I first fell in love with marie claire about 30 years ago as a student travelling around England. Back then, one of my favourite pastimes was browsing London’s many cavernous newsagencies, flicking through the waterfall of glossies on offer.
I couldn’t afford to buy them, so I’d settle on the floor much to the annoyance of the sales staff. But there was one mag that really stood out: a revolutionary monthly called marie claire.
Among the drool-worthy fashion and excellent beauty advice was a thrilling selection of global stories which placed women at the centre. There were burka-clad women jailed for the crime of being raped, sequinned octogenarian cheerleaders in Florida and a rare peak inside the secret life of Kyoto’s geishas.
Every issue was an emotional ride, visual feast and brought the world into sharp focus in a brilliant sometimes shocking way. Finally, I’d found a mag that married my passions for stories and style via rigorous journalism, lush photography and fabulous fashion. I was hooked!
When I returned to Oz and heard that the local edition was set to launch, I made it my mission to join the MC team.
Never did I envisage that decades later I’d be editing this big, beautiful brand and I can truthfully say my MC obsession hasn’t waned since those heady first days because the brand’s core DNA has remained intact.
For 28 years, marie claire has told stories with compassion and credibility, and will continue to steer the voice of Australian women into the future.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, this is my last letter as editor before passing the baton to Georgie Abay, a writer, podcaster, entrepreneur and author of three books. Ten years ago, Georgie started popular women’s lifestyle brand The Grace Tales with the aim of connecting, inspiring and helping new mums, and she’ll transition this same passion and ethos to marie claire.
While I’m emotional about exiting the editor’s chair, I’m equally excited to be working alongside Georgie in my new role as General Manager of Fashion and Beauty at ARE Media, but something tells me she’ll need little help from me! Over to you, Georgie – I can’t wait to see what the future holds in your exceptional, experienced hands.
Speaking of exceptional, I’m proud to have Asher Keddie helm my last issue. The award-winning actress has graced our cover four times now, and every year her success seems to snowball with 2023 delivering her best work to date.
I urge you to read her raw, revealing interview in the November issue, out on newsstands now. Like every edition, there’s plenty more to devour inside, but one story needs highlighting.
After Australia threw its unprecedented support behind the Matildas, we decided to spotlight seven other women’s national teams who are also kicking goals in their chosen fields. Each sport needs recognition and funding to survive, so flip to page 54 to learn how you can better support female athletes.
Before signing off my last (and 98th) letter, I’d like to thank MC’s “dream team” who are the true backbone of this brand. It’s their world; I’m just living in it.
Each day, they bring their passion, knowledge and smarts to these pages, the site and our socials. Cheers for the endless laughs and gasps.
And to our loyal readers, thank you for joining me on this wild, wonderous ride. Put simply, we’re nothing without you, and my greatest joy over the past eight years has been meeting many of you face-to-face at our MC events. We’ve got plenty more in store in 2024, so see you at the next one!
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