Current Issue #28

FUTŪRA

THE TYPE OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

Futura, the typeface created by Paul Renner nearly a century ago, in 1927, was conceived as a contribution to New Frankfurt, an affordable public housing program in the German city of Frankfurt, in the federal state of Hesse. Its design is rooted in simple geometric forms that later became emblematic of the Bauhaus style. Although Renner was not directly associated with the Bauhaus movement, he shared its core principles. For instance, he firmly believed that a modern typeface should introduce new paradigms rather than merely echo past designs. He rejected traditional font styles, criticizing “the grotesques, their narrowness, and their lack of a consistent system in weight and form.”

Yet, Futura’s distinctive long ascenders and almost classical Roman capitals lent it a refined elegance, setting it apart from other geometric sans-serifs. It’s emergence marked the dawn of a new modern era, becoming a defining symbol of its time. Composed entirely of pure geometric shapes – triangles, squares, and near-circles – without serifs or embellishments, it is often said that “Futura’s crisp, clean forms reflect the appearance of efficiency and progress even today.”
What made Paul Renner revolutionary was his approach to typography, which prioritized the objective communication of ideas over artistic expression. In fact, the typeface we use, which serves as the foundation of our magazine’s logo, stems from that groundbreaking declaration. It conveys a dieliberate aesthetic choice, one that strikes a balance between purity and strength.
This has been the creative thread guiding us over the years, and particularly throughout this one, as we explored the concept of DNA and origins in a trilogy. This issue marks its final chapter. In the first, we lay down roots; then we turned to our background; and now, we look ahead to the future.
A future that emerges (or should emerge) from our experience, built upon the solid foundations of the legacy we have received and, in turn, will pass on to future generations. It is a continuous flow, a dialogue between what was and what will be, shaped by our intentions, our guiding vision. You will discover this journey in the following pages, where layers of contemporary thought intertwine, creating a subtle interplay of thesis and antithesis, culminating in a collective synthesis: the pursuit of beauty in every fleeting moment life offers. An instant to seize.
Because, after all, today is already tomorrow – or perhaps, it is already the past.
We communicate through fashion, art, design, and the stories told by the protagonists who frame these worlds. Perhaps other civilizations, more advanced than ours, have preceded us on this Earth. It may be that the future we foresee – or the one we are already immersed in – has, in some form, existed before. Today, fame can be achieved on Instagram with surreal statements scribbled in ballpoint pen on ordinary Post-it notes, yet they appear as if chiseled onto a Roman stele. Or we can dive into the archives of a great and elusive creator, proving that everything worth saying has, in some way, already been said. Through art, we can also reimagine fashion in a way that transports us beyond time, envisioning how current iconic objects might appear to a future archaeologist: fossils of a consumer-driven civilization, perhaps long vanished.
Only through an embrace of ignorance and error – if born from unconscious acts – can new possibilities unfold, allowing us to craft a future that is not just different, but perhaps even better.

SILVIA MOTTA

SONGUE GUEYE IN LORO PIANA BY GIAN MARCO PORRU
CURATED BY DOMENICO COSTANTINI

THOMAS LÉLU IN PRADA BY ALEX BRUNET AND OLGA VAROVA

NIKI GEUX IN MARINE SERRE BY JONATHAN LLENSE

NIKI GEUX IN MARINE SERRE BY JONATHAN LLENSE

ISSUE #29 IN APRIL
Look on the map where you can find us

View Collectible Dry Reseller in a full screen map. Scroll down to read the list of our reseller plotted on this map! Collectible DRY is distributed internationally in more countries than you can find on this map but as now we aren't able to provide the full list of our retailers. Since we can't ascertain all addresses, try to contact the retailer before going. Please feel free to contact us! if don't find any retailer near you.

or buy the magazine from one of our online retailers
Unique Shopping Logo

All trademarks service marks and logos appearing on this page are the propriety of their respective owners.