Launch Alpha One Magazine

Former editor of FHM, Mike Soutar is launching men's weekly called ‘Alpha One' in Autumn of this year. The weekly won't hit the stores, instead the magazine will be given away for free to commuters every Thursday. After setting up Britain 's first weekly men publication Nuts at IPC two years ago, to launch a weekly free magazine for men is the next step. The free title will be of a higher quality and calibre then its forerunners.

Over the past few years more and more publishing houses are interested in the distribution of free publications. To compete with Metro published by Daily Mail & General Trust, News International launched thelondonpaper and Associated Newspapers' introduced the daily free newspaper London Lite. Not long after that Sport and Soutar were launched, both aiming on ABC1 men. Alpha One is also targeting on the 18-35 year old ABC1 male readers offering them a weekly news update, cars and gadget columns, and sports features. A half million copies will be spread over London , Leeds , Glasgow , Edinburgh , Birmingham and Manchester .

The distribution network is something that needs to be looked after carefully in order the right readers will read the copies. To secure this Soutar used ‘geo-dynamic analysis' to locate the highest ABC1 demographic areas. Whereas some question the viability of a free title, Soutar's brainchild might give input to the male magazine market and increase sales. According to previous distribution numbers, paid-for men's publications are having a difficult time at the moment in regards to readership and advertisement.

According to Soutar, the quality give-away weekly Alpha One is different from the non-free publications. Alpha will have a more broadsheet feel to it with a focus on the top end of the magazine market. Filmmaker Matthew Vaughan, French Connection founder Stephen marks and publisher DC Thomson are supporting his point of view and are funding the Alpha One with £7.5m. With high quality content, Alpha One could be the answer to advertisers, whom try to reach ABC1 men, is looking for. If it will move more men to buy magazines from newsagents is yet to be seen.

Image European Pricing Platform
Source: Marketing Week
www.marketingweek.co.uk/item/57211
22 August 2007

Magazine readership in sharp decline

Magazine readers are becoming less and less, as ABC circulation figures will reveal this week. The expected forecast will show the magazine market is unlikely to have grown, despite a handful of flourishing titles such as Emap's Grazia. Nearly every mass-market category, from men's and women's lifestyle to real-life and celebrity titles, appears to be stagnating. 'We're not seeing many signs of growth in any market,' says one publisher, as quoted in Observer Magazine.

Neither monthly nor weekly formats have escaped the trend and there will be some high-profile casualties, including IPC's Loaded (down 40 per cent) and Nuts (10 per cent) and Emap's New Woman (25 per cent), according to industry sources. It is the second consecutive set of ABC figures to show a slow performance and, while it may not amount to an industry crisis, it is beginning to feel like a turning point. 'It could be that we've permanently seen the last big growth in consumer magazines,' predicts one industry executive.

The figures leaked to The Observer ahead of Thursday's announcement are based on newsstand sales and exclude subscription copies. Some monthly titles, which have a high proportion of subscribers, may post better-than-expected ABC figures but the sales data is usually a reliable guide to performance. The big four publishers - IPC, Emap, Conde Nast and National Magazines - are likely to respond by hailing a handful of successes while arguing that maintaining sales in a tough market is an achievement in itself.

The figures will confirm that so-called 'lads' mags' are now in meltdown, with Loaded, FHM and Maxim recording double-digit declines on the year. Women's fashion titles are expected to fall year on year by 4.3 per cent, with only Vogue bucking the trend (up 2 per cent), and general lifestyle titles aimed at twenty-something women could see a 10 per cent fall. Both Red and Elle are expected to be down at least 5 per cent and Conde Nast's Glamour, could be down as much as 10 per cent.

Most dramatically, Emap's New Woman has lost a quarter of its sales, partly because the company has withdrawn all marketing support. Some of the best-performing genres of recent years are starting to lose their lustre, despite promotional pushes. The celebrity market, which provided huge growth at the turn of the millennium, is now saturated and performing badly. Executives are blaming the internet for the downturn, and are beginning to accelerate plans to take the battle to their online competitors.

