A fashion magazine’s successful business model
“In the beginning, I thought our mode of distribution was weird,” said Aude Walker, the editor-in-chief, as she sat in the magazine’s sparse conference room in the second arrondissement. “Ok, you’re a woman with a rich and young vibe. Here, take a magazine.”
It’s such super-targeted distribution. We don’t give to guys in their 40s from the suburbs.” Each week, over 400,000 issues of Stylist are distributed in Paris and nine other French cities. For perspective, the monthly circulation of Vogue Paris is under 150,000. Advertisers in the magazine’s roughly 60 pages include brands like Kenzo, Lancôme and Dior perfume as well as local department stores. The quality of the articles, which mix luxury and affordable fashion, is on a par with major publishers. “Free is not cheap,” said Gwenaelle Thebault, the magazine’s general director, who pointed out that her team came from magazines like Vogue and Glamour. She calls Stylist a “freemium,” a portmanteau of “free” and “premium.”
