The History of Fashion Magazines, how they operate and what has changed

Magazines were the visual window to the world before the advent of TV or the internet.

Magazines seem magical, a doorway to a beautiful world of colours and glamour. The smell of glossy paper and the allure of picking up a fresh, new issue of one’s favourite magazine is an unmatched experience to many.

A lot goes behind creating magazine issues on a regular basis, and the publisher/Editor-In-Chief has a truckload of responsibilities, from the visual elements to the framing tone and content.

Other responsibilities of an Editor-in-chief include creating an editorial board, content mapping, reviewing and proofreading articles, managing the financials and representing the publication in the business world.

A managing editor sees the day-to-day issues and processes of the magazine and manages the work assignments of associates and assistant editors.

Other key responsibility areas include drafting articles, proposing concepts, communicating with department heads and addressing problems.

An assortment of editors create the online and offline content, holding consultations from editorial teams, managing the incoming stories, and keeping track of industry events and the news that impacts the work.

Graphic editors and digital managers create visuals for the online and print versions, ensuring that there is reader engagement. Interns, assistants, freelance workers and photographers make the outer periphery of the process of creating a magazine.

When a new story or press release reaches the editor, they decide to accept them or transfer to other editors. Some content has to be discussed with the head of content or the managing director before processing further.

Submissions are proof-read and the content is uploaded online, with the editors and visual editors working to format the content. The entire setup is a continuous wheel of meetings, updates, challenges and deadlines.

• The world wide web that came in the 1990s transformed many industries, including fashion journalism.
• Many magazines started digital subscriptions, experiencing mixed response.
• Social media ensures that visual content, pictures and videos are preferred over the written word.
• Digital magazines are now beating their print counterparts, with a projected readership of 40 million in 2021.
• The pandemic has further accelerated digital readership and print editions are getting thinner and thinner.