Elle
Cover of August 1993 with Stephanie Seymour and Marcus Schenkenberg, by Richard Avedon
EditorList of editors
CategoriesFashion
FrequencyWeekly (France and Italy only)
Monthly (worldwide)
Circulation4,000,000 (worldwide)
FounderHélène Gordon-Lazareff
Founded1945 (1945), Paris
First issue
CompanyLagardère Group (Elle brand owner; international)
CountryFrance
LanguageBulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
Website

Elle (stylized in all caps) is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, and society and lifestyle. The title Elle means She in English.[1] Elle is considered "one of the world's largest fashion and lifestyle publications", with 45 international editions[2] totalling 33 million readers and receiving 100 million unique monthly visitors on its 55 digital platforms.[3][4]

It was founded in Paris in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff.[5][6] The magazine's readership has grown since its founding, increasing to 800,000 across France by the 1960s. Elle editions have since multiplied, creating a global network of publications and readers. Elle's international expansion began with Elle UK and Elle USA launches in 1985. Previous magazine editors include Jean-Dominique Bauby for Elle France and Roberta Myers, the longest-serving editor-in-chief at Elle USA. Véronique Philipponnat is currently the director of Elle France. Nina Garcia currently holds the position of editor-in-chief at Elle USA, appointed after the departure of Roberta Myers. The Paris-based Lagardère Group owns the brand internationally. Elle France's official headquarters is located in Levallois-Perret, Greater Paris.[7]

History

Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, Russian-born and Paris-raised, started Elle in Paris in the immediate aftermath of World War II. It was first sold as a supplement to France-Soir, edited at the time by Hélène's husband, Pierre Lazareff. Hélène, Elle's pioneering founder, returned to Paris from New York City to create a unique publication that grappled with the many forces shaping women's lives in France in 1945.[8] Women won the right to vote in 1944,[9] and Elle dove immediately into long-form "newspaper-like" features on women's role in national politics and the growing feminist movement.[10] Elle would "celebrate a new type of woman: independent, modern, active, comfortable in her own skin and her time".[5] The first issue of Elle France was published on 21 November 1945[11] featuring Yolande Bloin on the cover dressed by Elsa Schiaparelli. Bloin was an actress in Jacques Becker's film Falbalas.[12] The magazine had a circulation of 110,000 copies in 1945.[5]

In the Elle articles featuring rising fashion designers, the magazine would provide free patterns of some of their fashion pieces. This allowed the general public to experience haute couture as the glamour of the fashion world was becoming accessible to the common working class.[13]

Its 100th issue, published on 14 October 1947,[14] featured the work of Christian Dior just eight months after his debut show. Likewise, Brigitte Bardot had her first Elle cover at age 17, on 7 January 1952, months before her screen debut in Manina, the Girl in the Bikini.

On 2 April 1956, Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of Elle France, a few days before her marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.[12] On 16 July 1956, Elle France featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover.[12]

By the 1960s, Elle had a readership of 800,000 across France and was said to "not so much reflect fashion as decree it." This dominance was reflected in the famous slogan: "Si elle lit elle lit Elle (If she reads, she reads Elle)" (lit. "If she reads she reads She").[15]

Lagardère Group subsidiary, Hachette Filipacchi Médias began pushing Elle outside of France in 1985, launching Elle in the UK and the United States.[16] The Chinese version of the magazine was first published in 1988. It was the first four-colour fashion magazine offered in China. The magazine was an informational and educational tool for opening the Chinese textile market.[17][18]

In 1987, Elle Decoration was launched in France by the Lagardère Group. The brand's internationalisation began in the US with the launch of Elle Decor in 1989.

