Irwin describes Less Common, his intellectual fashion mag, as 'informative, enlightening and not at all egotistical'. He was inspired by National Geographic - the only glossy his Mormon parents allowed in the house.
At London College of Fashion, the 26-year-old photography graduate used the student magazine budget to launch Less Common in 2004. Freelance work and funding from super-stylist Nicola Formichetti and Intersection magazine helped him escape the institutional tie.
As well as editing, Irwin writes, designs pages and takes photos. 'People say my stuff looks real, which I think is a compliment.' His photo blog had 250,000 hits in its first six months.
Irwin's also making a name as a fashion photographer for i-D, rolling up to shoots with a crate of cider and one tiny Contax T3 camera. 'People go crazy because I'm so casual, but I think you lose everything in the staging.'
The next Less Common may well be the first fashion title themed around the concept of 'Space, and the fullness of time'. Expect 'real, amazing issues', such as political exposés and world maps of nuclear reactors alongside Gareth Pugh fashion stories.
· Less Common is available from various European art colleges. See www.lesscommon.com for details