The internet is partly responsible for the success of free titles because it has created an expectation among consumers that journalism should be free. Ultimately, the magazines' response to this threat will determine their future in what one source concedes is 'now a completely different media landscape'.

Source: The Observer
15 August 2007

Harper’s Bazaar unveils new look

Harper’s Bazaar unveiled a new look for its September publication, titled “The British Issue.” The cover, which features model Georgia Frost sporting the ‘new’ fringe, is modern and sleek with its new logo, aligning the magazine with Harper’s Bazaar editions around the globe.

Inside, its fashion editorials are more comprehensive, including photographs of the publication’s editors and stylists, who offer a tailor-made selection of what to buy and how to wear the new season’s trends. The magazine, which hits newsstands this week, has Swarovski crystals studded on the maroon logo. Be quick to secure your copy as it will no doubt become a collector’s item.

www.harpersbazaar.co.uk
9 August 2007

In Style polls best dressed celebrity couples

In Style magazine has polled Madonna and Guy Ritchie as the world’s best-dressed celebrity couple. The couple was followed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in second place, with David and Victoria Beckham, and singer Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rosendale, securing the third and fourth spots respectively.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher rounded off the top five. The magazine's editor Trish Halpin said that today's' men have to keep up with their spouses, for there is no point in dressing well when your partner can let you down. "A stylish partner is a woman's ultimate accessory. There's no point looking fab if he lets you down," Halpin told The Daily Mail.

6 August 2007

Emap publisher quits

Emap, the publishing company responsible for fashion magazines such as Pop and Grazia, announced its chief executive Tom Moloney has quit the company with immediate effect. Analysts of the struggling media group took the change in good stride. Simon Wallis at Collins Stewart said that while a chief executive stepping down is not always a good sign, in this case it was positive news. "We have consistently been critical of Emap management who have lurched from one expensive foray to another in search of growth," reported the Guardian.

"We suspect that private equity companies will be paying the situation at Emap close attention if they haven't already." Mr Moloney joined Emap in 1981 and became chief executive in January 2003. Emap warned in March that magazine and radio markets would remain tough in the year ahead. Today the group reassured the City that its 2007 results, due to be announced on May 22, would be in line with expectations.

www.emap.co.uk
17 May 2007

Elle launches e-zine

British Elle on Thursday launched their first website at www.elleuk.com . The online magazine covers everything from fashion news, seasonal style solutions, celebrity to the obligatory catwalk images, entertainment and beauty. In addition to the Elle Hot 10, a weekly newsletter sent to subscribers which covers 10 ‘hot' products, the e-zine will have unique content from the magazine and be updated daily.

A section called ‘wear it your way' lets the user style a look individually, by choosing key pieces and trends of the season as selected by Elle, dragging and dropping them into a lightbox to layer an individual look. This can subsequently be saved or emailed to a friend.

www.elleuk.com
1 st February 2007

Glamour magazine best dressed

Glamour magazine, one of England's most widely circulated fashion publications, has announced its 5th annual 50 best-dressed women in the world list. This year's winner is none other than Kylie Minogue. According to Glamour, Kylie's look has become softer and sexier, without baring too much as she did in her hot pants days. Jo Elvin, Glamour's editor, says the Australian singer is letting it shine through subtly, “with a classic personal style that women really identify with.”

In second place comes Victoria Beckham, who despite the bad press and critique manages to never leave the house without the latest must-have bag, shoes and designer wardrobe. In third place is Nicole Ritchie, who epitomizes LA chic, followed by Kate Moss in fourth place and Sienna Miller in 5th. Last on the list is new entry Peaches Geldof, the rockstar royalty offspring of Sir Bob Geldof.

www.glamourmagazine.com
10 January 2007

Pop Magazine party extravaganza

Directional fashion publication Pop Magazine on Tuesday hosted a decadent Christmas soiree in conjunction with BoomBox, London's coolest kid on the party block. The event attracted designers such as Gareth Pugh, Katharine Hamnett, Luella Bartley and Giles Deacon who danced until the early hours at the Hoxton bar in Shoreditch, drinking sponsored champagne and indulging in Krispy Kreme donuts, not normally a fashionista's diet staple.

