The Business of Magazines

[t-rex]

Blurb on Love from February Interview -

my snaps

 

[shirleebee]

Katie Grand also interviews Lily Allen in the issue

 

[mikel]

^in Interview or Love?

 

[Miss Dalloway]

WOW the cover should be out soon if it hits newstands on 19th.

 

[surrealseven]

I hope the cover gets released soon!

Can't wait!

 

[tigerrouge]

Given that POP was one of the places that incubated Mert & Marcus and their plastic-synthetic style, in order to differentiate Love from Pop, has Katie decided it's time to go in the other direction, where things are "not so retouched"?

Though generally, I like what's being talked about as the potential content. Speaking around the subject, there are many ways of rebelling through your appearance, from tattoos to hairstyles, and Beth Ditto demonstrates another form of physical rebellion. I hope Love can show us that unconformity is fantastic.

 

[surrealseven]

Given that POP was one of the places that incubated Mert & Marcus and their plastic-synthetic style, in order to differentiate Love from Pop, has Katie decided it's time to go in the other direction, where things are "not so retouched"?

Though generally, I like what's being talked about as the potential content. Speaking around the subject, there are many ways of rebelling through your appearance, from tattoos to hairstyles, and Beth Ditto demonstrates another form of physical rebellion. I hope Love can show us that unconformity is fantastic.

Yup, i thought so too. But i still hope Mert & Marcus continues to shoot with Katie Grand for LOVE

 

[j'adorekapusta]

Dutch magazine celebrates menswear


AMSTERDAM: In a set of neat new offices in the center of town, a gray, rectangular, cardboard box that once contained Chanel perfume is flattened and nailed to the wall for inspiration. The packaging hangs in the cell-sized room like an icon, worshipped for its straightforward design.
Beneath it, Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom study photos for Fantastic Man, the biannual menswear magazine they edit, now in its ninth issue.
The image on the laptop screen, like the room, like the magazine and like its founders, has a distinctly Dutch Protestant Puritanism about it - a sense of lush clarity rather than the ostentatious glamour found so often in fashion.
On the screen, a slender guy of 22 or so, hands in the pockets of his sleek, black, collarless Balenciaga suit, stands against a Cubist-inspired backdrop. Jonkers and van Bennekom question whether the man, a bartender from London, is too "model-y" - and decide the pose should be less "fabulous" to make it more Fantastic Man.
It's a common deliberation at a magazine that aims to "explore fashion ideas on guys who are not models," says van Bennekom, 40. Personalities are supposed to show through the clothes in his magazine, rather than the "absence of presence" found in a lot of fashion editorial.
"We were interested in how people were wearing the latest collections, rather than the latest collections themselves," van Bennekom explained. And the description covers his readers too, the mainly urban 30- and 40-somethings who can afford fashion and like reading about clothes and design in relation to their lives.
"I'm very much against glorifying youth in the media," van Bennekom said. "I'd like to see men I can relate to."
Fans say Fantastic Man marks a watershed moment in the menswear industry: The long shadow cast by women's wear is gradually receding, and menswear brands are developing strong identities of their own.
Stefano Pilati, creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, has been quoted as saying Fantastic Man is "one of the first male magazines that I really considered male."
And Lucas Ossendrijver, Lanvin's menswear designer, said in an e-mail interview: "Fantastic Man found a different way of portraying fashion for men, which is not easy to achieve."
Jonkers and van Bennekom, the designer said, "have their unique way of elevating seemingly 'normal' people and situations to high fashion in a sense that is still easy to identify with; there is something human and accessible to it."
Since its inception in 2005, Jonkers, 37, a fashion writer for the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, and van Bennekom, a graphic designer who has worked with brands like American Apparel, have been developing the magazine's content and format. Each issue now sells about 48,000 copies worldwide, at €10, or about $13, each.
But the magazine's precise design, often dense with text and sparse on photography, has become something of a trademark - as has the noteworthy collection of men who have been models and interview subjects.
The roster includes Tom Ford; the artist Francesco Vezzoli; Simon de Pury, the well-known art dealer; the photographer David Bailey; Rem Koolhaas; Fergus Henderson, the London chef; and the filmmaker Gus Van Sant.
The 200-page issues, mostly in black and white, merge images and text into a series of essays, discussions that go beyond the wardrobe to matters as diverse as smoking, writing letters, the perfect steak and the ideal handshake.
Despite the economic downturn, the magazine has recently added advertising campaigns by Tom Ford, John Varvatos and Topman to its roster.
But Fantastic Man, van Bennekom maintains, is for readers, not advertisers. One product credit, for example, identifies a coat by the designer Adam Kimmel as "grand of stature but humble of fabric" - and no retail price.


