Fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar steps in

The new magazine counts on its 140-year-old legacy to cut into India's market

Harper's Bazaar, America's first fashion magazine, was founded 140 years ago by the company Harpers & Brothers in 1867. Like it still does, the magazine targeted middle and upper middle class women, acquainting them with fashion trends from Germany and Paris. It started off as a weekly newspaper, moving to the current monthly magazine format in 1901.

Through the years, the publication has created landmarks in fashion and magazine journalism. Carmel Snow, who was editor-in-chief from 1933-1957, revolutionised the portrait of a fashion shoot. She brought photojournalist Martin Munkacsi into the lair of Harper's Bazaar with the now iconic photo of a model clad in a swimsuit running towards the camera on a windswept beach.

This was a far cry from the mannequin shoots that took place in studios. Snow is also credited with discovering art director Alexey Brodovitch and columnist Diana Vreeland who invented the word 'pizzazz' through her column 'Why Don't You...?'

While designing a page, they still stick with Brodovitch's use of abundant white space and do not shy away from portraying the female body in all its naked glory, especially for their beauty shoots. Manolo Blahnik himself reviews his favourite classic films for them.

It's not been smooth sailing, though. Harper's Bazaar has come under attack for its open admiration of fur as a fashion statement. This does not seem to deter them as they still use rabbit fur coats in photo shoots. In another controversy that erupted, Harper's Bazaar was accused of altering actress Kirsten Dunst's snaggleteeth for their cover.

The Indian edition of Harper's Bazaar, to be released later this month, would be its 29th. Editor Sujata Assomull says, "Harper's Bazaar has a format easily adaptable to various markets. This is a point of advantage for us."

The magazine's tagline is 'Where fashion gets personal' and Assomull says that the Indian woman "literally wears her Indianness on her sleeve. In the Indian woman's wardrobe you will find a saree and a little black dress, kolhapuri chappals and heels. There is a seamless transition that Harper's Bazaar knows and plans on using to its advantage."

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