Pop Magazine is renowned for its top-notch visuals, with fashion director Katie Grand at its helm. The publication regularly has contributions from celebrated artists, famous photographers, wayward fashion designers, deluded writers and celebrity types.

13 December 2006

Wonderland wondrous party

Wonderland magazine certainly know how to throw a party. The magazine, one of the more recent additions to the cult publication circuit, features contemporary visual culture and beautifully photographed men's and women's fashion, last night celebrated the launch of their December issue, featuring cover star Ewan McGregor.

The party, which was held at the illustrious National Gallery Café saw a host of models, editors, club kids and celebrities such as fashion photographer Mario Testino and Alexander McQueen, dance, drink and be merry. Wonderland publishes every two months from their offices in Notting Hill. Their aim is to entertain, challenge and inform, but not in a manner to dictate to the reader, rather to suggest and bring ideas. The magazine combines new talent, ranging from fashion design, to working with up and coming photographers, models and stylists to push the boundaries and exceed expectations of generic magazine content.

www.wonderlandmagazine.com
22 November 2006

You are what you read

If the clothes maketh the man, surely the magazine he reads defines his style persuasion. A recent surge in new fashion mags is catering to a whole new style spectrum, covering every thread of the fashion industry, but most importantly it's telling us that what we're reading is as important as what we wear.

A trip to you local bookshop to catch up on the latest style news can be as confusing and daunting as finding an outfit in Selfridges: i.e. there is just too much choice. What was once considered the staple in fashion reading, consisting of Vogue (often nicknamed the UK's fashion bible), Elle, Marie Claire, The Sunday Times Style, and for the directional bunch, The Face, is no longer the case. These days the magazine racks are filled with abundant glossies ranging from the uber directional photographic coverage and printed on expensive paper, such as Tank and 10, to the crazy ‘loca' tongue-in-cheek fashion rag Super Super to the gossip and shopping pages of Grazia.

Whilst the reigning publishing houses such as Emap, Conde Nast, Hachette Filipacchi and NatMags continue to churn out their beloved glossies, it is newcomers such as .Cent, Above Magazine, Wonderland, Flux and Marmalade that are covering new fashion territory. Tank, for example, features high-end, designer mens and womenswear, presented in a fresh, minimal sort of way, very clean, very organic. Their collaboration with the Observer newspaper has seen the birth of a new quarterly fashion supplement called O: by Tank, covering the same stories as most magazines – menswear, womenswear, the season's must-have accessories, but in a clever layout that is interesting to read, but this time gets household distribution rather than niche (i.e. limited) readership of its main publication.

Fashion, in a consumer sense, is all about lifestyle, and new publications are catering to the needs of those with specific fashion requirements. Take the year-old publication Happy Magazine. It's sister version, an American fashion catalogue called Lucky, is the shopping bible of all publications. Its directory lists everything according to category, from specific accessories (handbags, wallets, jewellery) to tailoring, beauty and homeware. Page after page of single product shots has proven to be a winning formula with readers. Granted, it doesn't have the glamour of Harper's Bazaar editorial or the richness of Pop, but so many times artisan fashion shoots obscure what readers really want, which is to see the garment in its full glory. Yes, fashion is interesting when it is shot in a contrived, artistic way on beautiful people, however, its refreshing to see that what is printed on the page is how you'll find it in store.

Also newsworthy is the rise in men's fashion and lifestyle interest. FHM, the bloke publication that used to only cater to a heterosexual, low on the style-stakes kind of guy, now publishes a biennial fashion supplement called FHM Col lections, which covers the men's ready-to-wear shows, seasonal trends and grooming and is a far cry from its borderline pornographic lo-fi style brother. GQ Style has taken it a step further, also publishing a seasonal fashion glossy, featuring high-end menswear, decadent editorial, but focussing more on fashion and less on the literature, motor interest, and reviews as featured in its monthly publication. Other men's mags include Up Street, a little more camp than the rest, but featuring beautiful clothes nonetheless, 10 which has rounded up the UK's most notable editors and journalists to guest edit and contribute, and Another Man, a menswear version of Another Magazine, hot off the press from the same publishers as Dazed & Confused.

