Marie Claire UK loses editor and MD to title’s print closure

Marie Claire UK’s editor-in-chief and managing director have left nine days after publisher TI Media announced it was closing the title’s print edition

The publisher said editor Trish Halpin would leave later this month, with managing director Justine Southall to follow on 31 October.

It said Marie Claire UK would now pursue a “digital-first future” and that a new leadership team would be revealed in due course.

Marie Claire UK’s print closure was revealed on Tuesday last week, bringing to an end 31 years of publishing with the November issue of the monthly lifestyle and fashion magazine.

TI Media said it was looking to “future proof” its brand by dropping the UK print edition and switching its focus to online.

It also told Press Gazette that a consultation with staff had begun, but did not comment on how many staff would be affected by potential cuts.

The Guardian reported some 35 staff are affected by the closure.

In a statement on staff departures today, TI Media chief executive Marcus Rich said: “Under Trish and Justine’s leadership, Marie Claire has continually set the agenda through its award-winning content, trailblazing campaigns and innovative brand extensions.

“Together with the Marie Claire UK team, they have shaped a legacy that will continue to inform this famous brand’s digital-first strategy.”

Southall said she felt “incredibly proud to have been one of the custodians of this powerful brand” and described it as “still urgently relevant”.

Halpin said: “It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have edited Marie Claire for the past ten years and work with so many talented and creative contributors as well as commercial partners who have shared and supported our vision.

“Marie Claire has been at the forefront of so many vital conversations and I know it will continue to do so in its digital-first future. I wish all the team well in continuing Marie Claire’s incredible legacy.”

Marie Claire UK is not the only women’s magazine to lose its print title in the last few years. It joins a list of magazines which have closed in print, including Now, Reveal, InStyle UK, Look and Brides.

Glamour has also considerably reduced its print operation in the UK, moving from monthly to a bi-annual title, and continues to publish online.

The digital-first Marie Claire UK will be published under a licence agreement with Group Marie Claire, which publishes the magazine’s French edition.

Picture: Marie Claire