Elle España September 2020 : Toni, Nikita, Anne & Minerva

[Deleted member 1957]

Love both covers though the three would have had more chemistry. The full and smiling covers are nice

 

[FashionMuseDior]

Dear Benn

I would gladly answer you properly, but for this moment I’m soooooooooo short with time,for a proper answer, and by now I didn’t find time to answer Betrando.

I would only refer to the part where you sai that Elle Team is improsoned by their own ideals. It’s not that they imprisoned by their own ideals, they are imprisoned by the ideals of their readership.

Every month is a thumb up/thumb down.

Customers and readers is where it all begins and ends. What they like is what most of the time is served.

Indeed, no huff and puff (had to check the meaning). Since it never was from my side. But it can easily be confused and misinterprered when it is black on white.

You can also challenge your readers, by giving them not exactly what they want but what they need, because we wouldn't have had Beverly Johnson on the cover of Vogue otherwise.

 

[SLFC]

There is no need to bring Toni down and call her bland in order to criticize the magazine's casting choices and make a point about lack of diversity.

That is usually how it always feels like for me. I literally see nothing wrong with her shoot, I dont see how she did anything wrong. She has a good range of expressions here, she can pose, and she has a classic look, that I personally love.

 

[San Marco]

You can also challenge your readers, by giving them not exactly what they want but what they need, because we wouldn't have had Beverly Johnson on the cover of Vogue otherwise.

Yes,of course you can always challenge your readers, and give them what they “need”. And I agree with you, that readers should be challenged by giving them the “needs”

However, I think for every editor the question between “want” and “need” can be a delicate one.
Especially in these sensitive times!

In almost all fields and profession “need” is a priority over “want”. Fashion industry is different, and probably one of the rare, if not the only, where “wants” are higher placed than “needs”.

“Want” is probably three steps above from the “need”. (Most of the time at least)

You could buy a North Face jacket to stay warm (“need”) and your needs are perfectly meet, and there is certainly no need for other jackets. But the fact is that people buy and crave more for a Rick Owens (“want”) type jacket, although in most cases it is complete unnecessary.

The Drive to get what you “want”, in addition to what you “need”, is why want is higher ranked, and actually what makes this industry keep alive. (But it seems lately they totally forgott about it).

In terms of models, “normal looking woman” could be a “need” to show empowerment.
But for most of the women Giselle is a “want”. It’s just the desire that they are connected to things/people, that are larger than them.

And what can you do as a editor, in these sensitvive times?????
Choose between “need” and “want”.
Well, with these two covers the editor of Elle showed that these two categories do not have to be in conflict!
There is no separation between the two categories, they are interconnected. (So it dosen’t have to be want vs. need, it can be want&need).

Toni is obviously a “want” for spanish readers, by now they know this, so she got the cover. Since subscription is mandatory, by giving the three black models the subscription cover, they ensured that a large enough number of readers got the message they wished to convey. And also they got promotion among spanish readers.

So, yes I think it can and should be the combination of both categories if that is possible. But if not possible, and “need” dosen’t sell enough copies (or vice versa), that is also the moment where the dilemma between those two stops, and as a EIC you put more weights on “want” or eventually on “need”.

Great job of the EIC of Elle, in every aspect!!!