Design Matters with Debbie Millman Kim Hastreiter
Mar 2, 2026
Kim Hastreiter, co-founder and longtime editor of Paper magazine and cultural collector, reflects on downtown New York art, fashion, and nightlife. She recalls founding Paper from scrappy beginnings, spotting artists early, curating daring covers, and why objects and ephemera matter for cultural memory. Short, vivid stories trace a life built on taste, urgency, and preserving cultural chaos.
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How Paper Started As A Sneaked-In Poster
- Kim Hastreiter and partners launched Paper as a low-cost, 16-page newsprint project printed as a poster to sidestep budget limits.
- They sneaked into the New York Times on weekends to typeset and produce early issues, paying off staff and erasing work before morning.
A Father's Eccentric Hustle Helped Launch Paper
- Kim's father actively supported Paper's launch by collecting desks from Women's Wear Daily and placing the paper prominently in newsstands across downtown Manhattan.
- His eccentric street promotion made him 'the man on the streets' and helped Paper get noticed early.
Cheap Print Preserved Paper's Editorial Freedom
- Keeping Paper cheap on newsprint preserved editorial freedom and prevented becoming beholden to glossy advertisers or corporate constraints.
- Bill Cunningham advised 'print on cheap paper' as a way to retain independence even when it meant never making money.
