PORTFOLIO TURNS A PAGE: Lauren Goldstein Crowe and portfolio.com are parting ways — so what does that mean for fashion coverage at Condé Nast Portfolio and its Web site?
Goldstein Crowe, who’s been at the site for a year, said she will leave portfolio.com when her contract expires later this month. She said she decided not to renew under the terms offered to her. “It was always meant to be a part-time gig I could do while writing the unauthorized Jimmy Choo story,” she said. “It taught me a lot about the Internet, and I have no regrets.”
According to industry sources, portfolio.com doesn’t want to invest heavily in fashion coverage, but still wants a presence at the international collections, and to be a force in the fashion business media.
However, a spokeswoman for Portfolio said both the magazine and the Web site will be ramping up their fashion coverage over the next few months. “We will continue to cover fashion aggressively on the Web site — it’s too important a business category not to cover,” said the spokeswoman (who happens to work at a company whose major business is publishing fashion magazines). “As the site has evolved, our needs have changed.”
She declined to comment on whether Goldstein Crowe would be replaced.
The spokeswoman added that Portfolio’s April issue would carry a fashion story written by Nancy Hass, and that fashion and luxury coverage would get a serious boost from Dana Thomas, who will begin work at the magazine over the next few weeks. As reported, Thomas was hired as a contributing editor at the magazine earlier this year. — Samantha Conti
ATHLETES CAN DRESS UP: The 10th anniversary issue of ESPN The Magazine hit newsstands with a cover line that reads, “Wow We’re 10! Now What?” Fashion, it seems, is one of the answers. The magazine plans to increase fashion coverage, has hired its first style director and will begin running fashion credits. Right away, one of the new covers (there are 10 in the anniversary issue) points to the changes: Venus Williams is wearing a white Emanuel Ungaro gown and sister Serena appears in a white gown by Donna Karan. “People want to know what athletes are wearing to and from the ballpark,” said Steven Binder, vice president of magazine sales. “ESPN should be doing this.” It’s also a great opportunity to tap into those fashion ad dollars, although the current economic climate might make that more difficult. Binder said the magazine is also seriously considering putting on an event in Milan during the spring shows. ESPN’s average reader is male, just over 30 years old, with an income of less than $70,000, so labels such as Hugo Boss and Z Zegna will make more sense than a designer collection, Binder added. ESPN The Magazine’s circulation last year was two million.
Goldstein Crowe, who’s been at the site for a year, said she will leave portfolio.com when her contract expires later this month. She said she decided not to renew under the terms offered to her. “It was always meant to be a part-time gig I could do while writing the unauthorized Jimmy Choo story,” she said. “It taught me a lot about the Internet, and I have no regrets.”
According to industry sources, portfolio.com doesn’t want to invest heavily in fashion coverage, but still wants a presence at the international collections, and to be a force in the fashion business media.
However, a spokeswoman for Portfolio said both the magazine and the Web site will be ramping up their fashion coverage over the next few months. “We will continue to cover fashion aggressively on the Web site — it’s too important a business category not to cover,” said the spokeswoman (who happens to work at a company whose major business is publishing fashion magazines). “As the site has evolved, our needs have changed.”
She declined to comment on whether Goldstein Crowe would be replaced.
The spokeswoman added that Portfolio’s April issue would carry a fashion story written by Nancy Hass, and that fashion and luxury coverage would get a serious boost from Dana Thomas, who will begin work at the magazine over the next few weeks. As reported, Thomas was hired as a contributing editor at the magazine earlier this year. — Samantha Conti
ATHLETES CAN DRESS UP: The 10th anniversary issue of ESPN The Magazine hit newsstands with a cover line that reads, “Wow We’re 10! Now What?” Fashion, it seems, is one of the answers. The magazine plans to increase fashion coverage, has hired its first style director and will begin running fashion credits. Right away, one of the new covers (there are 10 in the anniversary issue) points to the changes: Venus Williams is wearing a white Emanuel Ungaro gown and sister Serena appears in a white gown by Donna Karan. “People want to know what athletes are wearing to and from the ballpark,” said Steven Binder, vice president of magazine sales. “ESPN should be doing this.” It’s also a great opportunity to tap into those fashion ad dollars, although the current economic climate might make that more difficult. Binder said the magazine is also seriously considering putting on an event in Milan during the spring shows. ESPN’s average reader is male, just over 30 years old, with an income of less than $70,000, so labels such as Hugo Boss and Z Zegna will make more sense than a designer collection, Binder added. ESPN The Magazine’s circulation last year was two million.
