Madhappy is growing its reach with a new medium.
The six-year-old Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand, which received $1.8 million in backing from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2019, is launching a print magazine on Thursday called “Local Optimist.” The magazine focuses on topics that brand founders Noah and Peiman Raf have always centered Madhappy on, such as mental health awareness, wellness and art. The first issue of Local Optimist features Los Angeles-based artist Peter Shire on the cover. It is available to purchase through the brand’s website.
“The topics and the people that we’re choosing exemplify our brand really well through its ethos and mission but through a much more real way — a real life way,” Noah Raf said. “Like Peter Shire who is on the cover of the first issue, he is in his 70s and he’s a world-renowned artist and designer. His personality exudes what our brand exudes without having to say it so literally. You can just feel that from him and that’s the feeling we hope to give off with the brand and the people that we select with this magazine and the people we select to be around the brand.”
The magazine’s first issue is centered on the topic of new growth. It includes landscape photography from Colin Sussingham, an interview with musician Sofie Royer on her creative process and a colorful photoshoot styled by Shirley Kurata.
Raf explained that the magazine will continue to be print only, and will only offer a digital version once print copies have sold out.
“Everyone is doing things digitally, which is great, but we think there’s a lot of value in print,” he said. “Many elements of it are still exciting. There’s ebbs and flows with it, but I think everyone likes having a nice printed object in their house, whether it’s a book or a magazine.”
Madhappy’s magazine launch comes at a time of growth for the brand. The lifestyle brand is gearing up to open its first flagship store in Los Angeles this fall, and has plans to open more stores in New York City, Tokyo and South Korea over the next few years.
The brand has a series of collaborations slated for release this year, including its latest partnerships with brands like Ugg and Columbia Sportswear. Madhappy is also releasing collaborations with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles and Courage Bagels.