By 1991, the magazine's sales were in decline in the U.S.[19]

In 1995, the magazine circulated 5 million copies worldwide.[20]

Elle.com was launched in 2007.[21]

In 2011, Hearst Corporation reached a €651M deal with Lagardère to purchase the rights to publish Elle Magazine in fifteen countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia and Ukraine.[22] Lagardère, which struggled in the international market in the 2000s, retained the rights to the French edition and would collect royalties from the international editions.[23] By retaining ownership of the Elle brand in France and through licensing forms in 25 countries, Lagardère remained "the guarantor of brand consistency".[24] The strategic decisions on Elle concerning the countries managed by Hearst would be "taken in close consultation" with Lagardère.[24]

Elle Brazil was the first commercial magazine in the world to have a transgender model on its cover, with Lea T. in December 2011. The Brazilian edition had also discovered transgender model Valentina Sampaio and had put her on the cover before French Vogue. Elle printed special collectors' covers for their September 2016 issue, and one featured Hari Nef, the first time an openly transgender woman had been on the cover of a major commercial British magazine.[25]

In April 2018, Lagardère Group sold Elle France to Daniel Křetínský via his holding company Czech Media Invest (CMI), parent of Czech News Center.[26] Lagardère continues to own the Elle brand in France and internationally by granting a "license for the exploitation of magazines".[26][27]

At the end of 2021, Elle announced that all global editions would ban fur from their pages as of 1 January 2023, citing "a really great opportunity to increase awareness for animal welfare, bolster the demand for sustainable and innovative alternatives and foster a more humane fashion industry."[28]

Notable editors-in-chief

Elle editors have included Jean-Dominique Bauby in France, who became known for writing a book after suffering almost total paralysis, and Robbie Myers for the USA edition.[29] In September 2017, it was announced that Roberta Myers was stepping down from the role of editor-in-chief of Elle USA, position she held since 2000, stating through a memo to the staff that "I want to spend the next seasons as available to my children as I can be, and so I take my leave of Elle now".[30] A day later of the announcement, it was reported that Nina Garcia, creative director of Marie Claire was appointed as the new editor-in-chief effective 18 September.[31] Patricia Wang was the first editor of Elle China.[32] Véronique Philipponnat is the current director of Elle France.[33]

Circulation (Elle France)

Total paid circulation[34]
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Circulation 370,658 404,037 402,989 401,332 384,704 352,390 342,981 333,141 340,690 342,453 339,151 330,895 314,834 288,254

Global operations

As of 2019, seventy-eight media licenses from the brand are available around the world: one Elle Girl, two Elle Men, five Elle à Table, twenty-five Elle Decoration, and forty-five Elle.[35] According to François Coruzzi, CEO of Elle International, the magazine's centrals are located in Paris, London, and New York, and it has 29 offices worldwide as of 2019.[35]

Technologically speaking, the Elle brand is a global network encompassing over 46 websites. Subscriptions account for 73 percent of readers in the USA.[36] Websites and social networks compose Elle's 55 digital platforms.[35]

The first international editions of Elle were launched in the U.S. and UK in 1985.[37][38] In the US, the vast majority (82 per cent) of Elle's audience is women between 18 and 49. Its readers have a median age of 34.7 years.[39] 40 percent of the readers are single, and the median household income is $69,973.[40] "Our readers are young enough to think about life as an adventure and old enough to have the means to live it", said Roberta Myers, editor in chief.[41]

Spain followed in 1986[42] with Italy and Hong Kong editions launching in 1987.[37] In 1988, the magazine was launched in Germany, Brazil, China, Sweden, Greece and Portugal. The next year, the Netherlands and Quebec joined the international Elle community. Australia and Taiwan versions were launched in 1990, Mexico and Argentina in 1994, and a Russian edition (closed now), published monthly, was launched in 1996.[43]

Elle includes region-specific editions within countries, such as Elle Hong Kong and Elle Québec, which are published in addition to Elle China and Elle Canada respectively. In Belgium, Elle is published as two magazines for the Flanders and Wallonia regions, while Elle Middle East is targeted at several countries in the region.[39]

