Simply put, Industry Minne-zine is not a ìfashion magazine.” We are a magazine that focuses on local music, art, fashion, culture and people.

Erin Adlerís Feb. 2, article ìAll dressed up and no where to go,” called Industry Minne-zine a ìfashion magazine.” We are much, much more than that. Although we donít want to claim to be anything we are not, fashion is not all that is in Industry Minne-zine.

A comparison of LíEtoile and FAME wouldíve made more sense. Out of 132 pages, we had two fashion spreads in the ìBar and Restaurant” issue. In the next one, the ìFashion and Design” issue, there will be a few more.

There are more local publications that also have one or two fashion spreads in them; they werenít included in this article.

The critique Adler gave was inaccurate as well. Industry distributes to 250 locations around the Twin Cities, not 25.

I wish she would have been a little more proactive in reaching Tricia Heuring, the editor, and myself. I heard from Adler the day before the article was due, and she had told me that she couldnít get a hold of Tricia via e-mail. So I gave Adler her number. Although e-mail seems to be a preferred mode of communication for some people, others prefer to be reached via phone.

We also had network problems that week. Other than that, the article was very disappointing to read. If youíre going to give an opinion on ìwhat needs alternations” and spew erroneous fallacies about our content, then I think Adler has missed the boat completely. I wouldíve liked to see something more constructive other than insulting people that show up in our photos as ìwannabes.”

The people that put Industry Minne-zine together work very, very hard to find compelling content. Content that would not be picked up by other publications in the Twin Cities. Adler just needs to do a little more research before writing an article critiquing and comparing something she obviously knows nothing about.

The Daily does a good job of putting together local stories and happenings. How about a constructive article next time about how lucky we are to have an assortment of local publications?

Our city is growing and people are doing things. We should be proud to have an array of publications. Cutting down and comparing publications that are totally different from one another was unreasonable.

Industry Minne-zine prides itself on being a catalyst for local artists, designers, photographers and writers to get their name out there and be recognized. We are not just a ìfashion magazine;” we are a humble publication just trying to put something positive out on the Minneapolis and St. Paul scene.

Nothing more, nothing less.

  Toni Toutloff is the publisher and co-owner of Industry Minne-zine. Please send comments to [email protected].