Amber-Rose Layton is expanding the reach of her independent magazine Wanderer to help businesses with design and content creation. Photos: Sarah Pilbeam (@sarahvision).
Amber-Rose Layton was a keen photographer and still in high school when she founded Wanderer Magazine.
Her major Year 12 work for design and tech, the magazine combined her love of photography and writing and was a showcase for the work of her friends.
In December 2019, she threw a launch party and printed 100 copies of the issue.
“I was really excited about doing the next one already because I got such a great response,” she says.
Not long after finishing high school, Amber-Rose moved to Wollongong, which coincided with COVID-19 and lockdowns.
She was keen to pursue the Wanderer project in whatever way she could and says the mandated isolation pushed her to keep producing the magazine and she fulfilled her creative dreams.
The 24-year-old now has a team helping her produce Wanderer and the reach of the magazine is growing nationally and even internationally.
Amber-Rose describes Wanderer as “a tangible, independent print magazine and online media platform sharing real stories on real paper with real people”.
“I feel lucky, in a way, from interviewing people, it creates this catalogue, a touch point for out of state and international stores and retailers to recognise us,” she says.
“We very much curate it so that we can grow to people that we feel align with us. Just recently we got a stockist in Japan [who] reached out to us, which was pretty crazy.
“We’re slowly building a bigger catalogue with the people that we interview, reaching out to retailers and smaller independent bookstores.”
Amber-Rose started Wanderer Magazine when she was in high school.
She says in the age of social media, “it’s just so important to have a physical, tangible source rather than just scrolling through Instagram”.
“I fully believe in the tangible work of magazines. Nothing, I feel, really sinks in unless you fully take the time to actually read it. It’s so important to keep it that way.
“I love learning about people’s processes and why they chose to do what they do. I find it really interesting how people take the next steps to make their passion a reality.”
She says the magazine is “sharing those stories in hopes to inspire other people to take that step too”.
Amber-Rose is inspired by people she interviews and writes about.
“After speaking to someone that’s got a real passion for something, it rubs off on you undeniably.
“Having those deeper conversations does feel rare. I like creating that world where people feel comfortable to share what they are passionate about.”
Amber-Rose is keen to make Wanderer her full-time job. For the past three years, she’s been working for businesses behind the scenes to make that goal a reality.
A few years ago she had a conversation that helped move that goal a little closer.
“My neighbours own Reub Goldberg Brewing Machine in Tarrawanna and I was telling them I really want to do creative work.” With the magazine experience under her belt, the brewery owners hired Amber-Rose to run their socials.
Through word of mouth, more local businesses came on board as clients, resulting in the creation of Wanderer the Studio. The studio offers businesses unique online brand images through strategy, design and content creation services.
Amber-Rose says she’s working on the studio primarily by herself but, as with the magazine, hopes to employ her friends as the brand evolves.
“As stressful as it can be, I could not imagine doing anything else,” she says.
You can find Wanderer Magazine and studio on Instagram @_wanderermagazine and @wandererthestudio.
