Inside the making of marie claire magazine
We know you’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada (more times than you might like to admit…), but as for what life is really like in the office of a glossy fashion magazine? Yes, there are similarities (and you’ll never catch anyone in a cerulean sweater) but the reality couldn’t be more different (in fact, it’s surprisingly down to earth).
When style influencer Jasmin Howell visited the marie claire office recently as part of the FIAT 500 Fashion Files series, she was met with the frisson of excitement (and undercurrent of anxiety) that defines every deadline day. In the midst of sending the bumper October issue to the printers, editor Nicky Briger took 10 to give Jasmin a glimpse at the busy world behind the magazine, and why it will always be a platform to champion for change. Watch the video interview above.
“We always say it’s the fashion magazine for thinking Australian women, and I do think that’s absolutely true,” Nicky tells Jasmin of the magazine’s core values: style and substance. “We’ve championed for paid maternity leave, the gender pay gap, an end to domestic violence, marriage equality – there’s a lot to fight for.”
The magazine is as full of hard-hitting features as it is jaw-droppingly beautiful fashion – although if it’s new season fashion trends you’re looking for, the October issue is jam-packed.
“In fashion magazine land, it used to be all about the September issue, but actually now it’s more about October,” Nicky tells Jasmin. “That’s when spring really starts, so we’ve got a bumper fashion edition – there are three to four fashion shoots in this issue – showcasing the latest trends.”
As for how the marie claire fashion editors choose those trends? Twice a year, they head to New York, London, Paris and Milan for Fashion Week (really fashion month). Hotbeds of both emerging and established talent (increasingly, you’ll find Australian designers in the mix – both Kym Ellery and Toni Maticevski recently showed in Paris), the shows gives fashion editors the inside scoop on what’s about to start trending around the world.
“Bold colour is going to be huge this spring/summer,” says Nicky. “The colours we’ll be seeing for spring racing are particularly bold this season.”
From trend talk to pouring over fashion and beauty layouts to negotiating cover shoots with international stars, any given day in the marie claire office is equal parts grit and glamour. Hit play on the above video for an inside glimpse.
