Print magazines may seem like a thing of the past, but Aleiya Olu believes their time was never over. That’s why she opened Periodicals on Grand River Avenue in Detroit, a newsstand where her passions for marketing, fashion, magazines and art intersect.
“We want to make it clear that magazines, print media and periodicals are really important media,” says the Detroit native. “Print media is really worth its weight in gold because a magazine or other print medium is like a time capsule. We can look back at an old newspaper or magazine and see exactly what was happening at that time.”
Olu opened the store a year ago, on August 17, in a cozy space next to the office of her public relations firm, Olu & Company. She co-owns the firm with her husband, Amani, who founded the art-focused marketing agency in New York City in 2012. The couple has since settled in Core City, a neighborhood that holds special emotional value for Olu.
“I’m from the west side and grew up in Rosedale Park on the Grand River. The Grand River was just such an important artery for me,” she says. “It was the quickest way to get downtown, which was always exciting for me as a kid.”
Olu & Company has worked with major fashion clients such as Bottega Veneta and Gucci, as well as Michigan Central and Joe Louis Greenway. “The agency was founded to help artists better tell their stories to the media. That evolved into galleries and museums, then nonprofits and foundations, and eventually we expanded our offerings to design and architecture,” says Olu.
Olu’s passion for fashion and magazines is reflected in periodicals. “A magazine itself is like a whole creative idea, so the editor of a magazine is almost like the creative director of a fashion house. Each issue is a very well-produced, specific take on a topic,” she says. “I think there’s definitely value in that.”
Her love for magazines began when she was a teenager, when she was fascinated by the well-designed layouts of the Suede MagazineAt this time, she began to look up to political and socially conscious writers as well as Detroit fashion designer Tracy Reese.
“When I was very young, magazines had a huge influence on my career and my perspective. They were a kind of portal outside of my lived reality,” she says. “For me, it was a way to travel without traveling.”
Through Periodicals, Olu & Company supports the printing industry. “People have always said, ‘Print is dead.’ ‘Print is dying.’ ‘What will happen to print?’ But I think there are some people who really believe that print is not going to die because there are so many people who are passionate about it,” she says.
In addition to print media, Periodicals also sells items designed to “reinvigorate the creative spirit,” including candles, perfumes, skincare products and writing utensils. It also supports the local fashion scene by hosting a month-long residency program for emerging designers. Olu lets them set up shop in a large, high-ceilinged back room that connects to a tranquil courtyard. “We really wanted to showcase the architecture of the space and give people access to it,” she says.
With the emergence of many young, innovative designers, Olu is optimistic about the future of Detroit’s fashion scene. “Detroit as a whole is moving in a direction where we’re getting more attention,” Olu says. “People in the fashion industry can’t say they haven’t heard about what’s happening in Detroit, because we’ve definitely been making headlines.”
This story originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail store. Our digital edition will be available on August 6th.
