Magazines

I love magazines, and of course, September is a big month that kicks off the trends, the shows, the books, and every culture touch point. Right up my alley.

Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor in chief for the past 37 years, has passed the reins to Chloe Malle this past week. I won’t mention Chloe’s parents, who have made their impact on our cultural lives, because Chloe has proven herself worthy of this role regardless of her family. Her first announcement is that Vogue will no longer be published monthly, but will instead be based on specific themes or cultural moments. Not exactly sure how that will work because you can publish daily online but it takes time to publish a magazine.

Malle needed to make a shift the moment she walked in the door. She is of a new generation that grew up online. She will lean into digital, as Vogue should have done in the early 2000s. The entire fashion industry has built digital platforms, from Instagram to e-commerce, grabbing eyeballs and dollars from new media platforms and other e-commerce platforms, making nothing unique. What I can read here, I can read somewhere else, and buy too.

The big fashion magazines this September don’t have the same ads as in the past. The ads in Vogue used to be so gorgeous that they blended in with the content, but not anymore. Bazaar had better-looking ads than Vogue this year. Vogue was laden with super cheesy advertisements that made me wonder who is reading Vogue? People who wear Sketchers?

I enjoy reading the new online magazines, such as Puck, but I am not convinced that journalists need to publish daily articles. I am a huge Lauren Sherman fan, but once a week is plenty. Just to let you know, I have a paid subscription to Puck, and am happy to do it. I want to support writers. They are essential voices of society.

The hardest part about online media is that we all grew up on the net, not paying for content. Changing consumer behavior has not been easy. The other revenue stream is advertising, which has ebbed, and the way they are pushed at the reader is not a pleasant experience.

I am rooting for all these publications to succeed at some level. New York Magazine has done a great job of merging with Vox, creating not only online content but also a bi-weekly magazine with nice thick paper and worthy long-form articles. I still love the paper edition. Now, all eyes are on Vogue.