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THE MAN WHO MADE IT, BIG
The ST’s Fashionista Finds Marcelo Jünemann, the brains behind BIG, an Inspiration
For many years, my dream has been to travel around the globe reporting fashion weeks. Every time I mention this, I’m met with baffled faces. Why is it so hard for many to understand that I consider traveling a necessity to keep up with the rest of the world while still being able to hold onto my country’s people and landscape? Since I am often told to stay on the ground and stop dreaming, I decided to research this idea myself and talk to a man I now admire. His stories and advice not only made my dream make sense, they also made me realize the richness there is in our national fashion industry.
Getting into national holiday mood, I decided to make this month’s column a tribute to a pillar of the Chilean fashion and design industries. Creators and entrepreneurs have one thing in common: they have all fought for their dreams and have seen them come to life. I find this admirable. After talking to them, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders: they gave me hope and cheered me for doing what I love to do. After that, I knew I had to share the words of one of them with you.
And September, with its national theme, seemed the best time to do it.
Born in Chile, Marcelo Jünemann left the country during the 70’s and moved to Spain, where he lived for fifteen years before moving to New York. His desire was to create something “big”.
With no higher education, but filled with ideas and great determination, he began working on his project. With the money he had saved up while working in various fields, he contacted a photographer and a designer and took the first step to achieve the impossible. Founder and editor-in-chief, it took him years to create the first issue – then larger and in black and white – of his now internationally acclaimed magazine, BIG.
BIG is a publication that covers the best of the best, in terms of fashion and graphic designers, photographers, and producers. Each issue is a concept in itself, designed and produced by a different team every time; it takes about a year and a half to be made and, since issues are launched every two months, Jünemann is usually watching over eight or nine different projects at a time.
Those who work for BIG do so for small salaries. But the prestige of being part of one of the bimonthly projects means an enormous professional gain in itself. In terms of creativity and design, the magazine is the best in Chile and one of the very best in the world. It is responsible for launching the careers of numerous fashion and design professionals, including that of the now-supermodel Giselle Bündchen.
I had plenty to ask the people behind BIG, so I called them up. To my surprise, I learned that Jünemann was in Chile and was prepared to talk to me. I met him in his office, where I began asking him a few questions about his start in the business and the production of the magazine.
I must confess I felt a little intimidated. Here I was, talking to one of my heroes. On the other hand, I had introduced myself as a fashion columnist. After ten minutes of yes-and-no answers, I decided to break the ice and confess my desire to run a magazine myself. I was stunned to hear him laugh for the first time, as he told me he’d figured that out: I had been trying to squeeze information out of him since I got there.
While I tried to recover from the embarrassment, Jünemann began to explain more about his magazine.
He spoke of how he started with nothing before proudly showing me the final products that may now be seen on bookstore shelves.
He also spoke of the difficulties there are in Chile: the lack of creativity, due to people’s self-constraint, the lack of creative perspective he sometimes finds in young professionals and the vertical hierarchy found in the Chilean media companies, which often overlook the young and talented. (I myself have been told by magazine and newspapers directors that there are no positions available, even after I offered to work for free.) He spoke of publishers’ fear of change and their reluctance to allow younger generations to show that they sometimes know best.
Although Jünemann created his business abroad, he is a great fan of Chilean landscapes and culture; he has already dedicated two BIG issues to promoting these aspects of the country: ‘BIG Chile – Landscapes’ and ‘BIG Chile - People & Buildings’.
After browsing through both issues, I think they are probably the best international promotion and tribute Chile has ever been given.
While explaining his passion for life here, Jünemann searched on his computer and showed me different shoots from the South, and spoke of the excitement of his early days in the business. He spoke of the comfort he finds in living in his homeland and still being able to connect with his head office in New York. He can travel at night and be in Manhattan the next morning, avoiding the rushed life of the Big Apple and returning home later in the week to enjoy nature and the outdoors with his family. Although very dedicated to his business, which has recently expanded into the advertising industry, he devotes a great amount of his time his wife and kids.
I found in this man a great example of success and humbleness. Not only did he make his dream come true, but he’s giving young Chileans the opportunity to work with him as well, here and in New York. His magazine’s national and international versions are produced in full in Chile and shipped to stores in Europe, North America and Japan. He believes there is much to be done in Chile and encourages people to start making things happen. There is a big lesson to be learned from him: nothing is impossible.
Although – often and regrettably – commercial backing and a market are only found internationally, BIG is a great way of showing Chileans why they should believe in unconventional, ambitious, yet brilliantly projects. Jünemann’s words of advice to those who dream of bringing their projects to life? “Just do it”
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