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Look yet another women’s glossy hits the shelves

Posted in Media January 9th, 2007 by Nikki Preston

Flicking through the latest copies of Vogue and Grazia with a couple of friends last week could be described more as depressing than uplifting as we inspected the latest fashion trends, only to find that Victoria Beckham’s “must-have” accessory was a whopping £800 – the equivalent of almost two months rent.

But if IPC and Groupe Marie Claire are true to their word then their new joint venture magazine Look will be upbeat and showcase affordable wears. So Gucci will be swapped for Gap, Burberry traded in for Bershka and although the latest celebrity may not be traipsing down the red carpet in a silk slip dress from Warehouse, the Look team will have scouted out a look-a-like available on the high street for a mere tenth of the price.

Look is also promising upbeat commentary about stars rather than slagging them off like other celebrity magazines, although I’m not sure where the fun is in that. I do hope however that we won’t see Posh and Kate Moss on the front page of the magazine every other week like we do in existing weeklies. Fingers crossed that some fresh-faced, down-to-earth stars will be featured for a change.

I am, according to Look, its text book target reader as the new magazine is trying to appeal to a slightly younger crowd, while Grazia’s average reader is a 30-year-old. And although both IPC and Emap remain firm that they are targeting different readerships, it has to be said that as Look homes in on this new market Emap may find Grazia’s readership (that brings home less than £40k) dwindling.

Emap is unlikely to take this knock lying down and is already tipped to launch a rival magazine that will be a younger version of Grazia and go head to head with Look. So the already cramped new stands will be graced with yet another pink-titled women’s glossy, perhaps titled “Ta” or “Cheers” in keeping with the Grazia theme.