GWAS Media Musings

A round-up of magazine and media happenings at home and abroad...

• The January edition of Madison magazine (which has had a little New Year makeover – Madison SHOPS is now front-of-book, plus new fonts and layouts) comes with a rather fabulous Zimmermann beach bag. A great size and available in black and white, this is the kind of cover-mount that'll appeal to girls going on holiday. There's no Madison branding on the bag, just Zimmermann.
  

A dreamy looking Kate Winslet has obviously scored the cover of the 220-page issue. In her editor's letter, Paula Joye laments her body image issues ("maturity doesn't provide automatic protection against low self-esteem"). Further in, we're given a 'Gallery' of images of Photoshopped celebrities from Hollywood Pin Ups by Timothy White. Kate Hudson's taut bottom in fishnets is enough to make you want to hit the gym running.

Also this issue, Alexandra Carlton writes about being a First Lady and the ladies of the racing scene; Charlotte Edwardes writes about sneaky parental behaviour; Sue Thompson talks body dysmorphia; fashion focuses on Penelope Cruz, the white tee, bright frocks, Little Joe, swimwear solutions (eek, skinny catwalk models) and relaxed holiday styling. Beauty is looking quite the treat, with bright nail polishes, a story on healthy resolutions and Stephanie Darling's report on M.A.C's collaboration with Dame Edna. The body challenge continues this month, and model Tanya Linney gives the mag access to her beautiful wedding pictures.

• The January edition of CLEO magazine (I recommend the handbag size for your beach tote), sporting one of its best covers yet, is pure guilty girl candy. We're presented with 'The A-Z of Cool'; 'Wardrobe Watch'; a page on Zimmermann (clearly the ACP fashion flavour of the month); a tonne of summer fashion; Sophie Monk's beauty secrets; 'CLEO's Guide to the Economic Crisis'; the hottest guys on Oz TV (some shirtless, some in singlets); a 2009 astro guide; stories on friendship, low libido, tanning, perfectionism, homelessness, and cool and creative Aussies; a guide to 'Sizzling Summer Sex'; Kathryn Eisman's tips for surviving a broken heart; safari-style fashion; a summer hair clinic; a body special; holiday advice; 'Heaven on Hangers', a voyeuristic look at the wardrobes of cool girls; and 'CLEO Summer Extra' (only with the 260-page mini edition), which includes stories on boys, fashion myths, part-time marriages, quizzes and '15 New Trends to Try'. That's a lot of content.

• Fairfax ran a story by Steve Dow on former ACP magazine editor (Woman's Day) and one-time drug addict Nene King, 65, in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age over the weekend. Of the "trash and cash" queen ("Kerry Packer's most successful editor"), Dow writes of King's invigoration (via celebrity) of Woman's Day, the chequebook journalism sanctioned by Packer in the 90s and King's platonic love for Packer. She tells Dow that she was bemused to be excluded from Woman's Day's birthday celebrations this year, has had Botox and was propositioned by politicians. She also talks about her nervous breakdowns, letting down Peter FitzSimons (the author of her biography), her designer shopping habit, losing friends to addiction, her love losses, alcoholism, being a family embarrassment, and wanting to help others with psychiatric illnesses. It's a truly sad life story... far from glossy.
  

• In today's Australian, Sally Jackson writes about ACP's perfectly polished publisher Pat Ingram (pictured on right, with ACP's new group publishing director Lynette Phillips and Virginia Hyland - c/o The Daily Telegraph) and her new part-time role at the magazine publisher. "This month marks the end of the Pat Era, with Ingram (who refuses to confirm her age, but is believed to be 63) announcing her semi-retirement to the part-time position of group editorial director of the women's group, working four days a week for nine months of the year," writes Jackson. Ingram will be working with Phillips on managing the 13 titles in their women's magazine stable (including The Australian Women's Weekly, Harper's Bazaar, Grazia, CLEO, Madison, Cosmopolitan and Shop Til You Drop) with her focus firmly on "the editorial quality" of the magazines. Of magazine publishing, she says she loves "the buzz of the business, the sheer magic of magazines."

• Lara Sinclair of The Australian has written an investigative report on dodgy business practises in the online publishing sphere, with advertisers using cheeky tactics ("retargeting") to avoid paying premium rates.
  

• It's rumoured that The Gossip's frontwoman Beth Ditto will feature on the first cover of Katie Grand's Love magazine.

• Dazed and Confused magazine's January issue (on sale December 18) features a portfolio of cool teenagers "cast from the streets of London" shot by Heidi Slimane over four days. The issue also contains stories about and by British teens.
  

• From Page Six: "If the magazine industry completely collapses, Graydon Carter will still be able to work the speaking circuit. The Vanity Fair editor-in-chief spoke to American Express executives the other day about his experience running businesses. Among the nuggets Carter offered up: that he's hired staffers after eyeing them in bars because they "walked with purpose," that J. Crew and Pottery Barn are among the brands he most respects, and that his three buzz words for 2009 are "sophisticated, innovative and enlightenment." As for the Waverly Inn, Carter said that he created it specifically for the "non-'Sex and the City' and nonhedge-fund crowd" and that he personally oversees the seating arrangement.

• The funny girls at Go Fug Yourself muse on what Anna Wintour would do if she were to leave her Vogue post: "If Madonna can write for tots, A-Dubs should be a natural at crafting stories that convey important morals to our next generation of leaders. Imagine the semi-autobiographical truths she could pour into, say, Dubbie the Dragon Goes to Couture Week, Bobby and the Rogue Rice Grain, or the especially moving Why Is Mommy Holding Last Season's Bag?"

• Dan Costa of PC Magazine writes about the potential of print-on-demand publishing. Plenty of food for thought. Thanks for the link, Australian Newsagency Blog.

• Marie Claire UK has a new editor, while UK media personality Cheryl Cole (of Girls Aloud) has threatened to sue Bauer Media's Heat magazine over its latest cover story, in which she is said to have complained about a Vogue photoshoot. It is expected that privacy laws in the UK will widen with Madonna suing the Mail on Sunday over their publication of her wedding pictures.
  

• It'll be interesting to see if Ellen DeGeneres's ads for Covergirl make it into the Aussie mags. I'd love to see the beauty brand recruit the likes of Olivia Newton-John for the Australian role.

• The gorgeous Sigourney Cantelo has joined News Magazines' Vogue Australia as beauty editor (she was on the Glamour team), with current beauty editor Alexandra Spring taking on the magazine's feature editing role.

• Whitney Port, formerly of The Hills (cast as the sane one), is Page Six Magazine's latest cover girl. She tells the magazine: "I was never too close with Audrina and Heidi. But Lauren and I talk. If anybody knows what I’m going through right now it’s her.” On her foray into reality TV: “I had an interview [for an internship at Teen Vogue] and then got a phone call from MTV a couple of days later. They were like, ‘We’re shooting this documentary-style TV show about girls growing up in L.A. and the fashion industry, blah blah blah’ and I was like, ‘OK that’s interesting, whatever.’ And the next thing I knew they wanted to cast me on the show. But I was really just trying to get the job at Teen Vogue!” Whitney currently works at Diane von Furstenberg and will be the star of new NYC-based reality TV show The City.
  

• Oh yes, and we're all aware that Mercedes Corby is on the cover of Ralph. Class act.

Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel