The Business of Magazines

[vogue28]

UGH! Justine Picardie is stepping down at EIC of British Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country:

 

[vogue28]

From WWD:

Justine Picardie to Exit British Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country

LONDON — London media’s revolving door is spinning once again with the exit of Justine Picardie, who is stepping down as editor in chief of the British editions of Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country.

Hearst U.K. said Monday that Picardie, who had been at the helm of Harper’s for more than seven years, is leaving to write a book called Miss Dior, which will be published in the U.K. by Faber & Faber, and in the U.S. by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Picardie, whose previous books include “Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life,” will be leaving in the late autumn and Hearst U.K. said it plans to name a new editor in chief of both titles in due course.

“I remain passionate in my commitment to creative excellence, and in my conviction that fashion and feminism can work together as powerful forces for change,” said Picardie. “There will always be a place in my heart for Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country, and for my brilliant and beloved colleagues at Hearst, and I look forward to continuing to work with them in the future, as contributing editor.”

According to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation figures in the U.K., Harper’s Bazaar rose 0.1 percent year-on-year in the January to June period. Compared with the previous period, the numbers rose 1.1 percent with a combined ABC of 117,588.

The company said that Bazaar’s June issue was the best-selling issue in three years. Hearst U.K. also publishes titles including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire and Good Housekeeping.

During her tenure, Picardie launched Bazaar Art and Bazaar At Work in 2013, and the first British edition of Town & Country in 2014. As editor in chief of Town & Country, she has also overseen the growth of the luxury title and its international expansion in circulation, according to Hearst U.K.

Jacqueline Euwe, managing director of Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country, said Picardie helped the title to reach record sales in a challenging market: “Through Justine’s hard-work and incredible dedication, Harper’s Bazaar has cemented itself as a unique, intelligent voice that champions and celebrates women.”

Picardie’s exit follows the promotion last week of James Wildman has been named president of Hearst Magazines Europe.

Wildman, who had previously been president and chief executive officer of Hearst U.K., adds oversight of Hearst magazines in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain to his responsibilities.

Picardie is the latest in a string of longstanding British editors to depart fashion, luxury and lifestyle titles so far this year.

In April, Farrah Storr replaced Hearst U.K. veteran Anne-Marie Curtis at the helm of British Elle, while Gillian de Bono stepped down in July from the Financial Times’ luxury supplement How to Spend It after 25 years. She was replaced by Jo Ellison.

No surprise that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's June 2019 cover of Harper's Bazaar was a good seller for the magazine!

 

[Srdjan]

^ I'm shocked and sad. She is a good editor and without her British Bazaar will never be the same.
I'm scared that we'll get another Insta celeb editor...

 

[vogue28]

^I've already begun thinking of who might replace Pircardie and I think the big bosses at Hearst will stick within the Hearst family. For me, the only reasonable replacement would be Avril Mair, who I believe would keep British Harper's Bazaar to the same standard.

 

[MON]

Carine Roitfeld lobbying at this very moment.

Hope she trully left at her own volition. She was a good editor. She knew her audience to heart.

Although those "writing a book" excuses are always dubious

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Oh wow, this made my DAY!! Finally!! Bye, bye and i hope not a trace of her boring Chanel obsessed legacy is left behind when the new EIC takes over! Such great news.

 

[tigerrouge]

What's Lucy Yeomans doing at the moment?

 

[aracic]

She's stepping down in order to write another Miss Dior book? Gosh, haven't we had enough of those?

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^ That just sounds like the most BS PR excuse, ever! I guess it's all they could think of for the official statement.

What's Lucy Yeomans doing at the moment?

 

[dodencebt]

She was definitely fired. You don't quit your day job to write a book, she has already written books in her spare time. Whoever does their PR is terrible at it.

 

[8eight]

Marie Claire UK is closing.

 

[Srdjan]

^ Well that is sad. I won't ask why, the page count of their issues lately says it all. Any news when? I guess their last issue will be the December one. Or January...

 

[mikel]

^ Well that is sad. I won't ask why, the page count of their issues lately says it all. Any news when? I guess their last issue will be the December one. Or January...

November will be the last issue.

TI Media to close Marie Claire UK print magazine
By Charlotte Tobitt
Magazine publisher TI Media is closing the print edition of women’s monthly Marie Claire in the UK.

TI Media said today it is pursuing a “digital-first future” for the brand, which will see the 31-year-old magazine close in print with its November issue.

Marie Claire joins a growing list of defunct women’s magazines, after Now, Reveal, Glamour, InStyle UK, Look and Brides have all closed in the past three years.

TI Media chief executive Marcus Rich said today: “For more than three decades, Marie Claire UK has led the conversation on the issues that really matter to women – from campaigning for women’s empowerment to climate change – while providing a premium fashion and beauty positioning that reflects their everyday lives.

“With full focus on our digital platforms, we will be future-proofing our ability to report on these vital and engaging subjects, alongside our top ranking fashion and beauty offering and media-first brand extensions, The Edit and Fabled by Marie Claire.”

The company added that the digital-first Marie Claire UK will be published under a licence agreement with Groupe Marie Claire, the magazine’s publisher in France.

A TI Media spokesperson told Press Gazette a consultation with staff has begun and that they cannot comment on numbers or specific roles affected until that process has concluded.

However the Guardian has reported that about 35 staff are affected by the closure.

According to TI Media, Marie Claire’s UK website currently has 2m monthly users.

The publisher said a digital transformation was necessary to “best serve the changing needs of its audience’s mobile-first, fast-paced, style-rich lifestyles”.

Focus on affiliate shopping platform The Marie Claire Edit will also grow, with TI Media saying this will soon become the brand’s biggest source of digital revenue.

In June TI Media sold its Fabled by Marie Claire beauty website and London store to Next, which Marie Claire managing director Justine Southall said would “extend our brand further”.

Rich added: “The success of Marie Claire Edit and Fabled by Marie Claire are good examples of how, at TI Media, we can extend our unrivalled content and expertise into the digital space.

“There is enormous potential for us to drive our ongoing transformation through growing our digital business quickly and it will continue to be a key focus for us.”

Empire magazine editor Terri White shared her sadness at the news, tweeting: “This is so so sad. I did my work experience at Marie Claire at 19, head-turned by their incredible, fearless, feminist journalism.

“They’ve always had a remarkable team and I hope they’re being cared for.”

Pressegazette

 

[tigerrouge]

A "digital-first future". In other words, a brand name that you can attach to ventures for a while before the memory of what your magazine stood for fades away for good and you become just another catalogue website fighting to carve out a living online.

 

[Srdjan]

^ Don't worry, the website will be long gone before the memory of the magazine fades away. Remember: InStyle.

 

[MissMagAddict]

Marie Claire UK is closing.

Expecting more of this. There’s a worldwide recession on the way, The signs are everywhere.

 

[8eight]

All Marie Claire needed was an edit who cared.

 

[Srdjan]

Expecting more of this. There’s a worldwide recession on the way, The signs are everywhere.

It might be less relevant, but from what it seems, Elle Oriental (Lebanon) and L'Officiel Switzerland are also defunct. No new issues appeared since May for both publications.

 

[SophiaVB]

Expecting more of this. There’s a worldwide recession on the way, The signs are everywhere.

Yet luxury is stronger than ever. Reality is that print is dead and that has nothing to do with who is buying and where.

 

[axiomatic]