Michael Harding on the vision behind Altered States

For Michael Harding, it all started with hair—the kind of haircuts that looked like they’d been ripped from a punk zine, carved with clippers in a bathroom, skater-freak, lo-res, anti-fashion hair. That sense of refusal, of look wrong in order to feel right, has carried through into his work as the co-founder of Altered States, the magazine where the “r” in Altered is flipped backwards. Alongside stylist Hannah Elwell, Harding built a publication that treats fashion and beauty not as surfaces to polish but as cultural languages.

Rather than following traditional glossy formats, Altered States embraces nuance: a soft, real quality that lingers on archival fragments. Harding’s approach feels both historic and immediate, tapping into the nostalgia of skating in the ’90s while staying keyed into today’s fractured media landscape.

In this conversation, our editor-in-chief speaks with Harding about the thrill of going to print in an increasingly digital world, the beauty of outsider communities, and what it means to expand the role of a magazine when publishing itself is in flux.

Sasha Kovaleva: What first drew you to the world of experimental culture and alternative media, and can you recall a formative moment that set you on this path?

Michael Harding: It was during my early teenage years when I discovered anime books and films. I loved the punk attitude of the characters and the contemporary fashion styles depicted, and it resonated with me, especially the hairstyles. Through that initial discovery I began to explore real life subculture communities with similarities documented in books by photographers. I loved how fleeting and insightful the moments captured were along with how the fashion and beauty were driving the narrative for those images. In fashion, as a community, we try to understand the narrative of these works and pay homage, but it’s very difficult to emulate their cultural significance and message.

SK: Which thinkers, artists, or cultural movements had the strongest influence on your early worldview, and in what ways do you still feel their presence in your work today?

MH: I began skateboarding during a time when it wasn’t socially accepted; we were considered outcasts for the type of haircuts and clothing we wore. The scene was filled with creative anarchy that only made sense to those that were truly part of the community. I felt drawn to photographers like Larry Clark and Ed Templeton, who, at the time, captured some of skate boarding’s most culturally significant moments in my opinion. I think I will always be drawn to that type of aesthetic, but as I’ve moved through the years, my taste has become more inclusive of other creative worlds.

SK: What was the original spark for Altered States, and how has the vision evolved since its inception?

MH: The idea came to me a year before we launched in 2020. At the time, I felt there was a lack of beauty publications that were focusing solely on contemporary beauty with a subversive edge, a bit rawer and more experimental. Our platform would also advocate the importance of authenticity within cultural movements, past and present, highlighting seminal beauty moments within archival works from documentary photographers and artists. I have always had a deep appreciation for these pillars and through that, I’ve understood the importance of supporting artists that pushed creative boundaries, artists that paved the way.

I also needed to make sure the world we created wasn’t influenced by traditional media elements such as advertising and celebrity talent placement. The magazine has always been self-funded, so I wasn’t prepared to comprise on its vision. In hindsight I should have been more open to working with celebrity talent earlier on as it would have accelerated relationships with brands, but I didn’t care. I wanted the magazine to be viewed as something worth collecting, something more than cheap glossy paper with adverts. Every issue would be the appreciation issue which would include contributors we admired at the time. We would later begin building themes as the magazine later evolved and we were beginning to work towards drawing in a spectrum of brands for partnerships.

SK: What do you think is missing from today’s fashion and cultural media discourse? Are there narratives, voices, or formats that you feel remain overlooked or underrepresented?

MH: Consistency. There are a lot of new magazines launching every season with no real direction, just the intent of drawing in advertisers as quickly as possible so they can monetise. BIPOC publications like Boy. Brother. Friend and Justsmile stand out in my mind as they are very important culturally and have a strong message. These are young magazines still building their presence and establishing a business like ourselves and I respect that greatly.

SK: Can you share an instance where a piece in Altered States surprised even you, opening a perspective you hadn’t anticipated?

MH: I’m always surprised by the positive impact our platform has had on artists careers within the fashion community. We were very influential in raising awareness of their profiles through our collaborations. We allowed for greater creative scope within our commissions which helped create truly authentic pieces of work. A magazine is only as strong as its contributors and without the support we received, the magazine would not have progressed to what it is now.

SK: What, in your view, makes collaborations between media and fashion brands succeed—and what makes them fail?

MH: If you aim to produce content that is more in line with the fashion brands message, you will fail. You need to make sure there is a balance of tone. The ones that succeed understand how to amplify the fashion brands message without impacting the way the magazine’s community engages.   

SK: In an era of digital overload, how do you think about the role of a magazine as both an object and an experience?

MH: A physical magazine will always be an object that people collect and admire. I believe the experience created by the product will live or die by the quality of the print, but printing is very expensive, so I understand that contingencies need to be made. As a publisher, you have a responsibility to the contributors to present their work in the strongest way possible within your means.

SK: Do you imagine the future of Altered States as primarily print, digital, or something hybrid—perhaps even experiential beyond the page?

MH: It will continue to be all those things—at its core, it’s experimental, but who knows what the future holds. What I do know is that when I look back, I can be proud of what I’ve accomplished, as it’s a true representation of the vision I set out to achieve.

SK: Independent magazines are often celebrated for their freedom—but in reality, no publication is ever fully independent. What kinds of invisible pressures (financial, cultural, etc.) do you feel weigh most heavily on Altered States, and how do you negotiate them without losing credibility?

MH: The freedom is only as deep as your pockets. Like I said, we wanted to make art, but in the end, I realised I needed a partnership with commerce to do so. As the fashion landscape keeps changing, we keep adapting to maintain relationships with collaborators and ensure longevity. But nothing is ever a sure thing in publishing or fashion—at least from my experience.

SK: What remains the most exciting or fulfilling aspect of editing a magazine for you today?

MH: Going to print and seeing all the endless hours of work come to life.

SK: What responsibilities do you think independent publishers hold today, in contrast to mainstream media?    

MH: Industry creatives are now launching magazines solely for leveraging their profile within the industry. They are not interested in producing something long-term, so the quality of design is very low. To me publishing is an art form, so as an independent magazine, it’s important to challenge and push boundaries creatively.

SK: What advice would you give to young people passionate about independent media and eager to build a career in this space?

MH: You need to be sincere about the world you want to present or your voice will fade into the online noise.