Size is Sexy recently caught up with Sommer-Lee Johnson, founder of the brand new publication Gemini Magazine. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule and sit down with us to give S.i.S. an in depth look into her feelings on the modern plus size world and what she is doing to show the world that big is definitely beautiful and fun.
Hi Sommer, let’s begin with what inspired you to start a magazine? I have been in love with the English language my entire life. My mother has a photo of me at the age of 4 with a smile on my face and a pen in my hand. I always said I would become Sheila E or a writer. Obviously the Sheila E thing didn't work out. LOL I love magazines. I'm not much of a newspaper gal, and I love books, but I'm not always in the mood to read 300+ pages. Magazines are smack dab in the middle. It gives people an outlet to escape everyday pressures without being overly involved. Magazines are adult picture books, and who doesn't love a picture book???
Why a BBW magazine at that? For most of my life, I have battled the weight thing. During the summer of my 5th grade year, my mom put me on a diet. I can remember trying on clothes and crying because all the cute stuff didn't fit. Thanks to radishes, carrots, and cucumbers I lost the 'baby fat' and I could fit into the small stuff. I was never born to be a size 8. Silly me didn't realize it until age 20-something. This is the skin I'm in so I might as well love it. That can be kinda hard to do when you look at the newsstand and see size 8 and below everywhere (except for Oprah). I was tired of never reading about the issues I had...big boobs, big thighs, full waist (which I'm trying to widdle down lol). The curvy gal gets one little mention in some mags and none at all in others. I was sick of it.
What is the most important aspect of the magazine to you? Inspiration. We are here on this Earth to serve. Gemini's service is to inspire. Through sheer inspiration do we find the energy to do amazing things. The more women we inspire, the more lives we change. For us, it's not just about our immediate audience. It's about the little people in their lives who reap what we sow. I have a daughter, and a son. I don't want either of them growing up thinking there are limits on what they can do because of their background, image, and so on.
Is there a meaning behind the name Gemini? My mother always use to tell me I had two sides. “There is a good Sommer and a bad Sommer,” she would say. When the vision came about Gemini, it didn't have a title. I wrote everything out that night and the last thing to come was the title. Then I heard what my mom use to say, and I realized that it wasn't just me with two sides. Everyone had two sides. Most people underestimate the curvy woman. Yea, she might be a size 20, but she can rock a pole, or a boardroom. And it doesn't hurt that I'm a Gemini too.
How is Gemini going to set itself apart from all the other BBW magazines? If I told you that...I'd have to kill you. (Joking) Well, we have set our sites on settling somewhere between Vogue and Essence. Fashion is a big part of the curvy-girl-frustration. This designer says it's a size 14 but it fits more like a size 12. Or this bra says a DD but it really fits like a C. We are dedicated to bringing curvy women the fashion made especially for them. We are shooting for a mix of mid to high end designers, beauty products, and so on. We are also dedicated to informing our audience on the issues of the world. We want to bring awareness of community projects, health/beauty issues, financial/career/business concerns, and so much more to the virtual doorstep of our audience. Our goal is to be front and center at every book store and grocery check out counter.
Target audience…is it for all ages? No. Our target audience is for women between size 12 to 24, ages 27-45. Our readers are “domestic engineers” (thanks Brie), professionals, CEO's, authors, celebrities, mothers, friends, sisters, and survivors. The common thread...absolute curvacious fabulousness!
How do you plan on reaching your audience? We are reaching our audience via the Internet. In this day and age, most everything is done via computer. We have touched Australia, South America, Africa, Europe, Canada, as well as the US from coast to coast. We have also partnered up with Club Cushions. I love the organization. I think it fits well with Gemini's goal to be of service. We are pushing our name out there by any (positive) means necessary.
What topics can your readers look forward to? Oh boy, we have a ton of stuff batted around on a daily basis. We have a bridal issue coming out in April of this year. I am soooo looking forward to our Summer Issue. I won't say too much, but it will be amazing! We are hoping to get Ms. Mo'Nique on the cover of our summer issue, looking fabulous as only she can. I am also looking forward to our Women's Health Issue debuting later this year. We will cover everything from the roota to the toota. If it's a health concern, we will have as much information as we can. We are excited about this whole year, really, and our readers should be too. We have the super-mysterious (not really) summer issue coming in May 2009, the Big Business Issue in July (it is all about curvy women doing big things in the business world), the Health Issue, and the most glam...the Luxe Issue. The Luxe Issue will be the most fun because we get to take a look at the insane mansions, jewelry, clothes, and cars. All with a curvy twist of course!
When can we expect the official website to launch? Very soon. By the time our Spring Fashion Issue comes out (March 2009) our website will be up. We will be adding new things to it as we grow.
Where do you see Gemini in 5 years? Wow. Well, the vision isn't mine, really. I strongly believe that this is the Big Guy's baby...I'm just the crazy lady he decided to let manage it. So with that said, I can't really say where I see it for sure, but I have an idea. I see Gemini putting men and women back to work and feeling good about themselves because they can once again provide for their family. I see Gemini front and center on every magazine shelf in the country. I see Gemini becoming a big time sponsor for charitable organizations around the world. I see Gemini transforming lives and changing the family tree.
Wow...this was fun....can I do it again?
Thank you so much for sitting down with us and we wish all the success in the world with Gemini Magazine.