Fashion supplements are becoming as important as the magazines themselves, and Vogue's catwalk pages, Harper's Bazaar accessories and business supplements and Tatler's restaurant guide are all extra publications that cater to a niche lifestyle, hoping to gauge your consumer interest. Last year's debut of Lula magazine, an ultra-girly publication featuring stories of Lolita-esque poetry and soft lens shots is in stark contrast to the bold Pop, the style mecca with Katie Grand at its helm.

Art Review, once a publication featuring long-winded articles on art, galleries, collectors and deals, this year revamped its image to embody art in a lifestyle way and now features two yearly fashion issues and regularly covers the art-meets-fashion territory, a boundary that is becoming less and less visible.

And so it seems, what you read these days is as relevant as what you're wearing. Is that British Vogue or French Vogue you're reading? Do you prefer Elle's tell-all fashion non-sense to Marmalade's inspiring, but sometimes futile lifestyle pages. For glamorous fashion, you can't go wrong with 10 or Crash, and if you want to know who's the next big thing in fashion, i-D and Dazed are your best bet. Ahh, so little time, so much to read! useful

5 November 2006

Brad Pitt disputes Vanity Fair cover

To be featured in Vanity Fair means you have arrived, and designers treat editors of America 's most covetable glossy like kings and queens. However, not everyone is so inclined to bend over backwards to be featured. Actor Brad Pitt's representatives hit out at America 's most up-market fashion magazine, after it displayed semi-naked photos of the actor on the cover of its upcoming December issue. The photos of Pitt -shown standing in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts and a pair of socks - were taken by artistic photographer Robert Wilson in September 2005, TMZ celebrity website said.

But while Pitt, 42, signed a legal release when the photograph was taken, he was oblivious they would end up on Vanity Fair's cover more than a year later. "We are very disappointed that Vanity Fair has chosen to put an unauthorized cover on their magazine," a spokesperson for Pitt said. "It seriously makes me question their integrity and motives." A statement from Vanity Fair said Pitt's managers had been notified on October 5 of the decision to use the photo for its special "art" issue.

The magazine defended the decision, saying it had obtained the right to use all Wilson 's photographs taken as he put together a study of video portraits. "Vanity Fair decided to do a story on Wilson 's video portraits and obtained rights to the entire collection of photographs from those sittings, which included Pitt's," the statement quoted by TMZ said. Vanity Fair has a long track record of publishing notable cover photos, most famously a shot of a heavily pregnant Demi Moore posing naked and more recently world exclusive shots of Tom Cruise's baby daughter Suri.

1 November 2006

Wallpaper* founder launches new magazine

Wallpaper* magazine founder Tyler Brûlé is launching a new publication called Monocle. Wallpaper*, the iconic global style guide, paved the way for today's abundant lifestyle magazines and quickly asserted itself as one the most influential magazines of its time in the nineties, inspiring directional publications such as Another Magazine, Pop, and Wonderland to diversify and explore different arenas of design, fashion, art, media and travel.

Brûlé sold the magazine, which launched in 1996, to Time Warner a year after its debut, but stayed on as editorial director until 2002 . Then, in a mass exodus, many of his original staff followed Brûlé when he left the magazine, no longer content with the Time Warner association. Brule subsequently set up Winkreative, a design agency in London 's Mayfair .

Brûlé is keen to note that Monocle is not a spin-off of Wallpaper*, nor is it reminiscent of his attempts to launch other publications such as Spruce, which had a run of only three issues, and Line, a cerebral sports-angle publication, which also failed to excite glossy readers, not making it past issue three.

Monocle, in contrast, will be aimed at the affluent business market, finding inspiration in current affairs, the BBC and the Economist, but minus the dull financial analysis. Instead, Brûlé will incorporate the added edge of design he is known for, focussing on reportage, cultural criticism and luxury goods. To start, the publication will be printed on expensive paper, and thus distance itself from the glossies that cramp the current media shelves or the financial papers that are more business oriented.

