Hi!! Clipped finally did it, we converted to Substack. Archives are on their way, but hello to any new subscribers 👋 Here, we talk about the women’s media you *usually* won’t read about in traditional media reporting.
In light of this magical weather we’re having, I have an interview with Nikki Vargas, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Unearth Women. Nikki previously worked at sites like Culture Trip and Atlas Obscura before she co-founded the magazine when she noticed that travel publications frequently ignored women. I think Unearth is the magazine for people who want to travel, or people who maybe don’t want to travel but enjoy reading about it.
Where are you heading this summer?? Camp? Beach? Your bed? Email me at clippedmags@gmail.com.
xx Natalie
In an era when people are meeting abroad for dumplings via Tinder, why did you set out to create a new space for women to connect over travel?
Women make up more than 70% of the travel consumer base and 84% of travel purchasing decisions and yet, travel media is heavily targeted towards men—especially in the print space. Unearth Women was created to offer female travelers content that is curated by women, for women and addresses their specific needs and interests of women who travel.
I think a lot about this piece on the most popular stock images of women transitioning from naked in a towel to “gritty” climbing a mountain in only a decade. The state of being in motion, rolling with punches, escaping, or interacting with others all come up during travel. When it comes to photography and design, what messages are you most trying to convey in Unearth?
Our mission at Unearth Women is to foster inclusivity in the travel industry and celebrate real women who travel. With our photography, social media, and design we hope to convey that mission by being cognizant of what imagery we are sharing and what content we are creating.
On a panel recently, the traveler Jessica Nabongo advised women of color to “travel home, wherever that is.” You spoke a bit about your own journey to Colombia, a place from which previous generations of your own family had fled or were killed. Can you share a bit more of what the power in that homecoming felt like, and why it was important to you to share in Unearth?
My Colombian heritage has always been prevalent in my life. From music to cuisine to traditions, my family has carried our culture to the States and woven it into our daily lives. While I have often flown back to Cartagena for its seaside beauty, I had yet to go back to Bogota (the city in which I was born). My first trip back to Bogota was surreal—at once familiar and foreign. I remember walking through the city and having the uncanny feeling of recognizing everything and yet seeing it all for the first time. There is a palpable connection I have to Bogota for it is the stage on which my parents met, where I was born, where my family fled civil conflict—the city has played such a role in shaping the course of my life and that of my parents. On my trip back to Bogota, I was keen on investigating a mysterious murder within my family that I had grown up hearing about. My aunt, Adita, was said to have been killed by FARC over a land dispute. The details of her kidnapping and subsequent murder were always fuzzy to me over the years. Like a game of telephone, every family member's version differed from the next. I flew to Bogota to look into her murder and to interview members of FARC on the brink of being reintegrated into society. That trip was transformative for me as a person, as a journalist, as a woman.
You’ve had some big second-wave feminist names in your magazine already! Who are some other dream bylines? Rather than bylines, I have a list of women who I dream of featuring, interviewing, and placing on the cover of our magazine. From Christiane Amanpour to Meryl Streep, I want to continue to celebrate strong and powerful women across industries who continue to pave the way for change and inspire us all.
Your professional experience spans advertising and editorial, and you launched this project with a Kickstarter. What advice would you give someone who wants to become a media entrepreneur?
Find a business partner you trust both on a personal level and professional level. My business partner, Elise Fitzsimmons, also happens to be my oldest friend. I trust her fully, and she really is the person who grounds me on a daily basis when it comes to Unearth Women. Starting a company—regardless of your industry—is challenging and emotionally tolling. It takes a lot to pull an idea out of you, change it into a reality, and then try and sway people to love your idea as much as you do. There is a real vulnerability that comes with being an entrepreneur, and it helps to have a business partner who can ride that rollercoaster of emotion with you. In addition, it's important to be realistic about what your strengths and weaknesses are in business, and ideally, find a business partner who can compliment that. I am a creative person and so business and finances are not my strong suit. Elise fills these gaps with her talents, business savvy, and an insatiable appetite for information and learning.
Many of us have seen the Didion packing list. What are some items you’re always taking with you on a trip?
I always try and bring a journal with me, no matter where I go. Traveling brings me such inspiration, and I like to have a pen and paper handy to jot down ideas and emotions as they come to me.
Okay, let’s talk destinations. Where should we go next?
I just came back from Belize and am recommending this destination to everyone! I stayed on the island of Caye Caulker and fell in love with it so much that I flew back a month later to adopt a puppy from a local animal shelter there. I feel Belize is an over-looked destination by many, which is a shame as it offers a wealth of experiences—from the jungle to the islands to the cities. It's also an affordable destination to visit and a relatively short trip (from New York) to get to.
ALSO IN WOMEN’S MEDIA NEWS
This incredible piece in Marie Claire about the missing indigenous women in North America
Among Medium’s millions of new blogs is Zora, for women of color, and Gay Mag, which published this gutting piece on hair, sex, and gender
Bitch Magazine’s new senior editor Rachel Charlene is looking for pitches (we loved this recent piece by Hannah Bae on mental health and Korean Culture)