What do Jewish mother figures, Vogue Magazine, and Michael Bastian jackets have in common? They are all things that define the man known as Peter Davis, Paper Magazines reigning resident New Yorker. I decided to ask Peter a few questions, and in doing so came to learn a little about where he came from, how he got there, and where he believes the publishing world is going.
Peter was born here in New York and attended Bennington College to pursue a degree as a painting major, but came to find his true calling in the world of fashion and magazines. During High School, Davis took an internship at Paper magazine and was given his first column by Kim Hastreiter, Publisher, crediting her with his early success within the industry. “She gave me my first column when I was barely out of college and always told me I was a good writer. Without her I would not be writing today” he states. “She also taught me how to edit and what makes a good cover and a good fashion story. As a very WASPy boy, Kim is the Jewish mom I always wished I had” says Davis nostalgically, recalling the way Hastreiter became more than a boss to him, and helped to really guide him as a mentor and friend within the magazine industry.
One true passion of Davis' is that of the fashion industry, and it was this passion that helped to continue to further his career early on when coupled with his magazine experience. Davis was asked to cover the womenswear shows in Paris during his early years at the magazine, and fell in love with it from that point after a chance encounter that happened “by accident.” “Paper brought me to Paris to cover the behind the scenes of the women's shows. I was 21 and loved every second of it. And from that trip on, never stopped writing. An assignment from Vogue came 3 months later, followed by Vanity Fair. The editors had read my Paper stuff” says Davis, a move that acted to meld the two interests into one, and really allowed him to express both areas of interest while growing and evolving.
Now that Davis has solidified his career within the magazine industry, and continues to be at the forefront of the fashion world through his place at Paper Magazine as Editor at Large, he has his finger on the pulse of both the style scene as well as the ever changing publishing scene, both from the traditional publishing side as well as that of a blogger. When asked where he thought the industry was going in the near future, he stated “More and more the publishing industry, like the music and movie industry is going digital”, a viewpoint shared by many in the industry. “The iPad will make this web based magazine craze happen even faster. Magazines have to make every issue a collectible to stay alive,” a statement that seems to echo in this quickly changing industry where bloggers are replacing traditional journalists and contributors.
One thing that seems to really resonate from Davis is a deep understanding of how the industry works, and an appreciation for fashion and designers at a very deep level, stating Michael Bastian and the recently retired Martin Margiela as two of his favorites. “Bastian is the closest to bespoke that is off the rack - his jackets fit perfectly and the details, especially the wild linings, are perfect” says Davis, and credits Margiela’s pieces as being outrageous and worthy of a spot “in a museum”, a comment that demonstrates his appreciation not only for clothing but also for the entire fashion and cultural lifestyle that seems to resonate from this man and his own timeless and ever evolving brand of chic that is always in style no matter the season or trend, a chic that has worked to evolve his career and cannot help but do so in the years to come.--Stephen Fisher--
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