#ELLE NEW LOOK? DISAPPOINTING SEPTEMBER ISSUE

I was longing for the new Elle this month, big new AW16 fashion,  and this is what came through my letterbox yesterday. I do not normally write critics but this time I feel like I need to.  It looked really promising, until I started looking into it. First, as always, lots of advertising from the big fashion players, but more than ever. I do not want to pay to look at advertising! I know that that is what these magazines lives on (I was employed at one for eight years) but were has the integrity gone...more about that below...

Lorraine, the editor, writes, as usual, about how fun it is to work at this magazine, how exited they are about the new look, and how hard they have worked on it. A bit too much I would like to say...where does the advertising pages and editorial start and begin, where is the journalistic touch. I might be on the higher age scale of your readers (60+) but I am just as interested in fashion etc as my sons girlfriend who is 19!(Who by the way agrees with me about the poor graphics, to much "space" and small images).  Blogging and watching fashion on the smart phone or on your PC/Mac is with limited space. Smaller than a magazine, so why such small photos? Elle has actually space to show bigger pictures. And what happened to the opening pages of "cut out" pics with trending text and writing which has been the "signature" of Elle???

And what does collective really stand for, anything of interest? I am sorry, after 30 years in the business as a journalist, stylist and graphic designer, I do not get it! I get confused, nothing interests me enough to want to read.  Followed by stories about 20 year old models that are put out to be something in between a story and fashion. Is it a way to avoid having to pay them? Or trying a new way of telling about fashion? And dress them in fantasy priced fashion labels that only the mega rich can afford. These models are not old and experienced enough to have that much to tell ... For me it is just trying to hard. I also happens to know that these days the big brands forces the magazines to only show their label per page/outfit and with the outfit decided by the label itself. That is the"rules" they have. And the magazines lets this happen?!

Another young model etc, 23! Good looking guy and of course it is nice with some fashion porn and mens fashion, but I wanted to know about fashion, upcoming trends, Elles view of it, how they are putting it together. Mix high end brands with high street fashion, be journalistic...

Another young "icon" to be? 20 this time. Can anybody that age (not model or mega rich) buy a jacket by Dolce & Gabbana (no price even published). The nose ring was her own (we hope).

Again, punk fashion? I do not think this girl is older than 14...Here, trying to do street fashion...not sure what to think...would you walk out in socks like that and sandals, yes I wear it at home on a lazy Sunday...

Graphic design is all about making it easy to read and at the same time look good. Small pictures and bad editing...

And on the last page, some sort of last page about somebody in fashion. I do not get it, small, hard to translate into english and not even attractive or fun to watch.

Again, you will need magnifying glasses to see what is on these pages (my sons girlfriends (19) comment!) And she also commented about "empty" the space that could had been used better, for headlines, bigger pictures etc. Elle, I am deeply disappointed in this issue, you can do some much better...