Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu will launch Cherry Bombe this week, a biannual fashion magazine that covers food from a design-driven angle. Celebrating women in the culinary world, the debut issue features the likes of Sofia Coppola, Gabrielle Hamilton and cover girl Karlie Kloss.
The two clearly have good taste, first meeting at Harper’s Bazaar and moving on to stints at Lancome and Coach (Diamond), or launching Me Magazine and a graphic design agency (Wu). Diamond even managed to find time to open two Brooklyn restaurants and a coffee shop before she and Wu decided to begin raising funds for their fashion-meets-food magazine concept. After a beyond-successful Kickstarter campaign that exceeded initial funding goals by more than 30 percent, the first print issue was signed, sealed and delivered to select newsstands last Friday.
I caught up with the ladies who launch to pick their brains on print vs. digital, last meals and what makes so Karlie’s Kookies so delicious.
Julie Bensman: With so many traditional magazines focusing on digital, why launch Cherry Bombe in print?
Kerry Diamond: We love magazines. It’s that simple. A lot of people think we’re crazy, but so be it. There are so many blogs and websites, it would have been difficult not to get lost if we launched that way.
KD: That was an easy decision! She really represents what the magazine is all about: people doing interesting things in the food world who also care about the world around them. Her Karlie’s Kookies project is benefiting the FEED initiative, her partner is Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi and she happens to be the most successful supermodel around right now. Plus, Karlie is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
JB: The crossover between food and fashion industries seems to be more and more common this way…
KD: Sure, you have designers opening restaurants and fashion stars like Karlie doing food projects, but for us, it’s not necessarily about literal crossovers. We’re interested in people doing interesting things in or around the food world who happen to have a strong aesthetic and point of view.
JB: What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
KD: Our former boss, Harper’s Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey, always said, “Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions.” It’s a good way to think.
JB: How would you describe your own style point of view?
KD: I love dresses and boots. But when we’re shipping the magazine or I’m working at the restaurants, it’s all about jeans, a denim shirt and Converse sneakers.
Claudia Wu: My style is pretty basic and casual in the winter, but when the weather gets warmer, it definitely gets girlier. I love almost anything with stripes and have been buying more prints lately. Most warm days, I’m in a dress.
JB: Last meal, what would it be?
KD: The fried chicken with vidalia onion gravy at Seersucker. I love that dish.
CW: I would gorge myself with uni, king crab legs and oysters; then top it off with a Mangosteen and Pierre Herme macarons. Always leave room for dessert.
