One Year of Saffron Magazine

By Bryn Palmer

The one year anniversary of Saffron Magazine, a South Asian-led multimedia collective represents a cultural community growing both creatively and geographically.

Founded by University of Texas at Austin alumna Jayashree Ganesan in 2022, Saffron unites South Asian and other racially marginalized writers, stylists, hair and make-up artists, models and innovators in assembling a biannual issue. Named after the world’s richest spice, the publication explores the intersectionality within South Asian cultures. As a first-of-its-kind organization in Austin, the group has few counterparts spanning across the country. Saffron initiated pivotal change in Austin’s growing editorial and fashion communities by championing diverse gender expressions and ethnic backgrounds, its members say.

“I’m seeing how there has become a sense of legitimacy put to South Asian art,” Editor-in-Chief Ganesan, said. “It’s tough that someone else has to be the cultural authority on what the legitimacy of a South Asian artist is, or a non-Western artist is, but I’m seeing how people are emboldened by the prospect of other people acknowledging their craft.”

Feelings of isolation stemming from the lack of community in editorial publications on campus, Ganesan said she curated this entity to eradicate feelings of alienation while nurturing talent from non-European backgrounds.

“I think there’s a loss of community in a lot of editorial publications because of how cliquey they might be,” the 22-year-old said. “Their first thought is not inclusion or nurturing people, but rather to make this publication.”

Ganesan is not alone in these feelings. Several members of the collective said the environment in other student-run magazines feels disconnected and work-centric. They described Saffron as a community where the published content is important, but fostering personal connections and enjoyment are prioritized above all.

Model Zak Kadir, who uses he/they pronouns, said they enjoy participating in a creative-centric South Asian partnership.

“The high school I went to was very competitive,” Kadir said. “A lot of the South Asian-led orgs were pretty academic based and it was nice to have something outside of that.”

Writing director Safiyya Haider, who uses she/they pronouns, said that although immersed in her own culture during high school, Saffron allows her the liberation of self-expression as it highlights the complexity in identities within South Asian cultures.

“I feel like I've definitely found more of a sense of belonging in Saffron,” she said. “I think it's the first space that has been queer South Asian centered.”

The campus-based community just marks the beginning, Ganesan said.

In starting the collective, Ganesan and Yousuf Khan, the former creative director and current styling director, sought inspiration from Diet Paratha, a London-based social platform created to elevate the perception of South Asian creatives. Its founder, Anita Chhiba, said the name, translating to Indian flatbread, is an imitation of a fashion watchdog group called Diet Prada. Though Diet Paratha started on Instagram, the transformed creative agency now reigns as the self-proclaimed “Best in South Asian Talent and Creativity.”

After seeking Chhiba’s expertise, Ganesan is prepared to nationalize her brand.

The magazine started as a UT organization, but its executives no longer confine themselves to the Forty Acres. After last season’s successful collaboration with an industry professional from New York, they plan to continue this momentum of expanding nation-wide. Out of 60 members, the organization has 15 who live outside of Austin and three who live outside of state.

The team also shared goals of pushing past the magazine. Though debating the discontinuation of their standard biannual magazine issues, Saffron is evolving into a platform. Long-term, executives said they want to expand into a creative agency.

“We’re trying to broaden what we create and what we do,” Khan said. “We’re in a pretty transitional period.”

After planting its roots in Austin, Saffron’s executives prepare for this magazine's American takeover.