Hate magazine dedicates third issue to photographer Matt Irwin (NSFW)

A year after the release of the first issue of Hate, the magazine’s founders Scarlett Carlos Clarke and Luisa Le Voguer Couyet are celebrating their third issue – and first birthday – with a party at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.

“Hate is an independent, self-funded, left-leaning publication,” Luisa tells It’s Nice That ahead of the launch tomorrow evening. “We wanted to have a platform to showcase our own work and the work of our friends. We wanted total freedom of speech and a place we could publish the work we wanted to without censorship,” explains Scarlett.

The third issue of Hate is focused on the vast theme of mental health, an issue which has recently taken up a prominent place in left-wing media platforms from iD and Dazed to Vice and The Guardian. Scarlett says: “We wanted to encourage discussion about issues that are directly affecting us or the people around us and mental health is unfortunately something which affects everyone in some way or another, directly or indirectly.”

“It felt like it was the right time,” Luisa adds, “in light of our friends passing and seeing other friends suffering. If we could have an open dialogue about mental health I think that would go some way in normalising it all. People still don’t feel comfortable with talking about their problems and instead suppress them, which is not good for anyone.” 

“I have been to five funerals in my life, all suicides,” Scarlett tells us. One recent death was that of former Dazed photographer Matt Irwin, who committed suicide earlier this year aged 36. The issue is dedicated to Matt. “Matt was meant to contribute to this issue and was always super encouraging of us doing Hate,” Scarlett says. “We thought it was important that he was included, and it happened to be the mental health issue which seemed relevant. I would email him for advice about photography and he would talk about how much things have changed since he started and was always really supportive.”

Both Scarlett and Luisa knew Matt through the photos he took for east London salon Bleach. “He was taking photos for a Bleach look book and I’d had my bush dyed pink, but it had gone this horrible see-through orange colour,” Scarlett laughs. “I remember trying to model my bush in a somewhat elegant manner and us all just laughing a lot. He had an ability to make people feel at ease even when doing the most awkward things.”

The issue contains contributions from 30 photographers, artists and writers including Tim Noble, Greta Ballamacina, Louise Gray, Rob Whoriskey, Kingsley Ifill, Alex Sainsbury, Dan Mitchell, Joe Sweeney, Steph Wilson, Angel Rose and work by Matt Irwin. There is also a list of mental health charities and organisations covering everything from young suicide prevention to support for those suffering from eating disorders.

Having so far covered sex and mental health, the next issue of Hate will be focused on the environment. Fittingly, this issue is printed on recycled paper. “We know what we are doing more and more!” Luisa says. “I’m so proud of what we have achieved and all the people who have been involved in this project – it’s been exciting and stressful and crazy. I think the ideas haven’t changed, and it’s really important to me that we maintain our values of independence and autonomy.”

The issue launch will take place at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club tomorrow from 8pm, with djs including Luisa and Scarlett, Fat White Family guitarist Saul Adamczewski, Emma Chitty and Jack Jewell.