magazine obsessed.

It's also disheartening to hear this news.

Apparently Glamour cut 12 of its editors, including two who had been there for 10 years.

Also - WWD cut its executive fashion editor, Candy Pratts Price - who got her start at Vogue in the 80s - and contributor,  Laird Borrelli-Persson from style.com.

Upsetting to say the least, but hopefully things pick up by the end of this year or early next year!

More information at: http://fashionista.com/2009/10/condes_ax_takes_candy.php

I love when magazines really highlight a woman's strength in pictures - and I feel like Elle really did an amazing job with this in their latest Women in Hollywood piece for November's issue.
Perez Hilton's alter ego "Coco Perez" has some shots on his site: http://cocoperez.com/2009-10-07-elles-women-in-hollywood-issue
How beautiful is Julianne Moore with the emerald? Lovely!

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Interview magazine is getting a makeover - and it's bold, dramatic and fantastic :)
I particularly love this stunning cover with Twilight's Kristen Stewart.
Check out what WWD's Amy Wicks had to say about it:

"After a tumultuous few years, Interview magazine — now under the team of editorial director Fabien Baron, editor in chief Stephen Mooallem and creative director Karl Templer — is changing its look. “This magazine has to evolve and change and address contemporary culture,” said president Evanly Schindler, who joined a few months ago and, before that, launched Tar. “It will be anchored in the here and now,” he remarked."

To read the rest, visit: http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/interviews-nip-and-a-tuck-dg-tube-paul-miller-leads-maxim-2324883?src=twitter

Interview

The air is getting crisper, and you can almost smell fall coming...which means a favourite time in magazines. Now that they're winding down after September's hysteria, they can focus on content and copies are not so inundated with trends, trends, trends.

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Naturally, one of my favourite magazines is a pro at this post-summer transition - Glamour.

This month their encouraging readers to fall back in love with shopping - responsibly of course. Also online they're offering coupons to all readers to save a little money at their favourite stores.

October also features their annual Top 10 College Women Competition (Martha Stewart was a winner in 1961) - which is wonderfully inspiring. And of course, the annual breast cancer awareness piece. But Glamour kept it optimistic with easy ways to prevent the disease supported by research and breakthroughs.

Behind the Scenes: SELF's Triple Cover Shoot!

Self's beginning-of-fall issue also always comes off as like a warm reliably comfy sweater. Having been a reader of Self since the beginning of high school, I can attest to the fact that while they're strong in the spring and summer, fall and winter is when they really shine in terms of features and ideas.

The October issue features some really great perspectives on beauty from the lovely ladies on the cover, some inspiring information on breast cancer from the magazine who helped to develop the iconic pink ribbon and a poignant feature about making and maintaining friendships as you get older and busier.

I don't know about you - but I'm definitely feeling ready for fall...a lot of it due to the appearance of pumpkin pie at every family dinner occasion, Thanksgiving or otherwise ;)

As news of magazines suffering, and even failing, it's refreshing to hear that US Weekly is using this recession to expand itself and try to figure out new ways of selling copies.

                                                           

                                                 
WWD reports that in July, US Weekly's surpassed People.com in unique visitors to its site. Partially because of the deaths of two major celebrities: Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson; but it was also because US Weekly had exclusive videos of Michael.

Additionally, the magazine is putting out a "bookazine" entitled US Hair this month, that will be 130 pages. It's also planning to capitalize again on last year's Twilight bookazine by releasing another one in honour of the newest film.

To read more about US Weekly's diversification, visit: http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-us-weekly-expands-morphing-magazines-2237971?src=twitter

SEPTEMBER MAGAZINES!

Also known as my second Christmas :)

While they are a little smaller this year than last (I'm not expecting the Sept. Vogue to be the size of the last Harry Potter booka gain), they're just as exciting!

Here are some of the ones I'll be picking up (or have already picked up):

Ashley Olsen_Marie Claire

Featuring a wonderful interview with designer and business mogul Ashley Olsen, accompanied by stunning photos, Marie Claire's September issue is crammed with enough fall fashion and makeup to get you excited about putting together your own look.

It also includes interviews with fashion heavyweights Donatella Versace and Michael Kors, as well as North America's recent fashion icon from across the pond - Alexa Chung, and what looks to be an interesting article delving into "the new trophy wife" - why North America's most powerful men hook up with Asian women.

As a big fan of this magazine, I think they did well with their September issue and anyone looking for a combination of fashion and culture will enjoy it too.

Daria Werbowy_Flare

Canada's FLARE magazine grabbed my attention for two reasons:

1. Stunning cover(s) - Daria Werbowy (also Cdn) stuns in an electric blue dress. It also features two other covers on the following pages that are also equally beautiful.

2. The price. At $1.99 it's a wonderful treat.

The magazine really went above and beyond - highlighting iconic Cdn. models, up-and-coming Cdn. labels and featuring a beautiful photo spread of FLARE over the past 30 years (it's a 30th anniversary issue).

