Elle is celebrating its 18th birthday with its biggest fashion issue and a London Fashion Week party.
Editor Sarah Bailey, who has been at the fashion glossy for eight years, said that it defied the clichés of a decade when it launched in 1985. “I just think it was this incredible spirited product.
People think about the Eighties as this clich̩d decade of excess Рpeople wearing too much make-up and jewellery Рbut it was really empowering for women.
“There were pictures of Amazonian women running on beaches in white dresses and it took on a lot of health and wellbeing in a really fresh way,” she said. Bailey, who took over the editorship 18 months ago, said she was keen to continue its run of celebrity covers but also return the emphasis to shopping and fashion, as featured in its “Street Style” section of the title.
“I was keen to reposition it very much as fashion being the heart and soul of the magazine,” she explained.
“Elle tells you about high fashion, but it is not about doing a carbon copy of catwalk looks.”
The magazine is also marking its anniversary with a photography exhibition by former model Helena Christensen and an auction of bespoke dresses by 18 top designers for Amnesty International.
By Sarah Boden
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