EDITORIAL
Dàme
Independent publishing rewrite the way to represent the women
Dàme is an independent print magazine, founded by Sara Augugliaro, graduated in fashion journalism at London College of Fashion, and published by Frab’s Publishing.
The magazine originated from Augugliaro’s graduation project and explores women’s bodies from different perspectives. Its key topics are the body normalisation and acceptance, but also the role that fashion and culture play of one’s perception.
Photo from Dàme Issue 01
Starting from women’s body – as the most stereotyped aspect in a patriarchal society, together with diet culture, catcalling, and gender discrimination – body positivity is not addressed in the magazine in its mainstream meaning, instead Augugliaro aims at dismantling the concept of beauty and the canons of female performance:
"Dàme does not urge others to love themselves unconditionally, she simply tries to reshape the way women are represented in today's media in order to normalise diversity".
Photo from Dàme Issue 01
Dàme is unique and peculiar because each issue focuses on a specific body part and – among the pages – you’ll find interviews with (extra)ordinary women, designers, and artists who argue on the relationship with their own body.
Issue 01, for example, focuses on the belly, and It includes contributions from Jennifer Guerra, author of Il Corpo Elettrico and Il Capitale Amoroso, Chiara Meloni, activist, illustrator and founder of Belle di Faccia, Veronica Yoko Plebani, Paralympic athlete and Norma Rossetti, CEO of the e-commerce of sex toys MySecretCase, and many others.
Photo from Dàme Issue 01
In the first issue of the magazine, belly is a starting point to discuss broader and more complex topics: Dàme seeks to discover stories, symbols and stereotypes. In addition it focuses on the monthly period and gender identity, sexuality and social stigma of obesity.
As it is written on the magazine’s website, the belly is the part of our body which makes us feel emotions: it is a symbol of connection and a metaphor of fertility, but it is also a source of embarrassment for women who do not match whit aesthetic standards of the society.
“An original research conducted by Dàme’s team showed that 89% of respondents are ashamed of their belly – it is the area of the body they hate the most. Respondents also expressed a desire to connect with more authentic idea of womanhood in the media, dealing with taboo topics.”
The choice to show a new representation of women’s body through a printed publication encourages a slow way reading, makes Dàme a point of reference for these issues. So Dàme is now a new inclusive and safe place, a community, a source of inspiration.