Elle is a brand owned by the Lagardère Group of France. It is published in France by Czech Media Invest, in the U.S. and the UK by Hearst Magazines, in Canada by KO Média, in Brazil by Grupo Editora Abril, in Mexico by Grupo Expansión, in Argentina by Grupo Clarín, in Indonesia by Mayapada, in Singapore by Atlas Press, in Serbia/Croatia by Adria Media, in Turkey by Doğan Burda Magazine,[44] in Germany by Hubert Burda Media, and in Romania by Ringier. In China, the publisher is Shanghai Translation Publishing House.[18] In India, it is published by Ogaan Publications Pvt. Ltd. As an international magazine, Elle has its headquarters in Paris as well as licensed publishers in New York City, London, Toronto, Mexico City, South Africa, Istanbul, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brussels, Lisbon, Tokyo, Warsaw, Belgrade, Oslo, Helsinki, Bucharest, Athens, Delhi, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Jakarta, Kyiv, Kuala Lumpur, Sofia, Budapest, Bangkok and other cities.

In December 2013, Elle US hired Randy Minor as design director.[45] In November 2016, Elle Canada promoted Vanessa Craft to editor-in-chief, making her the first black woman at the helm of an Elle magazine globally.[46]

In mid-July 2020, Elle's Australian publisher Bauer Media Australia and New Zealand, which had been acquired by Mercury Capital, terminated the magazine's Australian edition, citing declining advertising revenue and travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.[47][48] As of 2021, Elle is being published by Are Media, the successor to Bauer Media Australia.[49]

Editors

  • Véronique Philipponnat (France)[50]
  • Nina Garcia (US)[45]
  • Kenya Hunt (UK)
  • Winnie Wan (HK)
  • Grace O’Neill (Australia)
  • Arlette Barrionuevo & Gabriela Silvestre (Argentina)
  • Kamna Malik (India)
  • Xiao Xue (China)
  • Melda Narmanlı Çimen (Turkey)
  • Joanna Fox (Canada)
  • Joanna Fox (Quebec)
  • Caroline Suganda (Singapore)
  • Kullawit Laosuksri (Thailand)
  • Cecilie Ingdal (Denmark)
  • Sonya Zabouga (Ukraine)
  • Barbara Sekirnik (Slovenia)
  • Ruben William Steven (Indonesia)
  • Dariya Nogayeva (Kazakhstan)
  • Ana Ostojic (Serbia)
  • Pam Hothi (South Africa)
  • Lien Chi Nguyen (Vietnam)
  • Roxana Voloseniuc (Romania)
  • Nambi Kezic (Croatia)
  • Benedetta Poletti (Spain)
  • Marta Drożdż (Poland)
  • Maria Georgieva (Bulgaria)
  • Susana Barbosa (Brazil)
  • Thea Kučerová (Czech Republic)
  • Danda Santini (Italy)
  • Julia Juyeon Kang (Korea)
  • Kate Guest (Malaysia) – not in charge as of 2022
  • Sabine Nedelchev (Germany)
  • Kanako Sakai (Japan – Digital EIC)
  • Maria Patoucha (Greece)
  • Signy Fardal (Norway)
  • Florence Lu (Taiwan)
  • Dina Spahi (Arabia)
  • Nada Kabbani (Arabia – Digital EIC)
  • Claudia Cándano (Mexico)
  • Cia Jansson (Sweden)
  • Marie Guérin (Belgium)
  • Anke de Jong (Netherlands)

Other markets

In the 1980s, Elle signed an agreement with the Japanese Itokin,[51] a group based in Osaka specialising in ready-to-wear.[52] Elle has been selling its lingerie in Japan for over forty years through licensing agreements. Elle has over 150 partners in 80 countries, all paying royalties to the brand. Elle has more than 3,000 stores worldwide, mainly in Asia. Under the Elle brand, there are around ten cafés, hair salons and spas. The brand also sells fashion, beauty and home decor products.[53]

Nissan and Elle collaborated and unveiled the Nissan Micra Elle in September 2012, a limited-edition car specially designed for women.[54]

