The stunning new Figure magazine has just landed in the studio and we're VERY impressed

Word on the street is there’s a new magazine in town and it’s got better threads and kicks than all the rest of them, which is quite an achievement given the rate at which new publications emerge and disappear on newsstands across the world. One day they’re here, the next they’re not – subjected to the whims of an unstable economy and an increasing threat from free and online competition.

The secret seems to be the careful selection of a niche subject upon which to base your new venture; custom bicycles, vintage gentleman’s denim and new food trends all seem to be excellent ways to ride out the slump in sales of printed matter for the time being. So what’s this new magazine got that others don’t?

Well for one thing Figure (for that is its name) doesn’t have a specific subject, style or demographic at which its aimed. What it does have is top-notch editorial content and incredibly impressive connections for a first edition. It’s also written bilingually in both French and English which widens its appeal dramatically. The first edition includes a mammoth interview with Ferran Adrià, enigmatic founder of the legendary El Bulli restaurant (now controversially closed) and a photo essay on the short-lived Façade magazine (the apparent inspiration for Figure itself).

Based on these articles you might think Figure is purely about now-defunct institutions but there’s also a wealth of bold editorial photography, interviews with breakthrough artists and a completely unique feature on family life.

The whole package is magnificently designed by graphic design prodigy Côme de Bouchony with Vincent de Hoÿm and Ali Ekber Çelik and costs a mere £9.50. If this fresh piece of print doesn’t manage to buck the trend of single-edition magazines then we’re really not sure what will. Good luck to you Figure, we think you’re ace!