Gazeta.pl: The Last Ever Issue by VML

For 27 years, ‘Twój Weekend’ (‘Your Weekend’) was one of Poland longest running and most read adult magazines. It was also where many Polish men, who didn’t have any formal sex education, learned about women, but the publication reduced women to sex objects, as did the pervading sexist culture in the country. In December 2018, when it was up for sale, it was bought out and closed down, but not before one final issue.

The team involved used the final issue to challenge the culture of sexism and gender inequality the magazine had contributed to building. They transformed ‘Your Weekend’ into a conversation-sparking magazine promoting diverse and progressive narratives of femininity.

It was published on International Women’s Day, and the format kept the regular sections and columns but reimagined the content around sexual education, gender portrayal, equal rights, sexism and more. It was the symbolic end of an era and a spectacular beginning for a much-needed national conversation, which it definitely sparked.