On Appearances

I made a fake GQ article this week, did you see it? 

I mocked up the cover, wrote the feature, even threw in some pull quotes. Felt a bit cringe doing it to be honest, but it made me laugh. I must admit, it looked impressive and the sentiment, content and tone of article was exactly how I’d want it to look if it was real. I guess that is testament to the photography of Craig Fleming (who does shoot at that level anyway, and my own photoshop / graphic skills) either way - it fooled a lot of people.  It was meant as a joke, a cheeky way of pointing at the fashion industry’s obsession with coverage, validation, and appearance. Might have been worth actually reaching out to GQ to see if they would feature me, but in all honesty I’ve probably lost faith that they do things like that for brands like Mamnick and people like me, (god that sounds depressing doesn’t it?). 

What I didn’t expect was the sheer number of people who believed it. People I admire messaged to say how proud they were. Long-time customers congratulated me like I’d won something. A few even asked where they could buy the issue.

And that made me fee … well, a bit strange.

Part flattered. Part guilty.

Part like I’d accidentally stepped on something fragile.

But also - I actually felt seen.

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What it showed me, more than anything, is how easy it is now to blur truth in 2025. A well-designed post and a confident caption is all it takes. I could have actually just left it out there and come August 2026, the supposed release date, no-one would have remembered the original post! 

As the tools around us get smarter and reality becomes more editable, you can manipulate what people see, you can shape u what they believe. And if you’re not careful, you start doing it to yourself too.

That’s the bit I’ve been thinking about since posting it really. 

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Because this wasn’t about fooling people.

It’s about how addicted we’ve all become to the idea of appearing successful, respected, important.

To likes. To shares. To the digital claps. And most of all to status, even the quiet kind.

And maybe that’s what I was probing with the fake article, without realising it. The line between recognition and performance is thinner than it’s ever been. The line between reality and satire is almost none existent. 

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But here’s the flip side and this part really stayed with me:

A lot of people saw the post and didn’t care if it was real or not.

They just liked that I’d made something good.

That it looked “cool”.

That it said something true.

That kind of support is rare. And I don’t take it lightly.

It reminded me that Mamnick isn’t just a brand. It’s a shared idea, about making things properly and telling stories, and not waiting for permission to do either.

The fake article was never meant to ‘trick’ anyone.

But maybe it did help reveal something real.

Thanks to those who messaged. And to those who knew it was fake - but clapped anyway.