GBHS student starts a fashion magazine
Junior Chloe Docto founds The Bolded Magazine, a student-run magazine that features fashion, activism, musical artists and more.
The Bolded Magazine logo highlights their trademark colors: red and black.
In the middle of the summer where time stopped, junior Chloe Docto sat at her desk preparing to launch what would be the beginning of something great.
All she had to do was click “publish” and she was now the editor-in-chief/founder of The Bolded Magazine, a publication focused primarily on style.
“It wasn’t until over quarantine when I really acknowledged my interest in the magazine industry,” Docto said. “There are a countless number of individuals who put their all into their craft and in some cases don’t receive any recognition, and I realized that starting a magazine would allow me to share their passions to others . . . whilst at this time of such isolation bring people together.“
Many people have struggled to find purpose and motivation while being stuck at home, but Docto was able to find focus through starting her magazine from the ground up.
Despite only realizing her passion recently, Docto has been able to look back and see what planted the seeds for her intrigue in fashion journalism.
“Subconsciously I’ve always had a fascination with magazines, even just for aesthetic purposes,” Docto said. “As young as 8 years old I remember gravitating towards my mom’s collection of Vogue, Seventeen, and Nordstrom magazines on our coffee tables.”
The Bolded Magazine is a primarily fashion-focused online magazine, showcasing different individuals and their styles in order to help readers discover their sense of identity through fashion.
“I knew for sure that I wanted to create a magazine with a fashion category to provide a starting place for people trying to develop their styles,” Docto said.
The magazine is not solely fashion-based. The Bolded currently houses many musical artists within their catalog and hope to soon include politically active individuals.
“I see so many teens my age accomplishing great feats ranging from creating music to leading political campaigns, and again I wanted to provide a resource to help teens like myself trying to find things to do,” Docto said. “I’m definitely planning on including political activists. … Highlighting political activists is fundamental as teens have just as much of a say (as the older generations) in the political realm as we are going to inherit the remnants of the decisions made now.”
Those featured on The Bolded stand out for their extreme character and achievements. They’re the people who stick out in a crowd.
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“When scouting for a story the vital qualities I seek are individuality, sense of direction and being unbothered by the opinion of others,” Docto said. “In order to truly stand out (they) don’t necessarily have to be an outgoing person. As long as they are willing to go against the norm and advocate for their belief or whatever it may be, I find it admirable and worth sharing with the world.”
Since starting the magazine, Docto has expanded to include other writers and editors, partially in an effort to diversify the unique achievements that can be applauded through the site. Docto has been able to find staffers that hold an equally fervent passion for the message and potential of The Bolded.
“(Docto) started off her magazine by working by herself, writing the articles, editing them, finding people to interview, running the social media, basically everything,” junior Jerimae Pielago, an editor for The Bolded, said. “When she pitched the idea of her magazine, it … sparked my interest and she had my full support. I immediately wanted to join.”
Those showcased on the magazine are chosen for their exceptional creativity and self-expression. Each person exemplifies different senses of style, ranging from “cottage core” to “modern hippy”, bringing fashion from all corners of the world to users.
“The opportunity to work with people across the globe has definitely widened my range of knowledge and perspective,” Docto said. “As of now I’ve been able to interact with people here in Granite Bay all the way to the Philippines. I’ve specifically had a lot of contact with people from Copenhagen, Denmark as well as London, England and Manila, Philippines. … I’ve noticed that we may speak different languages, grow up in different environments … (but) fashion, music (and) activism … translate all over the world.”
The globalization of fashion and technology has allowed for people of wildly different cultures to learn and find the beauty within trends that might seem odd at first glance.
“The internet definitely has changed our view on fashion because we now have access to fashion styles from other parts of the world,” junior Nate Stebbins, who was previously featured for his “grunge” style, said. “Most of the styles I take part in come from places that aren’t America and that wouldn’t be possible without the internet.”
With the increased use of the internet for fashion inspiration, The Bolded has been able to claim its spot in the new age of fashion journalism, setting itself apart in its pursuit to embrace styles and passions that may go against the norm.
The Bolded is undeniably fresh-faced within its field. Yet the team has already set large standards for the mission of the magazine, hoping to create a monetized mode of experience for young journalists with the continuous help of Docto past her teenage years.
“Ultimately I’d like to grow The Bolded into a well known independent magazine run by teens,” Docto said. “I’d love to grow a team and provide an opportunity to allow teens interested in the magazine industry and journalism to gain experience and applicable skills for their future desired career.
…As I continue on past adolescence, I plan on remaining as an advisor to oversee and help shape future journalists and creatives with my experience.”
Docto also hopes that she’ll be able to eventually create a hard copy version of the magazine in addition to the website.
But most importantly of all to Docto is that the main message of the magazine prevails.
“Remain the boldest. Stay bold,” she said.
Ali is a senior and one of the editors-in-chief for the Gazette. This is her second year on the Gazette staff.
