The September Magazines
As I am looking into Matchbookmag as a possible investment as I do believe that is the future of magazines I was particularly interested in the full on experience of the September tomes this year. Here is where I came out…. extremely disappointed. Each magazine was a little different from each other in content but none of the content was that interesting or cutting edge. I did order a bunch of new books on Amazon that are coming out in September but I didn't need Elle or Vogue to tell me about them. The photos are nice but not so incredible that I needed to take pause and see them in print. All I really wanted to do was click on a few things and buy them. Instead I got on line while reading the magazine and tried to find each item. As usual the items in the magazine aren't always on the designers site because most just have look-books and many items aren't available yet even though that is where the editorial says to find them.
If the site was live, with a click of a button, that could be checked before launching so when someone clicks thru they will see the item immediately and be able to purchase it. I didn't buy a thing and no money exchanged hands thru click thrus but only by paying the drugstore the cost of the magazine.
At least in my September Food and Wine issue I learned about a few new products, a cool new restaurant in an area of the world that I rarely frequent and it gave me the impetuous to try a new recipe. As for the fashion magazines, they left me empty. I would have been happy to finish my online magazine and wait for a bunch of packages arriving at my door in a few days after closing my iPad. That is the future and I am looking forward to it.
Alas, as I have been a magazine junkie all my life (25 years of September Vogues sitting in my cabinet) but I'm afraid I might have just made a hard pivot to the crop of new online mags coming down the pipe. Unfortunately the old school guard doesn't get it online and my gut is their market share is eroding daily.
Comments (Archived):
A lot of the print magazines I read feel more like traditions than valuable content sources these days. I still enjoy flipping through them, but I wonder how long that’ll last. The problem I have with a lot of ipad/online magazines though is that they often feel more focused on the medium than the content. They’re getting better, but there’s really no need for animated page peels or a clunky app trying to mimic a “real” magazine. If you’re going to embrace the medium, then do it – take advantage of the new native features, don’t just contort them to mimic the old experience. By the way, as far as restaurants you need to try, put this on your list! Best oysters I’ve ever had, reminds me of JL, but with a very seattle twist. http://www.bonappetit.com/m…
I haven’t received my Vogue yet. They must send it to the the subscribers in New York out first.Anyway you are correct about finding an item. Page 448- jacket by the row. where can it be purchased? nowhere yet. did find out that the Olsens own the label Looks just like my Escada white fox jacket from 10 years ago.I still like a hard copy of a magazine. You can take it to the beach and not worry that you are going to scratch a screen.Do you really save all your Vogues? I save my The Magazine Antiques issues only. They are slender and don’t publish every month. I dump my Vogues and Bazaars and W’s.
have saved only the september issue of vogue for the past 25 years. just one of those things that i started and never stopped.could question on the row. the only store that has a decent selection is barneys.
thank you. I looked at Barney’s but missed it the first time. Just found it.I always looked forward to the September issues but now they all seem like repeats. Guess this is what happens when you have been through so many fashion seasons. My mother probably felt the same way when I bought my first platforms in 1970. I found hers from 1951 in the attic.
those 1951 platforms are probably right in now
I think mine from the 70’s look more like the newer ones. I bought my first platform boots at the Chelsea Cobbler on a day trip to New York which later became the Susan Bemis/Warren Edwards store.
Love that.
OMG…I was thinking the Exact same thing. I read the whole pile on the Jitney and thought what a snooze. I remember looking forward to Sept issues all summer. Vogue, Bazar and later Elle. Now they are redundant and boring. I also thought about canceling many subscriptions they just pile up too fast. But you know as well as anyone we get that info so early now. If you follow onlyna few fashion bloggers you know what is in for fall as soon as it hits the runway. We used to take our cues from the mags. Now it’s almost over by the time they hit the stands. Three months lead time is like dog years in terms of cyber
I was thinking something similar. Last Sunday I could not find the Vogue Sept issue so I got Bazaar at LGA. Heavy & boring. Not a great combination. I was excited to move up to my next age category for “Fabulous at every age” but the content was not that different or more exciting than the twenties (Huge let down, hope that reality is different!). I even snapped a pict of the table of contents bc I couldn’t believe the content didn’t start until page 230 something. I honestly look forward to buying magazines at the airport. They are good for the 20 minutes during takeoff/landing when I cannot use my kindle/computer/iphone. But they leave me so unsatisfied and feeling like I’ve wasted money. I don’t know if an online version of a magazine is the answer for me, although I know online content definitely is. I have some ideas of how this might shift. Will be really interesting to see.
it will certainly be interesting to see.
I agree on the rag mags being mostly the same. Funnily enough I did the same few you did. I mainly rip out and save pictures for my own lookbook. Finding items you want has always been so complicated and you’re right they’d get business if you could just click through to buy. Have to heave out the rest of the dead paper so it doesn’t clutter my qi and my apartment. Also, I have a dressmaker, so many looks are not going to be bought from the designer, but merged into a custom garment for me, so I am a different kind of customer.I had a great little idea for an app which would dovetail with your idea. Alas, I have no time and no tech partner. Maybe if I hang on to the idea for a while then a connection will come in the future.
if you are thinking of an idea, someone else is probably thinking the same thing. that’s how it always works.
Could be there are similar ideas floating around on that meme. Have not seen my idea’s formula out there yet. Of course the trick is always to do it, and do it better, regardless.Having done many hours at the Gift Fair recently I am happy to report my other ideas are without rival.
many ideas but not many executors.
just got my vogue today. paiette tops again, curly lamb coats and jackets again and doctor’s satchels and fox collars again and hounds tooth check again. And you think there is nothing edgy? All I have to do is walk into my closet and dust off my shoulder padded boyfriend blazer again.I miss Valentino, ysl and Alexander McQueen.
i agree