at the very beginning of my american life, i worked as a taxi driver and delivery person. then i realized that’s not what i came across the ocean for. i switched to something that i always liked—design, and it worked. —anton ioukhnovets
First job in the US, Castro Valley, California. Photo: courtesy of Anton Ioukhnovets.
plus magazine
In 2000, Anton collaborated on creating PLUS magazine with an old friend, Oleg Diachenko. They wanted to create a new type of lifestyle magazine for the younger generation of increasingly cosmopolitan Russians. In the process they realized that cultural references from the Soviet period could be used as an antidote to the “new Russian” mentality. “We embraced the past. I found the juxtaposition between luxury western brands and Soviet visual vernacular incredibly entertaining. It helped shape the visual language of PLUS,” Ioukhnovets says.
Plus magazine. Cover designed by Anton Ioukhnovets.
Plus magazine. Layouts designed by Anton Ioukhnovets.
in a way, i’m proud that i grew up in the soviet union and am acquainted with the soviet visual heritage. if you find a whole new approach to it, you can do a lot of incredible things. —anton ioukhnovets
Anton Ioukhnovets in Moscow, late 80s. Photo: courtesy of Anton Ioukhnovets.
gq
In 2003 Anton started to work at GQ as a designer and became an art director in 2007 under Fred Woodward. He worked there until 2010, winning multiple awards, including the Society of Publication Designers Magazine of the Year award in 2006 and 2011. One of his most recognizable features at GQ was conceptual typography—headlines that were not mere words but visually expressed the story.
GQ magazine. Layout designed by Anton Ioukhnovets. Photograph by Mark Seliger.
when i was starting out in design i bought my first computer, which happened to be a macintosh. it was really expensive back then. my immigrant friends were shocked—they kept asking if i'd ever be able to pay it back working as a designer. somehow, i was sure i would. —anton ioukhnovets
