~ reading it. Getting it in the mail was the best.

SPD: Do you know now who the creatives were?
CR: I believe Michele Outland was the Art Director there at the time. She doesn't know this but when she told me she used to be the AD there I played it cool on the outside, but fangirled on the inside. It was like, wow. A legend right in front of me. Haha.

SPD: How does that inform your creative now?
CR: While the work I do now is very different from a teen fashion magazine, I will always admire Nylon for being so bold and daring. I learned early on about all the fun you can have with type from that mag. Ah, memories.