Radical Vertical

@IsabelitaVirtual
Fashion
Interview by Holger Homann
HH In the current climate when
magazine publishers are reporting vastly
declining circulation, even of the most
prestigious titles, (with sales of the top 100
magazines in UK and Ireland having declined
by over 50% since 2000),
would you consider the
printed fashion magazine
to be an endangered
species? Or in short:
is print dead?
the experience of reading.
The ritual of spending time
and enjoying the moment.
On digital platforms,
we have access to
millions of images
and articles, which
2
0
fulfils the voracity for
content. In print it’s
not about quantity but
always about quality.
This leads us to the second
reason, which is focused
on the object itself. Today,
print magazines should be
the haute couture of fashion
editorials, to keep this
glamour that attracted fans
IV I don’t think
so. Obviously it’s been
hard for some magazines,
particularly the ones that
were not so appealing
in their print version to
compel readers to spend
money on them. Why
should I buy a magazine
when I can get the same
content for free? Well, I
find at least 2 powerful
reasons: the first one is
from all over the world
and of course, to win
followers in social media.
On the other hand, we
should turn our heads to
the rise of independent
fashion and lifestyle
magazines, focused on
niche audiences with a
high interest in the issues
they are related to.
HH The hottest
topic in the media
business right now is the
unexpected growth in paid
subscriptions. If the growth
of subscriptions is driven in
part by frustration with the
pervasive advertising we
are subject to, is the fashion magazine mainly
financed by the sales of advertisement fit for
the future, or the reason for its decline?
IV The growth in paid subscriptions
is the evidence that magazines have “real
lovers”. Advertisers should take advantage
of this fact now, more than ever, and invest to
touch the hearts (and wallets) of readers. There
is an enormous opportunity for advertisers
and publishers to not do conventional ads but
interesting content. Since the beginning of
their creation, magazines
have been a catalogue
for brands. Net-a-Porter
was the evolution of this
idea in a very honest way.
Print magazines should
collaborate with brands
to explain relevant fashion
stories. In digital, it’s the
natural way of doing it, but
in print, advertising was
always the annoying price
that readers paid. Now
the relationship between
advertisers and editors
is evolving into valuable
content and an invaluable
increase of fans.
language of the brand/
titles and the digital
language.
HH Teen Vogue,
once a prized brand in
Condé Nast’s portfolio,
has been cut down to four
issues per year. Teen Vogue
will now become an onlineonly
publication. Is this the
proof of a continued trend
as younger audiences and
digital natives move away
from print?
HH
What could
be the best strategy for a
publisher deeply rooted in
printed titles to adapt to
the digital economy?
IV There is
probably not a unique
solution that works for
all titles. However, there
are some common
points that are a must
to build a community:
time and money. Quite
obvious, right? But there
are still companies that
don’t understand this.
Also to find the correct
balance between the own
IV Younger audiences
have less purchasing
power but they are willing
to spend it on products/
services they are in love with. Even online
magazines like Rookie are editing books.
HH Is the reinvention of magazine
brands online such as Teen Vogue the only
solution to help replace the fall of print in
terms of advertisement revenues?
IV Advertisers are where audiences
are. So the question should be how to make
your audience grow.
HH
On the other hand, independent
magazines are seeing a
rise in readership through
a hybrid of print and
online publications. What
went wrong in terms of
developing adequate
strategies to bridge once
prestigious and successful
printed titles such as
Details and Teen Vogue
with the digital era?
IV I see a tendency
of forgetting what is the
real DNA of printed
magazines in the transition
to digital. Most of them
are very similar to each
other and there is a lack
of personality.
HH As our dependence on
social media grows, and it becomes
more integrated into our lives, we’re
becoming more influenced by what
we see online than ever—how do
you consider the effects on fashion?
IV We are witnessing
something unprecedented. Regular
people are turning into trends
prescribers. This is amazing and it’s
forcing the fashion establishment
to be more innovative. However,
all of us are subjected to what we
call the “dictatorship of likes”.
Brands repeat what audiences
like the most, which is normal,
taking into account the market
but it’s not that
healthy for
opening minds and
bringing in something new.
HH Fashion was
presented to us in the
past mainly through glossy
magazines such as Vogue.
Fashion in that way was
kept exclusive, determined
by designers and magazine
editors. With platforms like
Instagram, we have the
chance to become our
own magazine editors,
sharing our personal style
with potentially millions
of users. To what extent
do you think this will
change the way fashion
is perceived and how
brands connect with their core audience in
the future? Will the printed fashion magazine
stay in the picture?
IV Democracy has arrived in fashion.
It’s true that everyone can post content but we
need to keep in mind that the content an ego-
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