Brûlé used a reported investment of £5m from private investors to launch Monocle and is planning to open offices in New York , Zurich and Tokyo. "There's enormous scope for a media brand that bridges global affairs and business but also rounds out the mix with the best in design and cultural coverage," said Brûlé. Brûlé hopes the title will sell around 150,000 copies when it launches in early 2007. Wallpaper sold a similar amount when Brule sold it to publishing giant Time Warner.

24 October 2006

Issue One launch

From Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director Paulus, new fashion magazine Issue One's manifesto is to avoid the creative booby trap of "pandering to the requirements of the high-rolling, high-profile advertisers." He's working instead to put the creative reins back into the hands of a visionary team of photographers and stylists, who are free to conceive and execute their own story ideas. "Issue One has a clear message for the fashion world — transforming the obscure, creating the iconic.

The magazine does not intend to follow trends, but to be proactive and create them. As Paulus explains, “We are trailblazers who intend to change the future of modern fashion by championing the cutting-edge designers who seem to have to fight an uphill battle in the most competitive of worlds," explains Paulus.

The format includes an eight-page cover that folds into the middle of the book, a feature the publishers claim is entirely unique to Issue One. On the inside, 12 photographers are given a walloping 14 pages each to lay out their stories, without being undermined by tricky graphics and call-out text. Men's and women's fashion are given equal coverage — a revolution in itself in the market-tested magazine world.

25 August 2006

Fashion publishers under scrutiny

Fashion edia giant Emap is facing a shareholder backlash after it announced last week that its revenues will slide this year. Shares in the company, which owns 'lads' mag' FHM and the weekly publication Grazia, fell by nearly 15 per cent last Thursday following the news.One of Emap's largest shareholders hinted that it would support a takeover bid for the group. 'It is not a huge surprise they have underperformed. There is a lot of venture capital money around in the media sector. They wouldn't have much of a defence if someone came along with a bid,' the stakeholder said.

Last September, Emap warned that advertising revenue in some of its public-sector trade titles was falling rapidly and overall growth was slowing. Before that, Moloney had announced that the group's French arm was performing badly, and the business was subsequently sold.Emap said last week that revenues from its men's lifestyle and automotive titles, which analysts estimate generate around 40 per cent of profits at its magazine arm, had slowed significantly. Magazines including FHM - one of the publishing success stories of the Nineties - music title Q and car publication Max Power are not performing as well as they were. Arena and Motor Cycle News are also believed to be suffering.

The company has launched successful weekly titles like Zoo and Closer, which are growing, but investors are worried that the latest comments from the company indicate the slowdown in the magazine market may be permanent rather than cyclical. One analyst said: 'The market is catching up with them.'A company spokesman said: 'Emap continues to outperform markets which are clearly under pressure', and emphasised that it had raised the dividend and returned money from the sale of the French business to shareholders. He added that Sir Robin Miller, a former chief executive and chairman of Emap, described the company's current management as 'outstanding' last week.

16 July 2006

Edit magazine launch

There's a new fashion magazine on the racks called Edit. Published by none other than the fashionable Harvey Nichols group, the bi-annual publication will mimic a buyer's notebook in style and feature key catwalk looks from the current season. The magazine will be available at all Harvey Nichols stores in the UK and Ireland – six in total – as well as to its estimated 40,000 customers. You can preview some of the pages on the store's website,

www.harveynichols.com
19 April 2006

Forbes Top Designers

The Forbes list of the world's most influential fashion designers was revealed this week and we were all dying to know who came in number one. That would be Christopher Bailey, creative director for Burberry, who is responsible for generating £170 million in sales and 421 press references.

Number two on the list is the ever-popular Manolo Blahnik, with £42 million in sales and 1629 press mentions. Dolce & Gabbana made it in at number three with $450 million in sales and 950 mentions. Working our way down the list, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcon garnered fourth place with £82 million in sales and 324 references. Following him, in chronological order, are Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Stefano Pilati for YSL, Miuccia Prada and John Varvatos.

