In 1992 Olivier Zahm and his partner Elein Fleiss printed the first issue of Purple Prose, a Parisian literary art zine that over the years has evolved into Purple Fashion Magazine. Soon after the birth of Purple Prose, Zahm created spin-off publications like Purple Sexe, Purple Fiction and what we now know and love, Purple Fashion. Zahm aimed at fusing together his two worlds, fashion and art, in creating Purple Fashion.

Before entering the world of fashion, Zahm worked as an art critic with widespread recognition for his work as a curator as well as his participation in over 150 exhibitions featuring international contemporary art. In 1994, Zahm and Fleiss curated ?The Winter of Love,? a hit show for the Museum of Modern Art in Paris that they later took to P.S.1 in New York. In responding to the superficial glamour of the 1980s, Zahm co-founded Purple Prose magazine. In the introduction of Purple Anthology, Zahm shares why he chose to create Purple Prose:

"We launched Purple Prose in the early 1990s without any means, and without any experience, because we wanted to make a magazine that was radically different. We wanted to support the artists around us that no one else supported, much less talked about. [..] It would be a form of opposition of our own". Fleiss & Zahm's collaboration has resulted in many side projects over the years:

Purple Prose

Published from October 1992 to winter 1998 (13 issues).

Purple Fiction

A literary magazine published between 1995 and 1998 (4 issues).

Purple Fashion

Published between 1995 - 1998 (4 issues), and 2004 - (present).

Purple Sexe

A magazine devoted to sexuality, published between winter 1998 and 2001 (8 issues).

Purple

A fusion of Purple Prose, Fiction, Fashion, and Sexe; published between summer 1998 and 2003 (16 issues).

Purple Books

A publishing house (1998 - 2001).

Purple Gallery

A Parisian art gallery.

Purple Journal

A cultural magazine published 2004 - (present) in a French and an English version.