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I never have enough good things to say about Glamour in general (yes, I'm massively biased). While I was hesitant about Jessica Simpson as a cover girl (the last time she was on the cover in 2007 it was a fairly gushy account about her then-relationship with Tony Romo), I think this article really showcases a strong individual and let's face it, I'm in love with that jacket on the cover.

Besides this interview, the magazine is full of fantastic reads on how to be confident about your money, a major ego boost in "What Everyone But You Sees About Your Body," a great photo spread with the ladies of New Moon showing some beautiful makeup looks, and fashion problems solved by the lovely Rachel Zoe...and more. I could go on - just go buy it :)

Leighton Meester_Harper's Bazaar

Leighton! Big magazine cover for her - so congrats on that. This was shot by one of my favourite photogs, Terry Richardson who also shot the GG cast for Rolling Stone. It's not as provocative as most of his photos, but she looks lovely nonetheless. The gold background throws me off a bit - I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can get behind the gold for fall idea.

In the article, they use technology to age Leighton - which I'm looking forward to seeing in my own copy when it comes out (next week I believe).

Taylor Momsen_Teen Vogue

Another Gossip Girl! And yes, I read Teen Vogue :) I happen to know a blogger for Glamour does too.

Besides that, I completely respect T. Momsen's urban style. I loved the leather vest and spiked bracelets in the photo spread.

Besides a great review of fall fashions for teens, it's got a great article bringing light to the fact that more teens are shoplifting in this recession.

Redbook

According to Women's Wear Daily (and Ed2010 who tweeted this) - Redbook's editors are trying out some new things in their cover dept. in an effort to attract more readers, as well as to convey their "message of optimism and joy every month" (and who couldn't use a little of that?).

So for their upcoming August cover - it was all about texture, a fake crocodile texture on the "REDBOOK" logo.

"(It was) achieved by scanning a wallet from the fashion closet" according to the brief article. The cover also features "more white space and fewer cover lines." Their covergirl, Law & Order SVU start Mariska Hargitay, wears Marchesa and "reveals a bit more skin than the usual Redbook cover shot."

Article by WWD's A.W. and can be found at: http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-steven-meisel-shoots-cavalli-ads-redbooks-reveal-2217471#/article/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-steven-meisel-shoots-cavalli-ads-redbooks-reveal-2217471?page=2

It's come to my attention that two mags have make some blunders in the past months. However, since it's in the print version - I'm speculating it might have happened during printing.

Example #1: Women's Health July/August - Mandy Moore article

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Where'd the rest go? It ends with Mandy talking about going to therapy then I couldn't find the rest. I checked the rest of the magazine and last time I was in a bookstore - I checked other issues...nothing! I emailed Women's Health and tweeted them but haven't received a response. Maybe I missed something?

Example #2: Cosmopolitan August - Love/Lust section

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Printed twice...I even think three times? I thought maybe I was losing it, but the same articles appear more than once. I didn't get a chance to check the other issues on the shelves, but I think it's the same.

So what's going on? It's a mistake that's for sure. And a frustrating when it hasn't been acknowledged. Maybe there's nothing you can do about it, but put the rest of the Mandy Moore article online, or example the printing blip. Or maybe I'm the only one who noticed haha Either way - it was interesting!

I first became interested in the August issue of Vanity Fair last year, as they featured a bunch of up-and-coming stars - something I always look forward to reading.

This year they're traveling back in time and recreating some iconic Depression-era films.

Check out Jennifer's Body star, Amanda Seyfriend, and G.I. Joe's Channing Tatum as Carole Lombard and William Powell in the 1936 film "My Man Godfrey."

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Really stunning :) Even the locations they filmed at are full of history. I love this spread more than last year's which just featured the beach mainly. This one has so much character and it's interesting seeing such current actors play historic roles.

Check out the rest of the behind-the-scenes action at: http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2009/08/30s-fashion-bts-slideshow200908?slide=1#globalNav

Or pick up VF's August issue which also features a in-depth look into Heath Ledger's final days - which provides insights with those who still have questions.

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16-year-old Miley Cyrus has secured herself another "older" mag cover. Her latest cover is in light of her newest fashion collection with designer Max Azria for Walmart, for the junior section.

I'm wondering what Elle readers will say about this cover choice in the coming months? When Glamour chose her, the reviews were mixed - one reader felt insulted as she was an educated individual having to read about a tween star yet some were pleasantly surprised with Cyrus, saying she had a good head on her shoulders.

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For more on Miley in Elle: http://www.elle.com/Entertainment/Cover-Shoots

Also - I don't know about you, but I'm getting excited already for...the September issues. Always massives, always brilliant. I'll be covering those next month. I realize summer can be a little slow for magazines as some do June/July issues and you don't see a lot of new ones, but once September hits - things are really off and running :)