Words Sophia Razvi
We are officially 10 years old! Not bad for a little indie magazine, eh?
That's 15 print issues, 26 cover stars, over 250 incredible photographers, and countless digital features that dig beneath the surface and made us laugh, cry and fall in love with what we do over again. To mark the occasion and celebrate 10 years of Boys by Girls magic, we're bringing back our top 10 favourite moments and we're throwing in a competition with a chance to win a bunch of back-issues!
10 moments we'll never forget
We kick off our favourite memories with the time we asked Asa Butterfield to frolic in a field of wheat wearing pyjamas - somehow he managed to make it make sense (and look good whilst doing it!). He also talked to a wall, became a lizard, and ate noodles straight from the pot (he did apologise for being hungry). Definitely a fave we'll never forget.
Then there's the time we went backstage with Jake Bugg at Cardiff Stadium. If you can believe ever a time existed when we could all come together to enjoy music in crowds. We got to hang out with Jake and his band in the greenroom (aka stadium changing room), ate his crisps and cheese, and recorded the whole experience in Issue 14.
What's a fashion shoot without a little weird? Finn Wolfhard showed us a thing or two about being strange, whilst Cole Sprouse living his 'Lady and the Tramp' fantasy might take the biscuit. Honorary mention to that time we made him stand in the middle of a River somewhere in Canada, for no other reason than we thought it was hilarious. In no way are we suggesting it's a family trait...but things also got freaky in our cover story with Dylan Sprouse... Enter giant green bear.
Danielle Levitt's Issue 14 feature with actor Ashton Sanders is arguably one of our most iconic - the shoot took place in a rented house, and somehow in the process, the owner ended up in the magazine. Thanks, kind lady, you're now independent magazine-famous.
Connor Jessup's diary series for Issue 13 has to be a stand-out moment for us. It's a beautiful reminder of how and why we love platforming the contemporary young male mind, the strength and vulnerability that exists when guards are let down and hearts are opened. As our second feature with Connor, we enjoyed showing off his talent from a different perspective. His written diary, filled with stunning photography to capture his time in Japan to find inspiration, made a lasting impact.
Meanwhile, Thomas Brodie-Sangster's monochromatic staircase mood was an ode to any person ever who has lived on the third floor or above of an apartment block. In Issue 9 we replicated our own 'The Shining' twins moment with Jonah and Christian Lees (whoever said Stephen King couldn't be fashion?). Finally, what's a decade-long anniversary without Desmond, who rocked our world in Issue 10 and continues to do so each time we look at these pictures. If ever you needed extra motivation to get up in the morning and feel fabulous, now you have it.
Competition: Win 10 print back-issues! (including those rare sold-out ones)
After 10 years of sharing printed pages and stories online with you, we've forged some very special friendships and had some pretty awesome times. We'd like to thank you, our reader.
To celebrate, we are offering one lucky winner the chance to win a full bundle of print copies, all the way from Issue 6 to Issue 15 - that's 10 whole magazines delivered straight to your door! If you've been wanting one of those sold-out issues for ages, this is your moment!
To enter, head over to our Instagram and follow these competition rules:
The deadline for entries is Sunday 21st March. Happy reminiscing!
