Men’s Vogue. Fashion Rocks. Best Life. COSMOgirl!. Teen. Each of these magazines ceased publication in the past 12 months. Though reduced advertising budgets and declining readership were likely causes of their demise, is this indicative of a greater issue in the industry – particularly for fashion?
Traditionally, the New York, Paris and Milan spring and fall fashion shows coincided with magazines’ lead times, so editors were able to report on what the upcoming trends were for each season. However, now that we are at the height of the digital age, consumers are clamoring for products at an alarming rate and digital media is able to feed that insatiable appetite. Additionally, as “seasons” become a distant memory, designers and retailers, such as MINT Jodi Arnold, Spiegel, Anama and Top Shop, are shifting their product offer to reflect the in-the-moment shopping behavior of today’s consumer.
With the advent of Who What Wear Daily, MySpace Muses and the like, consumers no longer need to rely upon the pages of a magazine to provide them with information about the trends and how to style them. As this trend continues, we can speculate that more publications will fold, but it seems more likely that the editorial direction of fashion publications will shift to meet readership demands. Is that enough? Just like in the late 1970’s when the Buggles shed light on the transition from radio to video with their hit, Video Killed the Radio Star, so too will blogs and e-zines overshadow their printed counterparts. Web sites, such as My It Things, StyleList, BagTrends, What’s Haute and Fashion Trendsetter, are providing style mavens everywhere with immediate information on the trends and “what to buy now and wear now” – not to mention where these products are sold.
Though printed publications like Vogue, Elle and Lucky. have corresponding websites to keep them at the forefront of the industry as the authority in fashion and are taking advantage of the social media revolution, newcomers like VIV, are taking it one step further. This first of its kind all-digital magazine delivers lifestyle content in an interactive platform. For example, readers can instantly connect to the products and services mentioned in the magazine with a simple click of the mouse. Too good to be true? Hardly. Wouldn’t you like to be able to instantly purchase that Rebecca Minkoff bag, Tory Burch shoes, or Tracy Reese dress? As we continue to redefine the norm, Zinio, VIV’s publisher, has shown that nothing is out of reach. What’s left to be seen is whether or not other magazines will trend in this direction.
With the advent of Who What Wear Daily, MySpace Muses and the like, consumers no longer need to rely upon the pages of a magazine to provide them with information about the trends and how to style them. As this trend continues, we can speculate that more publications will fold, but it seems more likely that the editorial direction of fashion publications will shift to meet readership demands. Is that enough? Just like in the late 1970’s when the Buggles shed light on the transition from radio to video with their hit, Video Killed the Radio Star, so too will blogs and e-zines overshadow their printed counterparts. Web sites, such as My It Things, StyleList, BagTrends, What’s Haute and Fashion Trendsetter, are providing style mavens everywhere with immediate information on the trends and “what to buy now and wear now” – not to mention where these products are sold.
Though printed publications like Vogue, Elle and Lucky. have corresponding websites to keep them at the forefront of the industry as the authority in fashion and are taking advantage of the social media revolution, newcomers like VIV, are taking it one step further. This first of its kind all-digital magazine delivers lifestyle content in an interactive platform. For example, readers can instantly connect to the products and services mentioned in the magazine with a simple click of the mouse. Too good to be true? Hardly. Wouldn’t you like to be able to instantly purchase that Rebecca Minkoff bag, Tory Burch shoes, or Tracy Reese dress? As we continue to redefine the norm, Zinio, VIV’s publisher, has shown that nothing is out of reach. What’s left to be seen is whether or not other magazines will trend in this direction.
Réal Hamilton-Romeo, Publicist and Writer
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