“Some have long been household names,” said Forbes. “Others are better known by fashion insiders. Designers were also chosen for their intellectual edginess or because their approach to clothing fits the way Americans live: comfortable, more casual than the Europeans and with less of a distinction between work and play, day and evening.”

www.forbes.com
3 November 2005

Esquire best-dressed men

US men's lifestyle magazine Esquire will publish its second annual list of the Best Dressed Men in the World. Leading the style stakes this year is the fashion and music icon Pharrell Williams of the duo The Neptunes. The magazines credits Williams with "injecting dressed-up luxury into hip-hop style and thereby influencing a new generation of guys to consider more than just a pair of baggy jeans a reflection of their youthful vitality".

Playing down his way of selecting clothes, Williams, 32, is quoted in the magazine as saying: "It's never about whether I'm the best-dressed guy in the room. I never go, 'Oh, I'm killin' 'em tonight!' It's about comfort and the flow. I dress how I feel, so I always look comfortable. That's the only way to look good." David Granger, the magazine's editor-in-chief, said Williams topped the 2005 list because of the way he infused "high-end haberdashery into today's baggy hip-hop craze". He added: "Really, it's mostly confidence. He has a way of mixing fine tailoring with clothes that are relaxed, so he looks equally put-together and casual at the same time."

The list, which includes Bill Clinton, the Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and the UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, was compiled by a panel of fashion experts and Esquire editors, will appear in the magazine's US September issue. British men appearing on the list include Jude Law, who was number four, Alex Kapranos from rockband Franz Ferdinand at number 9, Paul Bettany at number 17 and Chris Martin who was 19th.

Mr Sullivan praised Law, who recently starred in Alfie and Closer, as the "new celluloid style icon", but also indicated that ordinary men could aspire to his look. "Law always looks natty off-camera. He mixes British tailoring with casual clothes that everyone can wear," he said. Mr Granger said today's well-dressed man must have a "balance between dressing professionally and appearing to be totally relaxed ... That whole Armani jacket with blue jeans is getting clichéd".

12 August 2005

Emporio Armani magazine

Designers are rarely content with only designing clothes. The make-up of a brand consists of so much more these days, which is why Giorgio Armani launched his own magazine in 1989. At the time, fashion was breaking the boundaries of design and what better way of reaching a new demographic than by print?

Emporio Armani magazine was a further step in making the Armani universe complete. Published twice a year, it also took Armani's vision to a broader audience. Better yet, it also functions as clever advertising of his clothes as they are allowed to be seen at their best. With the crème de la crème of the creative industries willing to contribute - think Richard Buckley, Norman Watson, Ingrid Sischy - the Armani vision was uniquely interpreted but always visible.

As the label celebrates its 30th anniversary, these pages add another mark of distinction to Armani's list of achievements.

>> more Armani news
6 April 2005

Wintour's seal of approval

The formidable editor-in-chief of the US Vogue Anna Wintour has bestowed her seal of approval on LA Fashion Week. La Wintour, who is notorious for her make or break abilities, gave a favourable verdict. "It's a little more laid back and less people, but everyone's very charming and very enthusiastic. I'll definitely come back," she said of her first time at the Mercerdes Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles last week.

She named designers Carlos Rosario, Louis Verdad, Libertine, James Perse and Rodarte as favourites and admitted that dancing with photographer Mario Testino at the dinner she hosted for him was the highlight of the week.

Her daughter Bee, who had accompanied her to LA, disappeared off to the shops for shopping spree. "She certainly went to Marc Jacobs, then to Fred Segal. She just disappeared for a day. I dread to think where she went," said her mother.

22 March 2005

iD Magazine Celebrates 25th Birthday

iD magazine is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. Perhaps it's still a baby compared to the 300 year-old Tatler magazine, but with so many style mags coming and going (The Face, Sleaze Nation, Blitz) it certainly is a birthday worth celebrating.

