"Everybody understands that digital is the future and the present." These are not my own words but Baba Shetty's, newly appointed CEO of Newsweek, when he announced that the last printed issue of the world famous magazine will be relased this december. No later, then it's going to be all digital. Many in fashion would probably share Mr Shetty's point of view and visions, though the news from the small yet global universe of luxury are quite contradictory on that matter, with consequences that affect magazines, models, agencies and other players. The first three are, of course, the ones I'm interested in and the subject of this article in two parts. A first one dedicated to the current evolution of fashion press and a second short story on what to expect for models and their management.
I caught myself writing about the launch (or relaunch) of two italian magazines last week and both had some obviously retro vibes surrounding them. Flair's new look is directly inspired by the historical Flair magazine from the fifties while the newly released L'Officiel Italia featured an illustration on the cover. Not really living proofs of the digital age we're living in yet both are symptomatic of the evolution of fashion magazines in general, high-end ones more specifically.
We already had Grey Magazine, started a few years ago, that redesigned the look and function of the magazine as a collection of images and a beautiful object. Instead of the usual glossy look, Grey contains (almost) no advertisement inside and presents itself as a "real" book with a thick, rigid cover that you wouldn't be ashamed to put next to any other art book from your personal library at home. And the contents are just the way you expect them looking at the outside: fully dedicated to fashion photography, fine styling, portraits etc. No trace of the typical fashion stories you would find in Vogue, Elle or... everywhere online, these days.
Another recent move that follows a similar pattern is Carine Roitfeld's latest project. The title itself says it all: CR Fashion Book. Calling her magazine a book isn't innocent at all, as the vocable "book" still refers to an object you can hold in your hands while "magazine" can mean all and everything going from the monthly glossy sold in stores to the latest online page showcasing editorials, ad campaigns and other features you usually associate with the word "magazine".
Whether Carine's project is a book or not isn't the heart of the issue, the main idea behind this sophisticated title is clearly the difference of branding it brings. Book spells luxe and makes the item less casual, separates it from the masses and bears a timeless meaning. I don't think anyone is likely to launch a regular monthly printed magazine today but there is certainly a significant niche market for publications that are released two, three or four times a year and packaged as luxury objects you want to keep for a long time in opposition to the fast-paced online press or the good-old glossies you used to read and throw.
The last years have witnessed the birth (and, sometimes, the raise) of more artistic or alternative printed magazines, primarily focusing on high-end or experimental photography, collaborations with artists that aren't systematically connected to fashion and written contents.
If this seems to be the present of fashion magazines, the recent past was quite different. Not so long ago, not even half a decade ago, a young magazine from Ukraine called Playing Fashion made its debuts online and involved mostly local contributors. The perception of online magazines by the public wasn't totally the same as today and not being printed often meant belonging to second tier publications. After putting much efforts to develop their project, the young team behind Playing Fashion managed to step from its initial virtual form to gigantic leaves of glossy paper. And the move was seen as a major improvement in terms of prestige and audience.
But the fairytale didn't last: Playing Fashion stopped being printed this spring. The fantastic journey started by a few ukrainian youngsters is over and this doesn't leave much hopes left for hypothetical upcoming monthly printed magazines. Meanwhile, if Conde Nast and others have no plans yet to stop printing their Vogues and co., none of those famous titles could survive without an online presence besides their monthly release in bookstores.
I could go on with more examples of the influence of digital media on fashion press but I guess the point is pretty clear. Furthermore, magazines are the top of the iceberg, the most obvious part of the business where this influence can be seen or felt. What remains harder to perceive is how it has also affected the modeling side on various fronts, how it has changed the career prospects for the girls and the working habits of their managers - the theme of this article's upcoming part two.
CREDITS: CR Fashion Book, Kate Upton and Audrey Harrelson by Bruce Weber / Playing Fashion, Erin O'Connor by Jeon Seung Hwan / GREY Magazine, Bianca Balti by Manuela Pavesi, styled by Moreno Galata.