Trace (magazine)

Infobox Newspaper
name = TRACE magazine


caption =
type = Bi-Monthly Style magazine
format = Magazine
foundation = 1996
price = US$7.99 £3.95
chairman & editor-in-chief = Claude Grunitzky
editor at large = Stephen Greco
art directors = Andy Li , Crayon Lee
fashion director = Christine de Lassus
language =English
headquarters = flagicon|USANew York
ISSN =
website = http://www.trace212.com|

TRACE is a monthly, internationally-distributed magazine with the tagline, 'transcultural styles + ideas'. It focuses on urban culture, and has featured on its cover some of the most significant black artists and models of the last decade, including Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Biggie Smalls, Diddy, Iman, and Naomi Campbell - many of them before they were household names. It was founded in 1996 by Claude Grunitzky, who is still the Chairman and Editor in Chief.

History

TRACE magazine was the successor to True magazine, which the Togo-born Grunitzky had started in 1995. When True failed after less than a year, Grunitzky, then aged 25, launched Trace, chosing the name apparently for its inquisitive connotations and its similarity to the word ‘race’. [10 Years of Trace, by Claude Grunitzky and Steven Psyllos, (Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2006) ISBN 1-86154-294-1 ]
The first cover featured Snoop Dog, and was distributed in the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, the US, Australia and Japan. In 1998, after 15 UK issues, Trace moved their headquarters to the US. At least part of the reason for this has been cited as the desire for more accessible and more dynamic kind of publication than London at that time allowed for. [10 Years of Trace, by Claude Grunitzky and Steven Psyllos, (Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2006) ISBN 1-86154-294-1 ]
After an inauspicious start (at one point, financial backing for the cash-strapped publication came in the form of a $110,000 cheque from Wu-tang rapper RZA), it rose to become a well-respected voice within the urban style scene. Over the years, its cover stars have included such a-listers as models Naomi Campbell, Devon Aoki, Iman and Tyra Banks, actresses Thandie Newton and Rosario Dawson, boxer Mike Tyson, and musicians Diddy, Common, IAM, DMX, Erykah Badu, Kelis, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Gwen Stefani, Notorious BIG, Sean Paul, Rihanna, Mary J Blige, Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Sisqo, Eve and Snoop Dogg. It has featured photography by the likes of Marc Baptiste, Ellen Von Unwerth, Albert Watson and Juergen Teller.
It is credited with being amongst the first publications to have ‘discovered’ the (then up-and-coming) artists Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys and Rosario Dawson.

In 2006, TRACE turned 10 years old, and celebrated with a November Anniversary issue, published with three different covers.

Features

In its early years, TRACE focused principally on hip hop culture , and this fact is reflected in the large number of rap, hiphop and r & b artists it featured on and within its covers. Around the early noughties, it shifted to a broader approach, incorporating more high-fashion and travel features, and appealing to a wider range of racial and cultural backgrounds. This change corresponds to Grunitzky’s growing interest in the concept of ‘transculturalism’, a term which he invented to describe the increasing prevalence of individuals who “transcend their initial culture, in order to explore, examine and infiltrate foreign cultures”. [ 10 Years of Trace, by Claude Grunitzky and Steven Psyllos, (Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2006) ISBN 1-86154-294-1 ] Accordingly, later issues included “Brasil 2000”, “Destination: Japan”, and, “High on Mexico”. Nonetheless, since 1998 they have continuously employed their provocative (and ambiguous) ‘Black Girls Rule!’ catchphrase, which now constitutes the theme for one magazine issue per year.

An international TV network, TRACE tv was launched in April 2003 by Claude Grunitzky, Richard Wayner and Olivier Laouchez, with funding from the Goldman Sachs Group.

Mentions in pop culture

* Trace Magazine appears in Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 film Grindhouse. In the scene where someone goes into a store to buy a copy of Vogue, as they browse they shelves the camera pans past the Alicia Keys Trace issue
* Trace was featured prominently in the Spike Lee movie "She Hate Me"

Books

* 10 Years of Trace, by Claude Grunitzky and Steven Psyllos, (Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2006) ISBN 1-86154-294-1
* Transculturalism: How the world is coming together, by Claude Grunitzky (TRUE Agency, Inc. 2004) ISBN 1-57687-218-1

Further reading

* Magazine Covers, by David Crowley (Mitchell Beazley 2003) IBSN 1-84533-239-3

External links

Official Site : http://www.trace212.com

References