In an age of multi-national publishing s and bland mega brands, iD has managed to stay independent and managed to survive. The magazine is ready to celebrate with a series of special issues; guest collaborators like Ashley Heath, Neville Brody and David Lipman. There is a documentary on BBC2 on Wednesday, featuring former contributors like GQ editor Dylan Jones. Many successful editors first got their break at iD, such as Vogue's Harriet Quick and celebs such as Naomi Campbell, Giselle and Madonna all did their first cover shoots for iD.

The famous wink - every iD cover star is featured either winking or with one eye covered - began with the first issue and came out of he publishing ethos of founder, editor-in-chief and creative director Terry Jones. He launched the magazine after five years as art director for UK Vogue and wanted to focus on street fashion and identity - hence iD. In a nod to psychoanalysis, iD also refers to the id and the closed eye represents the hidden self.

The main intention with iD was to go past race or class or any other kind of segregation, Jones told Media Guardian. The magazine wanted to promote identity on every level - and business in general has recognised that fashion is a major industry to be reckoned with.

9 March 2005

Elle the new glossy

Britain's Elle magazine has been given a makeover and has given fashion a whole new meaning. From this season's must-haves in the Elle Style edition, to the what's hot & not list for Spring, you'll find the best fashion editorial since Anne-Marie Curtis and her new team revamped the magazine.

Check out the designer bag competition on page 120, where you can win a customised bag by designers such as John Rocha, Elspeth Gibson, Trace Boyd and Megan Park.

4 February 2005

First HipHop Fashion Magazine

The first ever exclusively HipHop fashion focused magazine was launched this week. Urbl Magazine focuses on the real HipHop flavour of the streets of the US.

The magazine covers shoes, clothing, accessories, news, rumours and gossip and interviews with hot artists and designers. The first issue includes brands Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Custom Shoes, Phat Farm Shoes, Sean John, Rocawear, Tiret NYC and House of Dereon by Beyonce Knowles, amongst others.

The main distribution of the magazine will take place on the streets through street team promoters and via the magazine's website. A few HipHop stores on both coast are selling the magazine, and plans to expand this type of distribution are in the works.

The first 200 subscribers will be rewarded with a rubber band from T.I. And Atlantic Records. These rubber bands are the same as those worn by TI, Usher, P.Diddy and other celebrities in T.I.'s video "Rubber Band Man". Furthermore, there will be one grand prize winner who will win a digital camera and a white and yellow gold, diamond bezeled bracelet. The latter has a retail value of $1599.99. Ubrl magazine will be released bi-monthly.

www.urblmag.com
3 November 2004

New magazine launch

Emap Consumer Media (ECM) is set to launch Grazia, Britain's first weekly glossy lifestyle magazine for women, in the spring of 2005. Grazia will be a British licensed version of the Italian fashion magazine owned by Mondadori, the Italian media group controlled by the family of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

ECM anticipates newsstand circulation of 15,000 within the first 12 months, with a total investment of GBP 16 million. The magazine will be headed up by David Davies, ex-editor of men's magazine FHM, and Fiona McIntosh, former editor of Elle. Paul Keenan, head of ECM, told reporters that Grazia would be the most modern magazine on the stands, because it could provide weekly up-to-date fashion news.

27 October 2004

Lose Face

The Face, the magazine that was once the epitome of cool, is to close after 24 years. Publishers Emap have decided that the monthly glossy - which was at the cutting edge of popular culture during the 1980s and some of the 1990s - is no longer viable as circulation has dropped from 70,000 copies a month to just 25,000.

The last issue of the Face, which was launched in 1980 and went on to become an icon of fashionable publishing with cover stars such as Kate Moss and David Beckham, will be published on April 8.

Staff on the magazine, including an editorial team of 20 under editor and Popbitch founder Neil Stevenson, had been told that the magazine's future was up for review, but could continue in a different form. Despite suggestions it might continue as a website, it is thought Emap is keen to end its five-year relationship with the title.

The Face was never a mass-market publication, but at its peak it sold over 70,000 issues each month. In the early 1980s, it was de rigeur for anyone in the cool brigade. As well as championing every movement from the new romantics to avant garde artists, it revolutionised magazine publishing.

