The youth culture magazine started by three students in a Croydon shed

Three once unemployed students are thriving with their magazine which is spreading around the world and helping young people who are facing unemployment.

Jean Genie, Jonny Hayes, both 30, and Noah Faseshin, 25, are the founders of ASBO Magazine.

The three students met at a workshop for the unemployed after sending out countless emails and CVs for jobs, but repeatedly received no responses.

Together, they discovered that they could all collaborate to make a magazine to help others in the same position.

Jean Genie, who grew up in South Norwood, said: “We met via an unemployment workshop - it was while we were on a course that we realised that there are other ways of working within the creative industry.

“We came to the realisation that it is often about who you know and who knows you, building your contacts and experience and a commercial portfolio is so important and will help you get a job.”

With just a loan that was originally intended for a car, the three set up a home in a garden shed in Croydon and created ASBO Magazine in 2014.

Music, fashion, and youth culture go into ASBO Magazine, and Jean, the music director, explained: “Because the magazine staff and contributors are in their early twenties and thirties, ASBO has its finger on the pulse of youth culture and covers the underground before it goes over ground.

“So, it always has the best of music, fashion, sport, and youth culture before anyone else.”

ASBO aims to support young people with creative talents who want careers within the creative sector.

The magazine helps them to become job-ready with relevant work experience.

Since its inception, The D Foundation – a media careers charity – has developed a network of volunteer professionals who have worked with young people on placements of up to 12 weeks at a time.

Jean said: “ASBO is designed specifically to identify young talent throughout London, matching them with other creatives, collectively working towards creating a live experience, giving them exposure, showcasing their talents, while also helping them to establish their contacts through our network of professionals.

“We are fed up with waiting for the doors to be opened, so we’re kicking them in.”

ASBO was only supposed to be one issue which was to showcase the work of the original team.

But word spread quickly, and by the time the first issue had come out, over 75 young people were involved in putting the magazine together, from film, photography, journalism and graphic design.

They now have groups of young people working together all over the country, including London, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, and Liverpool.     

Initially, though, there were doubts about launching the magazine.

Jean explained to Your Local Guardian: “Everybody thought we were mad to set up a printed magazine.

“But just like vinyl, print media is making a comeback.

“We are now distributed all over the country and as far as the USA, Japan, and several parts of Europe.”

Jean said that the industry is calling them the “New Face ID magazine” and “a Vogue for the streets.”

In the 10 years ASBO Magazine has existed, they’ve seen several changes, particularly in the frustration of the youth and young people themselves who have been sold a dream that doesn’t exist under the 'get a degree equals get a good job' belief.

Jean said: “On leaving, they find themselves in debt up to £54,000 and offered a job for £20,000 and a good percentage of the time it’s not even in the industry they got their degree in.

“We want to keep to the ethos of ASBO of working with young talent and creating opportunities for young people, one of the ways we are doing this is working with Universities to become part of their degree.

“So students work with us throughout their course so when they leave they are more job ready, have a portfolio of commercial work.

“But more importantly, they have a little black book of contacts to help them gain a stronger foothold and understanding of the industry in which they will gain employment.”

The ASBO brand is going from strength to strength, so much so that they are looking at going monthly, as currently they are bi-monthly, with a special International Graduate Fashion Issue that comes out at the end of October each year.

Another option they are looking at is setting up ASBO Magazine projects in several countries.

Just before the pandemic, they had set up and released ASBO in Bosnia.

As the brand develops, they are also looking to branch out into ASBO TV, live events both in Fashion and Music.

Croydon was the London Borough of Culture in 2023, due to its rich and diverse music and fashion background.

Jean said: “I spent my early teenage years in local record shops like Shake Some Action and Beanos, sadly both are no longer there.

“I have a passion for the Grass Roots music scenes and I love being able to amplify this through working at ASBO Magazine.

“You cannot fake authenticity and that is what people love about ASBO Magazine and the grassroots music scenes in general.

“Having attended The BRIT School in Croydon where I studied Media, Art and Design, I feel proud to be giving back to future generations of creatives local and beyond.

“ASBO Magazine is the magazine I wanted to read when I was a teenager.”