source international herald tribune

 

[nyc_art_style]

Couture Counter! Who's Going, Who's Not

Bazaar scales back, Elle switches things up, "Marie Claire does not attend the couture shows"
Friday, January 16, 2009
(NEW YORK) The haute couture shows will be the talk of Paris from January 26-28, but they'll receive less buzz in the American press this season. Oh, budget cuts! Harper's Bazaar editor in chief Glenda Bailey will squire only creative director Stephen Gan, while last season, market director Nicole Fritton and fashion news/features director Kristina O'Neill also attended. Elle's market director Joann Pailey will be the token representative from the magazine (last season, that role was filled by style director Kate Lanphear, who holed up at le Meurice). Alix Brown will be sole representative from T Magazine, while EIC Stefano Tonchi has also attended in the past. "Marie Claire does not attend the couture shows," a Hearst representative told The Daily. What, no Nina? All in all, it's good news for junior editors at French Vogue--salut, front row!
ASHLEY BAKER & ADAM P. SCHNEIDER

fashion week daily

 

[cesarcmma]

omg........they're making fun of Mélanie "the assistant" Huynh now Junior Editor

 

[oswaldlv]

Nylon México

Nylon Mexico is arriving here and there is this contest where you have to take a picture of yourself thinking that you'll be in the cover so you can win two tickets for the opening Party and then post them into their myspace, Nylon Magazine México hosted by Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), there are a lot of photos. Date of the Event: 24 Jan


font: nylonmag.com.mx
http://www.myspace.com/nylonmexico
there is the myspace for more info!

Love
Oswald


*I hope I did this post legal and correctly

 

[BerlinRocks]

Are The Glossies Losing Their Luster?

January 20th, 2009 | Global

Despite glossy magazines' awkward attempts at channeling the "recession-chic" zeitgeist—or, maybe, because of them—it's glaringly obvious that their experiments with mixing high and low fashion finds are still heavily weighted towards the high. Those who understand the advertiser-editor relationship understand why big ticket items still claim the majority of page space in the glossies during a massive economic crisis—not to mention that the wealthiest of readers probably haven't yet started to feel the crunch. But, what about everyone else? By continuing to focus on the highest of fashion, are magazines alienating a readership for which luxury is an aspiration more out of reach than ever?

To find out, we took a (very unscientific) poll of our friends and acquaintances, in hopes of discovering whether the glossies are losing luster among their workaday readers—the answer to which was a resounding no.

Most of those surveyed claimed not to take offense at the continuing barrage of unattainable luxury paraded in the pages of their favorite magazines. "To be honest, I read the articles and admire the clothes, but that's where it ends," agrees an LA-based actress. "If I see something I really love, I tend to find a more inexpensive version somewhere else. I mean, even if the economy wasn't bad, I would still want designer bags that I can't afford!"

In fact, the only thing readers do seem to take issue with are the glossies' attempts at unearthing bargains. "I wish fashion magazines had more of a variety, regardless of the economy," says an Arizona marketing executive. "Some have 'recessionista' pages, but I find a lot of the less expensive items are still somewhat pricey for someone on a budget."

An LA writer agrees, saying: "I think condescending articles on 'bargain shopping'—wherein a writer or editor discovers a place called Target or sacrifices their bi-weekly blowout and lives to tell the tale—are what's offensive right now. And those seem to be everywhere. It is so archaic and so out of touch with the readership, who most likely are already aware that a pair of shoes can be had for less than $400, or that drugstore beauty products actually work."

