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 around the world. The magazine is coming to India 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 that the magazine will print 50,000 copies initially. Harper’s Bazaar will be pushed through the newsstands as well as subscriptions. “However, we are planning a huge sampling exercise as well,” said Sekhri.
Commenting on the launch of a new magazine brand in times of a severe recession, Sekhi said that the magazine was in the making for the last year and half. “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 is being brought out by a lean 20-member team and edited by Sujata Assomull.
Though unlike China, the luxury brands market in India hasn’t really taken off, Sekhri is not worried. “International luxury brands are looking at 5 to 10 year window for India. They are not saying that they want to be successful in the next two years and they continue to be bullish on 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. 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.
