Editor-in-Chief Amaya Aztecatl (left) and Managing Editor and Modeling Director Sydney Bynes (right) pose for a photo published in the first edition of Lewk Magazine.

Walking on campus can sometimes feel like fashion week in itself.
Any day of the week, students can be found wearing anything from thrifted pattern skirts to pleather knee-high boots, making Texas State a hub for upcoming fashionistas and designers.
Bringing together their love for fashion, inclusivity and community, a group of Texas State students strives to spotlight campus creativity through Lewk Magazine, a fashion-based online publication.
Lewk Magazine started as an idea in the summer of 2021 between founders and fashion juniors Gabriella Garcia and Amaya Aztecatl. The duo was inspired by well-known publications like Vogue and other student-led entities like SPARK Magazine, a fashion and culture publication created by students at the University of Texas. In October 2021, Lewk was officially established and has since grown to include over 50 members.
“We started online and didn’t really know anyone in the fashion scene except each other, so once we started in-person classes, we began the process which included a lot of trial and error in finding a [faculty advisor] and getting everything authorized through the school,” Aztecatl said.
Both Garcia and Aztecatl are passionate about their vision for Lewk and its future. To them, the application process is essential to ensure they recruit like-minded people with the same commitment and excitement.
“We are very ambitious and put a lot of passion in our work, but we had to be patient through the process, and at times, it felt like we were constantly running around trying to get everything organized,” Garcia said. “We want those same kinds of qualities in our applicants, but we always welcome creatives to join even if you’re not sure what your passions are yet.”
The Lewk team has dedicated its brand message to serving the community by providing advertising spaces for local businesses in the magazine and creating a safe space on campus for creative students.
“We are here to provide opportunities to creatives on campus and anyone wanting to be in a space surrounded by like-minded and energetic people in a judgment-free environment,” Aztecatl said.
Lewk’s first issue was released in February and was dedicated to Black History Month. Titled “Total Take Over,” the edition focused on sustainability within the fashion industry, introduced the Lewk team and highlighted Black designers and their influences on fashion.
Articles in the issue include “Black Women’s Influence in the Y2K trend” by the magazine’s Managing Editor Sydney Bynes, which explains the origins of Y2K style and credits the Black community with sparking the trends often associated with throwbacks to the 90s and early 2000s.
“The Black community has come into its own and will forever be influential in our fashion culture,” Bynes said. “Whether it is clothes, shoes or hair wherever you look there is some type of Black influence reflected in the popular trends we see today.”
Behind the scenes of the magazine, Bynes also works as the modeling scout and is a key player in creating the magazine. She and Aztecatl met in class last year and instantly began discussing plans to launch the publication.
The creators of Lewk strived to establish a publication that was inclusive of their community and that sparked discussion on current and relevant topics. These same values are reflected in the magazine’s team as members who applied as hair stylists and makeup artists were required to present work samples on all hair types and skin tones.
“It’s really easy to feel lost in this time we’re in with everything going on, and also in this age where we’re just trying to find ourselves,” Aztecatl said. “I just want us to be the place that people can come to and find themselves.”
Lewk invites individuals from all majors to apply for a spot on the team. Barry Underhill, the publication’s faculty advisor, said it’s important for the publication to feature perspectives from different backgrounds.
“The magazine is open to contributors from all majors throughout the school. I’m sure it would benefit greatly with students from communication design, photography, journalism, business, sustainability studies, philosophy, theater, sociology, history, just to name a few, involved,” Underhill said. “Students from majors other than fashion would certainly have a unique and welcome perspective to contribute.”
As the Lewk team continues to create content and prepares to release their second issue, Aztecatl said they are relishing the feeling of putting out the first edition and enjoying the fulfillment that comes with seeing their hard work pay off.
“Regardless of what major you’re in, a creative outlet is important and it’s such a good feeling to have an idea go throughout the process and then to see the finished product,” Aztecatl said. “It’s very fulfilling for anyone.”
To learn more about Lewk Magazine, visit @lewkmagazinetx on Instagram.