The one thing that all those surveyed agree upon is that, in times like these, fashion magazines' escapist offerings are more important to them than ever. "I, for one, want to see the most expensive and insanely creative pieces of fashion even if I cannot afford them, not just what is available at the Gap," says a New York jewelry designer—a view with which the industry as a whole seems to agree. Take it from Karl Lagerfeld, who told BBC News: "If you want only things you can afford, it's boring. It's great to see things you may not buy—because you don't have the money—but it is very ugly to think they shouldn't exist because you can not buy them."

—Erin Magner

jcreport

 

[MissMagAddict]

US Vogue Sales 2008

Best | November: Reese Witherspoon
Worst | October: Rachel Weisz

 

[MissMagAddict]

Source | Women's Wear Daily

LIGHTWEIGHT MARCH ISSUES: As media agencies and analysts predicted, the first quarter of 2009 proved to be a bloody one for magazines. According to figures published today by Media Industry Newsletter, the large fashion and beauty titles saw an overall 22 percent decline in advertising pages in the first three months of the year, a reflection of the recession impacting print. From the high-fashion to the more mass titles, the dismal numbers demonstrate to what extent advertisers are staying on the sidelines until things improve.

Allure, for example, saw a 35 percent drop in ad pages to 214 pages in the first quarter, while Vogue declined 28 percent, or 218 pages, to a total of 563 for the period. Glamour declined 22 percent to 291, and W posted a 40 percent drop, or 218 ad pages, for the quarter, carrying 322 pages. Glamour’s 291 ad pages this quarter reflect a 22 percent slide. And as same-store sales at retailers continue to slide, shopping magazine Lucky saw a 35 percent contraction in ad pages, raking in 203 pages for the first quarter. The Condé Nast-owned titles do not discount their page rates to advertisers, a stance that in the short term could deter some advertisers (Condé Nast also owns WWD).

At Hearst Magazines, Town & Country has seen a 30 percent decline in the quarter: The magazine carried 247 pages for the first three issues of the year. Harper’s Bazaar carried 396 pages, a 21 percent decrease compared to 2008, while Cosmopolitan’s 305 pages are 48 pages, or 14 percent, below last year’s total. O, The Oprah Magazine reported a 20 percent slide in pages, to 305. Marie Claire is off 16 percent, totaling 214 ad pages. Meanwhile, Elle dropped 26 percent, gathering 435 pages through March. In Style, whose publisher, Lynette Harrison Brubaker, is leaving the Time Inc. title, reported a 29 percent drop in paging, to 436.

The health magazines continue to manage the ad slide better than their fashion counterparts, but have still suffered during the downturn. Shape is reporting an 8 percent decline in paging, to 312, while Self lost 50 pages, or 18 percent, during the quarter, reporting 234 ad pages through March. Women’s Health declined by 28 pages, or 19 percent, to 115. Fitness was the only magazine that reported a page increase, but that’s because the Meredith Corp. title added an issue this year. That bumped its total to 201 pages, or 30 percent more than in the first quarter 2008. Essence also fared better than its peers, recording a 6 percent decline in paging compared to last year, to a total of 266.

 

[MissMagAddict]

source | losowsky.com | January 26th

Building an independent media empire - exclusive interview

“I guess I started a magazine because I knew almost nothing about print.”

It may not sound like the best time to buy an entire magazine, but that’s just what Lothar Eckstein has done. Twice.

The founder and editor-in-chief of sleek magazine, in November he bought two of his favourite independent magazines, Qvest and Luna, from German company Mediakom, to create a stable of three fashion magazines under the umbrella of B20 Publishing.

He talked exclusively to the Blogsplosion, sharing tales of independence, economies of scale and the future of magazine advertising.

Your background is in advertising - what made you first want to get involved in magazines?
I started in advertising 20 years ago. But in advertising, you are always working on someone else’s baby. In the end, the client builds something, not you. Fifteen years ago, I moved into working in television and then the internet.