The brand has also been launched in the hospitality industry.[53] In 2023, the fashion magazine opened its first hotel, Maison Elle, on the 17th of Paris.[55] Other Elle Hotel projects have been announced for Mexico and around fifteen high-end hotels in the heart of cities that would open in the next ten years.[53]

See also

References

  1. ↑ R. Becker, Shannon (2020). French for Reading and Translation. UK: Routledge. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-3673-4454-2. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Elle to stop promoting the use of animal fur in its magazines". BBC News Online. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Elle says will drop fur from magazines worldwide". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Etancelin, Valentin (2 December 2021). "Le magazine 'Elle' bannit la fourrure de toutes ses publications" ['Elle' magazine bans fur from all its publications]. HuffPost (in French). Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "La disparition d'Hélène Gordon-Lazareff La 'tsarine' de la presse féminine" [The disappearance of Hélène Gordon-Lazareff The 'tsarina' of the women's press]. Le Monde (in French). 18 February 1988. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Defending Fashion". Forbes. 31 May 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "'Elle' fête ses 70 ans en s'exposant aux Champs-Elysées" ['Elle' celebrates its 70th anniversary by exhibiting on the Champs-Elysées]. L'Express (in French). Agence France-Presse. 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Weiner, Susan (1999). "Two Modernities: From "Elle" to "Mademoiselle". Women's Magazines in Postwar France". Contemporary European History. 8 (3): 395–409. doi:10.1017/S0960777399003045. ISSN 0960-7773. JSTOR 20081719. PMID 20120562. S2CID 32621538.
  9. ↑ "21 avril 1944 : les Françaises ont (enfin) le droit de voter". TV5Monde (in French). 24 December 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Elle: The Making of a Modern Magazine". The Fashion Law. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  11. ↑ Bloch-Lainé, Virginie (16 August 2023). "Une biographie d'Hélène Gordon-Lazareff: diva de la presse" [A biography of Hélène Gordon-Lazareff: press diva]. Libération (in French). Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 "70 ans de Elle : ces 10 unes emblématiques" [70 years of Elle: these 10 emblematic front pages]. Europe 1 (in French). 15 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "You are being redirected..." thetempest.co. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Vintage advertisement, fashion, arts, erotica, printed collectibles – Paris, France". hprints.com. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "Magazines: Si Elle Lit Elle Lit Elle". Time. 22 May 1964. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Dougherty, Philip H. (16 April 1985). "Advertising; The Elle Magazine Campaign". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "Elle magazine heading for China's fashion-hungry". UPI. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  18. 1 2 Yang Feng; Katherine Frith (Fall 2008). "The Growth of International Women's Magazines in China and the Role of Transnational Advertising" (PDF). AEJMC Magazine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Fabrikant, Geraldine (17 February 1991). "Hachette Is Paying For Its Hubris". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Bonnet, Philippe (2 December 1995). "'Elle': 50 ans, vingt-cinq enfants. Le magazine vend 5 millions d'exemplaires dans le monde. Dont 6% en France" ['Elle': 50 years old, twenty-five children. The magazine sells 5 million copies worldwide. Including 6% in France.]. Libération (in French). Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Fipp's top magazine innovations for 2011". Campaign. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  22. ↑ "Hearst Leaps to New Level With Deal for Lagardere Magazine Portfolio". Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  23. ↑ Pfanner, Jeremy W. Peters and Eric (31 January 2011). "Hearst to Buy 100 Magazines From Lagardère". DealBook. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  24. 1 2 Gonzalès, Paule; De Capèle, Gaëtan; Larroque, Philippe; Renault, Enguérand (5 January 2011). "Lagardère restera propriétaire de la marque Elle" [Lagardère will remain owner of the Elle brand]. Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  25. ↑ Sarah Hughes (30 July 2016). "Meet Hari Nef: actor, model – and Elle's first transgender cover girl in UK |Society". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Lagardère lance la vente de 'Elle' à un groupe tchèque" [Lagardère launches the sale of 'Elle' to a Czech group]. Challenges (in French). Agence France-Presse. 