By Shanice Mabussi
This issue we had the pleasure of speaking to Fashion Communication student Eva Szurko, creator of the Sisterhood Zine. What had once begun as a university project focused on the role that fashion and clothing play in female relationships soon widened its scope to become a publication that covers women’s connections in all their wonderful entirety. With one issue out thus far, Eva is currently developing Sisterhood into a magazine that will delve even deeper into its subject matter. In this interview Eva tells us about her inspirations, challenges and the value of female solidarity.
What is the inspiration behind Sisterhood?
“[It] mainly comes from my own relationships and the women who impact my life. I feel like only now as a grown woman do I truly appreciate the support from all my friends and family and how strong the women in my life are, both personally and globally in terms of the global sisterhood which I’m proud to be a part of. Especially since moving away from home in the last few years and with all my friends moving to different cities for university, I wanted to create something that embodied my appreciation for them.”
Who is Sisterhood for?
“Sisterhood is for anyone and everyone. It’s mainly targeted at a female audience and I’m hoping to create and commission some content from older women so the publication has something for a variety of age groups. I hope that it can be of interest to anyone regardless of gender who’s interested in women’s issues and how women interact with one other.”
Why do you believe it’s important for women to connect with one other?
“Especially post-pandemic, I think it’s super important for us to make time to connect with the people around us and value those relationships. I want to bring something into the world that makes us do that in a way. It’s clear that in recent years women are stronger and more powerful together and it’s so important to make sure we’re building each other up instead of tearing each other down.”
How can we access Sisterhood? Is it digital or print?
“It’s currently only in print and I have a few copies of the zine available. Depending on how successful I feel the publication could be, I may print a number of copies to be distributed to people who are interested, but I’m hoping for it to have an online platform in the future.”
Do you accept external contributions to the publication? If so, how could someone contribute?
“Yes, I’m currently looking for written, photographic, graphic and artistic contributions for this issue focused on celebrations of sisterhood. These can be submitted to eva.szurko@northumbria.ac.uk and anyone interested in more information can contact me at that email or message me on Instagram at @evaszurkofashion.”
What has been the reaction to the publication so far?
“It’s been really positive so far and anyone who has submitted work for the next issue has been really excited about the concept. I think it’s something different to what’s out there and people definitely think it’s needed at the moment. I’m excited to give a voice to the sisterhood around me who have an interest in the topic, regardless of their background.”
Have you faced any challenges during the process of setting up Sisterhood?
“Post-COVID-19 it was still difficult to set up photoshoots and in-person interviews with people even within Newcastle, never mind in other cities or parts of the UK. As the publication is my first big project with multiple interviews, it’s been difficult to organise, but I’m learning to adapt to these challenges. I struggled with [the] initial design and concept, but I think it’s finally coming together as the project develops.”
What skills have you developed during this process?
“It’s really pushed my graphics and design as I’ve never done something on this scale before, so I’m hoping this helps when I’m working in the industry. It’s given me a chance to work on my portrait photography, especially on an iPhone. The project has forced me to work on my existing skills as I have to do everything that would go into a publication rather than having a team who specialise in specific areas. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge and I hope it comes across in the publication.”
Do you want to have a future in the publishing industry? If so, why? What about publishing inspires you?
“It’s always been a career dream of mine to be a journalist. Having the chance to create my own publication has only pushed this further and made me consider the publishing side of this industry and it’s something I’d like to work my way into in the future. I love writing and journalism because I like having the ability to make my voice and the voices of other people heard. I’m also very opinionated which always helps!”
Thank you, Eva, for talking to us! Make sure you check out Eva’s socials to keep up with all things Sisterhood.
Instagram: @evaszurko, @evaszurkofashion
LinkedIn: Eva Szurko