I guess I started a magazine because I knew almost nothing about print. I knew all the risks in television and the internet, and didn’t dare [create my own venture]. In print, it was the opposite.

When did you think you could make independent magazines your main business?
When I was working for big German publisher, Axel Springer.

Describe your magazines.
Luna is the only high-end children’s fashion magazine in Germany.

Qvest shows forward-looking fashion in a visually distinctive way, and will include some exciting new features with the launch of issue 37. With a circulation of 80,000, Qvest is by far the biggest serious magazine in its segment, in the German market.

Sleek is unique in exclusively combining art and fashion. Each issue has its own theme.

Why did you decide to acquire Qvest and Luna?
I always felt that it would be worth trying to strengthen independent titles by giving them a chance to profit from economies of scale. Like: Buy paper together. Print together. Distribute together and sell ads in Italy or France together. But remain editorially fiercely independent.

How much did you pay for the titles?
We paid too much, of course! What else can I say as a buyer?

Is B20 owned by you alone? Why the name B20?
I have two partners, Matthias Düwel and Marcus Meyer. The name? We wanted something modest. The brand is just a vehicle for business to business affairs. B20 stands for the 20s in Berlin, a time and place that the three of us are impressed by.

Did you change the editorial teams after taking over?
Yes. Annika von Taube moved up from Managing Editor to Editor in Chief for sleek - she replaces me. Adriano Sack will be in charge of Qvest as of Edition 37 together with Clark Parkin. They will take over from Tamara Rothstein and Ashely Heath, who I want to thank for what they achieved for Qvest over the last two years, very impressive work.

Have you made any changes to the magazines themselves?
There will be some changes linked with the new teams. But it is too early to tell what they will be.

Have you started to gain the economies of scale you had hoped for?
There are amazing savings, more than we expected.

Are you planning to create any new magazines? What kind of magazine would you like to add to these three?
Yes, we are. Or rather: Yes, we were. But given the financial crises, who knows what will happen…

What is the future of magazine advertising?
It helps to have a good online model to go with the print model. Being visually driven and using “haptics” to the max also helps. The most important thing is being small, though. The market will shrink, but it will continue to be big enough for small players to continue for a long time to come, especially in high-end, quality niches.

 

[mishahoi]

Source | Women's Wear Daily

When I was in the States over christmas, I was at the airport killing time and picked up W, contemplating whether to add it to my already heavy carry-on luggage. but then i noticed how skinny it was--and flipped through, finding only one fashion editorial-- and decided to skip it altogether

 

[Miss Dalloway]

US Vogue Sales 2008

Best | November: Reese Witherspoon
Worst | October: Rachel Weisz

I'm quite shocked by this, and sad that Rachel's issue didnt sell, it was a lovely cover and issue.Thanks for this info MMA.

 

[tigerrouge]

That's exactly what I thought; I really enjoyed Rachel's issue. I don't know, maybe she's not well-known/newsworthy enough to carry a US Vogue cover, or maybe it was the sight of the Rodarte knitwear that put people off - I liked it, but perhaps the item looked like an unstylish mess to a lot of readers who didn't bother to buy the issue, because it wasn't a look they're into.

 

[kimair]

Condé Nast Shutters Domino

Condé Nast made the long-expected decision to close Domino, the publishing company's three-year-old, hip shelter magazine. The March issue will be the last. The editor and publisher, Deborah Needleman and Beth Brenner, will leave the company. Some staffers are expected to be placed elsewhere in the company.

The Web site, also will be discontinued.

In making the announcement, company president/CEO Chuck Townsend said the decision was purely based on the softened economy, which has already claimed a handful of other shelter books. This year through February, Domino’s ad pages tumbled 51 percent to 22 percent, per the Mediaweek Monitor.

Launched in 2005, the title achieved a rate base of 800,000. But observers have said that in addition to the hard-hit housing market, the title had some difficulty explaining its positioning in the marketplace.

mediaweek.com / january 28, 2008

 

[MissMagAddict]

^Thanks for confirming that kimair... I knew it was coming. I have it on good authority that either Condé Nasts Gourmet or Bon Appetit will be next to go.