Ouch! Magazine — New York City
Founder / Creative Director Rhonda McKnight
Ownership: Woman-owned, minority-owned, independent
Funding: Reader-funded, according to the publication
Focus: Fashion, entertainment, film, music, beauty, lifestyle and culture
Ouch! is exactly the type of publication that should be represented in a list of women-of-color-led independent American magazines. It is privately produced in New York, identifies itself as an independent publishing company, and operates with a very small, freelance-based structure rather than a corporate newsroom. It is actively publishing in 2026.
https://regardmag.com
REGARD is a leading digital fashion and lifestyle magazine founded in February 2010 by celebrity fashion photographer, Dimitry Loiseau and celebrity hair and makeup artist, Valerie Noble.
Broccoli — Portland
Fashion-adjacent culture • Art • Lifestyle • Cannabis • Design
An independent women-led publishing house founded by Anja Charbonneau. It is particularly important as an example of independent collectible print publishing.
Why it belongs: Less entertainment-driven than Ouch!, but highly influential in contemporary independent magazine culture.
Cherry Bombe — New York
Founder: Kerry Diamond
Focus: Food, restaurants, chefs, fashion, culture
Founded in 2013 by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu as a print-only magazine, Cherry Bombe remains independently operated and women-focused. It has expanded into events, podcasts and other media, but the magazine itself remains print. Its 2026 issue is No. 34.
https://www.girlslikeusmagazine.com/issues/
Girls Like Us — New York
Fashion-adjacent culture • Art • Feminism • Queer culture
An independent women-led cultural publication with strong connections to fashion, art and contemporary creative communities.
Why it belongs: More art/culture than mainstream entertainment, but highly relevant to independent women's publishing.
PROVOKED — U.S.
Focus: Women 50+, culture, politics and life after midlife
PROVOKED is particularly interesting under your funding criteria. It describes itself as 100% women-owned and independent, with reader membership at the heart of its business model. It does, however, also disclose philanthropic funding for a specific project, so I would classify it as reader-supported/independent rather than strictly reader-only funded.
