Karina Givargisoff, the founder of the philanthropic media brand Mission that is anchored in the pioneering biannual magazine of the same name, has quite an impressive fashion resume. She studied at London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins art school, and during her internship year, came to New York where she landed at WWD and then at W assisting uber-stylist Alex White. Post-graduation, she was fashion editor of The Face and, later, freelanced in New York for international editions of Vogue and Elle, among others. She dedicated the last three years to the launch of Mission. We checked in with Givargisoff about the magazine’s philosophy, the intersection of fashion and philanthropy, and her plans for Mission.

What inspired you to launch Mission?

The final catalyst was my friend getting breast cancer. I was on a photo shoot during her first mastectomy. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I had left London to escape the pain of losing my mother and brother, so my mindset had already shifted quite some years ago. I thought, “How can I use my 18+ years of being in this amazing privileged industry to do something really good and meaningful?” Mission is not a vanity project for me or a sudden jump-on-a-bandwagon whim. It comes from my personal tragedy, it comes from the heart. It has taken me three years to build it, research it, get it all aligned and three months to produce [issue] #1 Women of Empowerment.

What is the philosophy behind it? What do you hope to achieve with it?

I want to raise as much money and awareness for each cause that we aim to support every six months. That is the fundamental DNA of the brand. To be transparent in doing so. I am a very direct, honest person. When I say something I mean it, and I support my words with actions. Mission is testament to that. I want to give people, and not just in our industry, the platform to speak out, to tell their story. I want to be disruptive, in a positive way, by approaching things head on.

Simply put, people need to help each other, and do something really good to try to make a difference. Mission is giving them that platform. Thankfully, our timing in launching our first issue – supporting women – has been incredibly serendipitous, as is our second issue Environment which was also decided last year.

Why, in your view, is this such an important vehicle at this moment?

I had no idea three years ago how timely Mission would turn out to be. I want to create something positive out of causes we will cover, bringing awareness and attention to them by dedicating whole issues to them. I think there has always been this courtship between fashion and philanthropy but it has never co-existed like this. We have found people who do want to give back and be part of Mission…especially the younger generation, the Gen Zs.

What are the key issues facing the world at this moment, and how, in your view, can the fashion industry contribute to solutions?

The environment, climate change, the oceans…The use of plastic and the overall damage to the earth it is causing. I am just starting to educate myself on all this for our next issue. Every issue is like going back to school. And sadly there are many key issues – poverty, immigration, mental health…that will be our third issue. None of this is a quick fix. How do you create sustainable clothing that is affordable to someone on a minimum wage?

What should readers be looking forward to with each issue?

I want them to learn as much as my team and I have when putting each issue together. To read really great content, articles that give them a new fresh approach on something…there always has to be an educational awareness element to it. I want our audience to be excited to do something positive from being inspired when reading an issue – whether that comes from creating exciting visual content via cause marketing with a brand or from a fashion story that introduces a new, young and talented photographer or a young writer. We welcome our readers to reach out and share their stories with us. We want them to see what new and exciting things are going to jump out of the pages. So far, each issue has only four rules: no nudity, no smoking, no fur and no egos.

What do you hope people will take away from Mission?

I want people to be inspired to be part of Mission, to really want to partner with us and help us build a fashion eco-system. And being digital means being global. If you are determined and focused, then I believe with hard work you can achieve anything. I hope I cause a shake-up for people to jump and have the balls to do something they maybe didn’t have the strength before to do. I jumped without any nets and as much as it has been the hardest scariest thing in my life, I would not have had it any other way. At the end of the day, I can say I tried to make a difference.