Glamour editor-in-chief Jo Elvin has been hailed “one of the all time greats” as she leaves the women’s lifestyle magazine amid plans to scrap its monthly print run and focus on digital.
Elvin was launch editor for Glamour, which first published in 2001. Under her editorship it became the biggest-selling monthly title in Europe boasting a circulation of 620,000 copies.
As she leaves the magazine is putting plans in motion to expand its online content, with a focus on beauty content. Its final monthly issue will be December’s, after which it will publish only twice a year.
Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of Glamour owner Condé Nast Britain, said: “Jo Elvin has been the editor-to-beat in her market for almost two decades, the undisputed Queen of the upper-middle market…
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“Her fingerprints as an editor are on every page, in every headline, caption, podcast and joke.”
He added: “Anyone who has been a guest at the annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards, and heard celebrity after celebrity paying homage to Jo, understands the depth and breadth of her reputation.
“She is one of the all time greats.”
Condé Nast Britain managing editor Albert Read added: “Jo Elvin launched a magazine that defined an age and a generation of young women… Her achievements, and those of her team, have been immense.”
Elvin, originally from Sydney, began her magazine career on teen title Dolly magazine in Australia and worked as a publicist for TV show Neighbours. She later worked on TV Hits magazine in the UK and became editor of New Woman in 1998.
Said Elvin: “It has been an honour to be Glamour’s editor for 17 years. I don’t think I can ever adequately put into words what a wonderful, wild, exhilarating and of course glamorous ride it has been.
“The fact that I have stayed so long tells you a lot about what a fantastic title it is to lead and what an exceptional place Condé Nast has been to work.”
She added: “I want to thank Glamour’s readers who have been so involved in helping us shape the brand that connects with millions, across print, online and beyond. It has truly been a privilege.
“It is no exaggeration at all to say we have helped so many women mine the best out of their lives and that connection is what I will miss most of all.”
The move to digital comes after Glamour relaunched its website late last year to make it mobile-first and offer a dedicated video section.
As a result of the changes a number of editorial and publishing staff are understood to be facing redundancy. The magazine’s editorial and commercial departments are to be “fully integrated”.
The most recent ABC figures for Glamour, for June, put its average circulation at 275,536. Figures for December put the magazine’s circulation down 25 per cent year-on-year.
Picture: Richard Young/Rex Features
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