A Fifteen Year Journey
It all started with a blog. On 28 February 2011, Johnson Gold launched Pause for Swag, a WordPress website built around the idea of stopping for fashion. What began as a hobby and a way to build a portfolio in the hope of landing a job in fashion media soon turned into something far bigger.
The timing was right, too. Menswear was finding its voice between 2011 and 2013, with more men using fashion to express themselves and London Fashion Week introducing London Collections: Men (LCM). Despite the growing interest, there weren’t many magazine platforms speaking directly to this audience. Johnson saw an opportunity to build something he could relate to, covering the latest fashion moments and highlighting pieces that didn’t have to break the bank.
By November 2011, Pause for Swag had evolved into PAUSE, complete with its own website, pausemag.co.uk. The rebrand was part of Johnson’s final major project at the University of Hertfordshire, but things quickly moved beyond university work. When the first cover featuring UK artist Mikill Pane launched, PAUSE started being treated as a business in its own right. The project had taken on a life of its own, and the only way forward was to keep going.
Since then, PAUSE has expanded into covers, fashion editorials, events, parties and much more. The PAUSE Agency followed in 2019, opening up a new chapter in creator and talent management worldwide. Fast-forward to 2026, and the platform is celebrating 15 years in the game.
Below we’ve highlighted a timeline of what went down, giving you guys a scope into some of the best memorable moments of PAUSE to date.
2011: Pause for Swagg
It all started with Pause for Swag. In February 2011, a WordPress blog was launched at pauseforswag.wordpress.com, marking the beginning of the magazine before it rebranded to simply PAUSE. Covering the latest fashion news, trends, celebrity style and retail, the blog laid the foundations for what was to come. By November 2011, Pause for Swag had become PAUSE Magazine, with a new home at pausemag.co.uk.
2012: The First Ever Cover
The first-ever cover featured underground music artist Mikill Pane, shot in Surrey, UK. With a team sourced through Twitter, we travelled outside of London to make it happen, working without support, investment or guidance. Everything was a learning curve, with decisions made along the way. The cover was then launched online, sparking the beginning of everything at PAUSE.
2013: We sold our first print globally
In 2013, we took PAUSE into print, putting issues up for sale after previously producing small print runs of earlier editions. This time, we officially partnered with a distributor to make copies available around the world, taking the magazine beyond its online roots. However, things didn’t go quite to plan. Unexpected challenges came with the move, and despite our ambitions for print, this would be the last issue we produced.
2014 – 2018: Focused on digital
From the end of 2013 and 2014 onwards, we purely focused on digital and grew our online presence. Keeping active and online, our Instagram started growing even more at the time and we continued to push year after year.
2016: Collaboration with Timberland
In 2016, we did a collab with Timberland, featuring a giveaway of 100 free T-shirts at the brand’s Oxford Street store in London.
2015 – 2019: Boys of Summer Editorials
Boys of Summer was a fashion editorial series highlighting the coolest kids and models in town, from London to Paris. Each feature saw us interview up-and-coming creatives and bring their stories to life through a styled editorial produced by the publication’s team. See the first-ever editorial here.
London 2015
Check out full editorial here.
Paris 2016
Check out full editorial here.
London 2018
Check out full editorial here.
Paris 2018
Check out full editorial here.
London 2019
Check out full editorial here.
Paris 2019
Check out full editorial here.
2018 – 2019: PAUSE Yard
In 2018, we launched PAUSE Yard, an event that brought fashion brands and music artists together for the public to shop, discover new names and vibe with PAUSE. It was a way for us to open our doors to our audience beyond the magazine, hosting the event twice in London.
2019: The launch of PAUSE Her
PAUSE Her launched at the end of September 2019 as a standalone digital sister publication to the men’s fashion magazine PAUSE.
2019: The launch of The PAUSE Agency
We launched The PAUSE Agency, started with a small roster of talent from London, Paris and in the EU market, which then slowly grew into global talent management through the years. Check out the current roster here.
2020 – now: The return of the covers
Despite the challenges of COVID, we brought PAUSE covers back in 2020. By 2021, we were building on that return with an even bigger lineup, featuring stars including SAINt JHN, YG, Christian Combs and more.
2020: The Merch Drop
Alongside the magazine, we introduced PAUSE merch for readers around the world. Available through shop.pausemag.co.uk, the range featured tote bags in different colours and socks finished with quirky wording.
2021: PAUSE 10 Years Party
A decade of PAUSE called for a celebration, so we hosted a 10-year anniversary party in London to mark the milestone.
2021 – Now: Shooting Artist Internationally
Each year we pushed on covering artists internationally.
Year after Year: Parties at PFW
Over the years, we’ve hosted plenty of parties in Paris during Paris Fashion Week, teaming up with the likes of Axel Arigato, Daily Paper, Kody Phillips, Gunther, Kick Game, Les Benjamins, NOID and many more!
Year after Year: Brand Collaborations
As PAUSE has grown, so has its list of editorial collaborators. From Nike, PUMA, Converse and New Balance to Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, Vitaly and On Running, the platform has brought a huge mix of brands into its editorials over the years.
2026: PAUSE Turns 15
We are still an independent company that continues to build community through culture, fashion and lifestyle. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the journey.