At the time, the music market was dominated by Melody Maker and New Musical Express, but the Face made style and graphics as important as its journalism. Its founding art director, Neville Brody, became one of the world's most influential graphic designers.

4 May 2004

New Magazine To Unravel Your Defenses

If art, design, fashion and culture are what inspire you, check out the newly launched Bolz magazine. Now in it's fourth issue, its aim is to unravel and reveal the changed appearances that protect and conceal a true identity.

Carefully bringing together a multi-faceted content, it draws inspiration from the noughties arts movement and takes a poetic stance to fashion. From the appearance of Terry O'Neill's subjects, to renowned random dance artistic director and choreographer Wayne McGregor's masterpieces, Bolz thoughtfully studies the pretenses across the borders or art, design, fashion and culture.

Bolz is available at most newsagents in the UK. For subscriptions surf to www.bolzmgazine.com

11 December 2003

Elle awards licence for table and bed linen

Hachette-Filipacchi, the French publisher of Elle, is pushing its licensing strategy. Elle Licensing is aiming to strengthen the presence of Elle licensed products mainly on the European market. The latest European licensing deal, covering table and bed linen, has been struck with Valmon, the Alsace-based home textiles company.

Recently, a collection of "Elle" lingerie and home wear was unveiled at the Paris exhibition Salon International de la Lingerie. Canat, the French nightwear specialist, holds this licence for the European market.

Negotiations with a European clothing manufacturer are under way for a licence covering young women's fashion. The British manufacturer, DB Actif, holds a sportswear licence for Elle which is confined to the UK market. Elle Licensing controls all the licences for childrenswear, bags, footwear and jewellery.

February 11, 2003

First fashion mag ‘Lotous’ hits Iran

In a country where women are required to dress in loose fitting, ankle-length clothes and cover their hair and necks with headscarves, fashion appears to have limited possibilities. But in a sign of a gradual relaxation of Iran's social restrictions, the first women's fashion magazine to be published in the country since the 1979 Islamic revolution has just hit the news stands.

With a burst of bright colors and inventive designs influenced by traditional Persian costumes, the quarterly Lotous is something of a revolution in itself. The price of the magazine is 3.75 USD. "Women generally like dressing elegantly and Iranian women are no exception," said Mahla Zamani, the Iranian fashion designer who publishes the magazine.

Now, when they are in public, young Iranian women mostly wear long trousers and a coat, usually to just below the knee, and allow as much hair as possible to spill out from under colorful silk scarves. Once in private the coats and scarves come off, often revealing the latest dresses from top European designers.

Zamani believes in 'You are what you wear'. "Black is the color for mourning and grieving. I believe Iranian women feel depressed simply because of the dark colors they wear," she said. Zamani's designs are based on the colorful, embroidered and beaded styles worn by Persian women through the ages. Long reversible silk tunics paired with pants, knee-length coats with loose long skirts, colorful scarves wrapped tribal-style around the head, and flowing opera capes are among her creations.

January 28, 2003

Special newspaper during NY Fashion Week

During the New York Fashion Week next month there will be a new must-have for fashionistas to put into their handbags. The Daily promises to deliver the daily news and gossip from the shows, as well as a first hint at the trends and fashion buzz straight off the Bryant Park catwalk. The magazine is produced by 7th on Sixth and will be introduced at the autumn/winter 2003 shows.

"We are excited to be creating a new magazine that will focus on the daily events of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week," says Fern Mallis, Executive Director of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. "It's a tremendous opportunity to provide the fashion community with daily highlights of the events, excitement and creativity that surround the shows, and a chance for the public to get a real insider's look at it all."

The first "glossy newspaper" will appear on newsstands on the first day of New York Fashion Week and subsequent issues will be on sale every other day after that. "Our first publication will be an insider's delight," says Brandusa Niro, who will oversee the publication of the new daily must-read for fashion savvy New Yorkers. "It will report each day on the stars of Fashion Week: the designers, the editors, the retailers, the models, the fashion freaks and the celebrities."

January 18, 2003
www.mercedesbenzfashionweek.com