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  27. ↑ Fleur Burlet (15 February 2019). "Lagardère Completes Sale of French Elle to Czech Media Invest". WWD. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  28. ↑ Gumuchian, Marie-louise (3 December 2016). "Elle magazine bans fur in all its titles to support animal welfare". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Denis Boyles on EuroPress". National Review Online. 10 October 2013. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  30. ↑ "Robbie Myers to Exit Elle Magazine". The Business of Fashion. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  31. ↑ "Nina Garcia Appointed Editor-in-Chief at Elle". The Business of Fashion. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  32. ↑ "Elle magazine heading for China's fashion-hungry". UPI. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  33. ↑ Gauchet, Yvonnick (30 April 2021). "La semaine des médias No. 24 ..." [Media Week No. 24: Nicolas Beytout, Stéphane Guy, Sonia Mabrouk, Nathalie Iannetta, Marie Portolan]. Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Elle - ACPM". www.acpm.fr. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  35. 1 2 3 Bonacossa, Caroline (11 March 2019). "La marque Elle prend une nouvelle direction" [The Elle brand is taking a new direction]. Stratégies (in French). ISSN 0180-6424. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  36. ↑ Media News - TV Ratings - Television Programming Archived 10 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Media Week.
  37. 1 2 Helena Hafstrand (1995). "Consumer Magazines in Transition". The Journal of Media Economics. 8 (1). Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  38. ↑ Di Hand; Steve Middleditch (10 July 2014). Design for Media: A Handbook for Students and Professionals in Journalism, PR, and Advertising. Routledge. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-317-86402-8. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  39. 1 2 "Elle overview". Hachette Filipacchi. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  40. ↑ "Elle reader demographics". Hachette Filipacchi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  41. ↑ Branding - Corporate Branding - Internet Brand Marketing Brand Week.
  42. ↑ Ana Almansa-Martínez; Ruth Gómez de Travesedo-Rojas (2017). "Stereotypes about women in Spanish high-end women's magazines during the economic crisis" (PDF). RLCS, Revista Latina de Comunicación Social. 72: 608–628. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  43. ↑ Jukka Pietiläinen (2008). "Media Use in Putin's Russia". Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics. 24 (3): 365–385. doi:10.1080/13523270802267906.
  44. ↑ "Doğan Burda Magazine". Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  45. 1 2 Alexandra Steigrad (19 December 2013). "Elle Magazine Names Design Director". WWD. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  46. ↑ "Elle Canada has a New Editor-in-Chief - Masthead Online News".
  47. ↑ Doyle, Michael (21 July 2020). "InStyle, Elle, Women's Health, Men's Health among Australian magazines axed by Bauer Media". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  48. ↑ Meade, Amanda (20 July 2020). "Mercury Capital axes eight former Bauer magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Men's Health". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  49. ↑ "Elle Australia - Fashion For The Stylish". Are Media. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  50. ↑ Williams, Robert (30 November 2016). "Erin Doherty Named Editor in Chief of French Elle". WWD. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  51. ↑ Feitz, Anne (17 September 2012). "Les très rentables licences de la marque Elle" [The very profitable licenses of the Elle brand]. Les Echos (in French). Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  52. ↑ "Bagarres de chiffonniers" [Ragpickers' brawls]. Le Monde (in French). 18 March 1989. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  53. 1 2 3 Visseyrias, Mathilde (17 May 2022). "Des magazines à l'hôtellerie: une 'Maison Elle' va ouvrir à Paris" [From magazines to the hospitality industry: a 'Maison Elle' will open in Paris]. Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  54. ↑ "Le magazine 'Elle' décliné en Nissan Micra" ['Elle' magazine available in Nissan Micra]. La Presse (in Canadian French). 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  55. ↑ d'Arcy, Susan (13 January 2023). "The new sky-high hotel that has the best views in Paris". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
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