Chun: ‘in Style is not a magazine that is just for flicking through’
The UK edition of In Style will have more British celebrities and a greater focus on "credible" fashion, its new editor Louise Chunn said this week.
The former Vogue deputy and editor of the Evening Standard’s ES magazine said In Style would continue to reflect its US counterpart in its choice of cover stars but the content would have more of a "local" feel.
"There will be changes, of course there will," she told Press Gazette. "It will be more refined and sharper with more wit and it will seem more local. I really hope it will be a magazine that will make that transition well. It will be a little bit snazzier."
Chunn, who has just been promoted from In Style deputy editor, said features would remain a key part, but stressed they would have to have a fashion edge. She said the fashion and beauty pages would be credible and not "dictatorial" or fixated by top-level fashion. "It is not a magazine that is just for flicking through, but a magazine that gives people credible advice," she said. Celebrity scoops were not a priority, however, given the magazine’s monthly frequency.
Chunn will take over from In Style’s launch editor, Dee Nolan, who is taking a wider role across Time Inc’s magazine portfolio in New York.
Chunn trained as a reporter on the Auckland Star in New Zealand before securing a job in the UK on Fashion Weekly. She later became editor of J17 and deputy editor of Elle before moving to The Guardian as women’s page editor. She joined In Style at its launch in 2000.
The In Style team moved into new offices on the 12th floor of IPC’s Kings Reach Tower this week and while Chunn is looking for a new deputy, she said she had no plans to make any further changes to the team.
Chunn said In Style had been a difficult title to launch in the UK as it was forced to contend with the £5m launch of Glamour, although their markets differ slightly.
In Style recorded a debut ABC of 151,159 with a news-stand sale of 108,684 and Chunn said she was optimistic about its future. "I’m really excited, I think it is going to be a great time for In Style. It was not an easy magazine to get off the ground here, but you get a lot of credence for existing. I think we’ll go on and flourish."
By Ruth Addicott
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