Film Forever

How did you start running Iconic Magazines? 

In 1993, as soon as I came over [to New York] from India, my uncle had a store, and I started working with him. That location was on the Lafayette and Spring Street corner. I took over this location [on Mulberry] in 1995. That's where my journey started. I built [another location] in 2011, and that location was closed in 2014, so I moved [back] here on Mulberry again that year.

Could you tell us about some of your favorite magazines?

I usually like arts, fashion, and design. There are plenty of those. Architectural Digest and Cabana are some of my favorites. British Vogue is good. I like i-D magazine, but I'm out of that, and waiting for the next issue. Dazed is a nice magazine too. Purple, that's like a coffee table book. Same thing with Self Service. The Gentlewoman, that’s a good magazine for fashion. Also Homme Girls — it's been about five, six years that it's been on the market. I like Apartamento — great for home design. Of course, office magazine is one of my favorites. I’ve been [distributing] office for over ten years now. One-of-a-kind magazine. 

LEFT: HEMAL wears MA-1 HERITAGE BOMBER JACKET by ALPHA INDUSTRIES, HOODIE by ICONIC MAGAZINES, PANTS and SHOES are TALENT’s OWN

RIGHT: HEMAL wears MA-1 HERITAGE BOMBER JACKET by ALPHA INDUSTRIES, SHIRT by ICONIC MAGAZINES, PANTS are TALENT’s OWN

How did you develop a passion for magazines? Where did that passion come from?

From my childhood, I loved reading, always — I believe since I was about 7 or 8 years old. Unfortunately, I don't have that much time now, but I used to read a lot. When I took over my first business, there were not that many magazines [in the store], and I started getting more magazines and customers liked it, and I started liking it. 

What would you be doing if you weren’t running these stores? 

If I was not involved in the business from the beginning [after arriving in America], my goal was to do the masters in software engineering. Once I was involved with the magazines, I loved doing those things, so I never looked back from there.

Do you have any rituals?

It's basically the same routine 99% of the time. I’m an early bird. I wake up around 4:30 or 4:45 in the morning. I do my prayer. After I finish my prayer, I start my work.

What are your favorite places in New York?

Definitely Iconic Magazines. That's my favorite space. Also SoHo and the West Village, I like to be there. All the fashion designers, good people, nice crowd. All the unique stores are there, and it's inspiring. 

Do you remember the first magazine you ever read?

At the time I was back in India, so I don't remember which one it was, to tell you the truth. But my dad used to buy them a lot for me, and that’s how I got into it. 

What is the rarest magazine you've ever stocked in the store? 

Frank Ocean, he had his first book, Boys Don’t Cry. That's a one-of-a-kind magazine, the rarest magazine that we’ve had in the store. He did his magazine launch in our store, in Iconic. Only one [issue] came out.

What do you hope for the legacy of Iconic Magazines to be? 

I like people to have fun, to come and have a great experience shopping. I wanted to create this atmosphere and space for the people, so customers can come and enjoy a great selection of magazines. That was my goal, and I am still working towards that, to have one of the best magazine stores in the country.