View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. Magazines
September 1, 2008

Former Now editor Johnston heads up new fashion mag Distill

By Rachael Gallagher

A new magazine launched today offering a compilation of fashion and style press from around the world.

Bi-monthly Distill has been launched by Craft Publishing, with former Now and New Woman editor Helen Johnston as editor and former Homes & Gardens editor Matthew Line as editorial director.

Line told Press Gazette: ‘We’ve got researchers around the world that are scouring through all the fashion and style magazines and pulling together the best fashion features. We come up with a shortlist and then have an editorial board meeting which selects what they think is the best of the best, which go into the magazine.”

The first issue of Distill, priced £4.50 and distributed in 44 countries with a target circulation of 84,500, includes fashion spreads from American style magazine Visionaire, French title Numero and a small publication in Hungary called The Room.

Line said: ‘[As well as mainstream press] There’s also tiny little magazines – people in a back bedroom somewhere – that barely see the light of day, and they’re being put on the same level pegging as some of the very big titles, so that’s very exciting for them.”

The magazine is a consumer title, aimed at both those in the creative industry as well as consumers with an interest in fashion and style. Nintey per cent of the magazine is made up of fashion shoots, with commentary from big names in the creative industry delivering their critique, and a front section of editorial with creative inspiration from areas outside of the magazine industry.

‘Whilst the magazine has a strong consumer bias, it’s very much for creatives around the world,’said Line. ‘It’s considered a source of inspiration; creatives are fascinated by what their peers are doing and what people are doing in other countries. You have the same big international fashion collections and they’re interpreted in different ways in different countries.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Craft Publishing was established in 2007 by managing director Christopher Lockwood, former publisher of IPC’s style title Wallpaper. The magazine has a core editorial team of six, who work on the project full time, and stringers around the world. Joining Line and Johnston is Sunday Times Style writer Colin McDowell as editor-in-chief and Architectural Digest Australia’s Peter Citroni.

The magazine has already established high end advertising from a number of big brands including Chanel, Dior and Calvin Klein, which Line said is down to the high profile publishing names involved in the project.

The website, Distilldigital.com, looks at the best in online fashion magazines, also offering a blog and information on how to purchase or subscribe to magazines features in Distilled.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network