Vintage: upmarket glossy
Former Esquire editor Peter Howarth is launching two titles, an upmarket glossy dedicated to all things vintage and a fashion magazine featuring Premiership footballers.
The first launch, Vintage, has been backed by champagne brand Moët & Chandon.
It features films, fashion, cars and books, with contributions from former England cricket captain and Sky Sports presenter David Gower and design consultant Stephen Bayley. The 84-page title will be distributed twice a year through bars across the UK and is due out next week.
Howarth is also gearing up to launch a twice-yearly consumer title next month called The Paper Magazine.
Targeted at “fashionados” and football fans, the aim is to improve the profile of players and showcase Premiership and international footballers in the latest designs. It features Sol Campbell on the cover and an Andy Cole interview inside with fashion designers Georgio Armani and Paul Smith.
Howarth said the launch was even more timely given the recent bad press. “Some players have always behaved badly but it’s a relatively small number. This is exactly the time when you need a publication like this that says the image of the game does not have to be so negative.”
He said: “Obviously you’ve got people like Beckham, but there is a whole generation of young footballers who are good looking and stylish and they have never been given the style treatment. “Footballers are becoming more and more fashion conscious and we thought, ‘why not take them and style them in a way where they look great?'” The magazine will be printed on glossy paper and come in a large format, the size of a broadsheet, with a cover price of £5.
Howarth said it would also promote up-and-coming stars such as Welsh player Simon Davies. “The younger generation are aware of the potential for them to make money if they get their image right, because they’ve seen what happened to Beckham with his Police sunglasses. They are much more clued up on the longevity of their careers and are thinking, ‘how do I capitalise on my celebrity status while I’ve got it?'” Howarth set up his own company Show Media after leaving Esquire last year. He has also published a magazine for fathers, a surfing title for French Connection and a fashion supplement for Business Week.
The Paper Magazine is due out 13 November.
By Ruth Addicott
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog