Hearst Corporation’s international hi-end fashion magazine brand Harper’s Bazaar is launching its edition in India next month. This will be the 140-year-old American fashion magazine’s 29th edition in the world.
The magazine was making its Indian foray through a licensing arrangement with the India Today Group, which already publishes other Hearst titles such as Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.
To be priced at Rs 100, the 220-page inaugural issue of Harper’s Bazaar comes in the form of a collector’s edition with Swarovski crystals imprinted on the masthead.
India Today Group’s Chief Operating Officer Mala Sekhri said 50,000 copies of the magazine would be printed initially and its sales would be pushed through news stands and subscriptions. "However, we are planning a huge sampling exercise as well," Sekhri added.
Sekhri said that the magazine was in the making for one-and-half-years and so was launched despite the economic slowdown. "Since we already had a team in place, it was best to launch the product during a recession. We have been extremely cost-conscious, which we may not have been in during good times," she said.
The magazine was being brought out by a lean 20-member team and edited by Sujata Assomull. Luxury labels such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabana, TOD’s, Bvlgari and Armani have advertised in the launch issue of the magazine.
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Though the luxury brands market in India hasn’t really taken off, Sekhri was not worried. “International luxury brands are looking at five to 10 year window for India," she said.
Luxury labels such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabana, TOD’s, Bvlgari, Armani and Gucci, among several others, have advertised in the launch issue of the magazine. Actors Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan have been dressed by Indian and foreign designers for a special photo shoot for the magazine.
Harper’s Bazaar will join the fashion magazine bandwagon in India with other international titles such as Vogue from the Conde Nast group launched last year and Elle (from HFM) that came through Ogaan Publications.