Renell Medrano Expands the Ice Magazine Universe (and Coven) With Vol. 2
“I grew up admiring women,” says New York City-based photographer Renell Medrano, who has shot SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny’s latest Nuevayol music video, not to mention countless editorials and campaigns for brands like Tiffany & Co. and Nike. The Bronx native recalls appreciating “curvy women, Spanish girls, Black girls, all types.” But she noticed men regarded these “around-the-way girls” quite differently. “I always felt like guys were just creeps,” she says with a laugh. “I still think that now.”
It was one of her first brushes with the male gaze, which informed the imagery printed in men’s magazines of the ’90s and early 2000s, like Jet and Players. “I always wanted to have my own magazine to highlight those around-the-way girls, who I love,” Medrano says. After releasing the first issue of Ice Magazine (“the coldest magazine on earth,” Medrano notes) in October 2023, the photographer is back with her second: Ice Magazine Vol. 2—The Atlanta Issue. The 128-page book will launch in New York on September 13, then online and in London on September 20. She’s also hosting a party during New York Fashion Week to celebrate Ice, which is published by Idea and produced by Medrano’s own Ice Studios.
Each issue of Ice Magazine focuses on a specific location, highlighting the women who dwell there; this time, Medrano headed way south of her home state for volume two. “The hustle I have seen in the ATL girls, how they do it being so beautiful and raw, reminds me of New York women,” she says. “Each girl inspires me.”
“Being a woman of color, I always felt we had to hide and cover up more,” the 33-year-old adds. “But meeting all these beautiful women and having a space to feel seen, sexy, and confident without the male gaze is a plus.” She hopes to build a community of Ice women who embody this ethos. “That’s the energy,” she says. “I want to be able to not only bring us together, but help each other out. Lift each other.” Below, a peek into the new issue:
