ABOUT

Founded in New York City in 1999 by Jan-Willem Dikkers, ISSUE began as both a magazine and a creative services studio—designed to elevate independent voices in art, film, music, and culture while also helping brands and institutions connect meaningfully with creative communities. From its earliest print editions to its online expansion, ISSUE cultivated conversations with groundbreaking and emerging artists—pairing striking visual storytelling with in-depth interviews and cultural critique.

Before founding ISSUE, Jan-Willem Dikkers worked as an art director and creative lead in the fashion industry, developing campaigns, print materials, and digital platforms for global brands. His early career offered a front-row seat to some of the most influential names in fashion and photography—an experience that shaped his aesthetic sensibility and laid the foundation for ISSUE’s focus on visual storytelling, cultural relevance, and independent perspective.

Alongside its publishing work, ISSUE operated continuously as a creative agency, producing strategic content and cultural campaigns for over two decades. The platform’s approach—balancing creative vision with strategic execution—was also embedded within Dikkers’ leadership roles at major global companies, where ISSUE’s methods helped reimagine brand identities, launch new initiatives, and merge commercial strategy with artistic clarity. Drawing on longstanding relationships across art, fashion, media, and technology, the agency delivered services including branding and marketing strategies, design, photography, content development, production, and custom publishing—partnering with clients while maintaining a sharp point of view rooted in culture.

In 2000, ISSUE launched ISSUE Management, one of the first agencies to help artists navigate brand and commercial collaborations without compromising their creative path. Operating through 2004, the agency leveraged deep relationships and firsthand industry experience to create opportunities where artists could use commercial work to expand their audience and amplify their artistic presence—while maintaining both vision and integrity. ISSUE Management helped pave the way for several artist-representation models that followed, establishing a new template for how creative work could move between cultural and commercial spheres.

In 2003, ISSUE launched ISSUE Project Room as an art and performance space dedicated to experimental music, sound art, and interdisciplinary work. It began in ISSUE’s ground-floor garage space in Alphabet City, where early events offered an intimate setting for avant-garde and emerging artists. From these beginnings in Lower Manhattan, ISSUE Project Room quickly grew into a vital hub—hosting residencies, commissions, and live events. It later became an independent nonprofit and continues to operate today as one of New York City’s most respected venues for boundary-pushing work.

In 2009, ISSUE’s creative philosophy was brought in-house to the world’s largest online retailer during a critical moment in the evolution of e-commerce. Bridging deep knowledge of fashion with an advanced understanding of technology, the work led to the development of scalable image production systems, innovative content frameworks, and a distinct visual identity that blended editorial edge with mass accessibility. This approach redefined how style, branding, and digital media could intersect—and helped set the global standard for digital retail of fashion and lifestyle goods.

In 2014, ISSUE was relaunched from Los Angeles with a sharper digital focus, continuing its commitment to creativity while expanding its reach and adapting to new modes of storytelling. During this period, the publication featured conversations with hundreds of notable creators—from Oscar winners and Grammy nominees to radical thinkers and cultural outliers—always foregrounding authenticity, inquiry, and depth over celebrity or trend. A sampling of this past content remains available on the website.

After 2020, both publishing and agency work were paused to allow space for reflection and reorientation. Now, more than 25 years since its founding, ISSUE returns in a new form, with its publication and cultural platform now sitting alongside a psychotherapy practice. This latest iteration continues ISSUE’s dedication to exploring the intersections of culture, creativity, and psychological insight—shaped by a deeper lens of social responsibility, emotional well-being, and systemic awareness. Much of the current work is developed using a hybrid process that combines AI tools with human intuition and editorial refinement.

This new phase is guided by the same core values that have defined ISSUE from the start: curiosity, creativity, and commitment to meaningful cultural engagement.