The duo behind the bilingual agency have carved an identity and magazine inspired by the forces "behind design" - art, literature, film and music. In sabukaru, Lena platforms those influences, as well as niche subcultures and creativity across borders. The first issue highlights Tokyo's rich culture, particularly focusing on the legendary filmmaker Takeshi Kitano as the cover star, as well as featuring collaborators such as Thaiboy Digital, graphic designers Tim Lindacher and Mike Sunday, and producer/artist Palmistry.
From the exhibition to the pages of its magazine, RRPL maintains a strong thematic structure. "Mick's thinking is that the magazine is like a record and that each article is a track," Kirk says, "So we work on the ordering of the pages, how they flow, in the same way he would've worked on the track listing for an album." Cohesion and narrative are RRPL's foundational elements. The room was carved into a dead tech section playing old clips, a theatrical rendition of a traditional British living room, a dedication to The Clash's love for New York's burgeoning hip-hop scene, songwriting artefacts, news clippings, a record library, and more.