First Issue Review: Nova: The Fashion Magazine Reborn?
Nova, the epitome of fashion and feminism from 1965-75 has been relaunched today by IPC. Aiming to offer an edgier alternative to women’s fashion glossies, the last time its target readers saw the bubble-print masthead -retained for the re-launch- they were probably in nappies and orange terry towelling, if they had even been born.
This may be “The Fashion Magazine Reborn”, but Nova’s genetic heritage is easy to spot. Looks-wise, there is more than a nod to the white space, skinny fonts and image-heavy layouts of style magazines such as i-D and The Face. This may have something to do with the fact that editor Debbie Bee was poached from style title Scene.
As far as content goes, a quiz in the opening pages rubbishes the celebrity lifestyle features and relationship self-help of potential rivals on the market. However, although devoted Cosmopolitan girls will not find the cosy familiarity of style that carried them straight through from J17 and More, beneath the cooler-than-thou image of Nova hide the personality traits of the ‘fash mag’ family. A feature may be written by The Guardian’s Ros Coward, but it’s still about how women have to juggle work and personal relationships. The celebrity going to a fashion show may be ‘controversial’ artist Tracey Emin seeing the ‘controversial’ designer Alexander McQueen’s show, but it’s still a celebrity at a fashion show. The use of James Jarvis cartoon characters instead of models for one fashion story is innovative, but otherwise Nova looks set for inclusion in the Vogue and Elle category in that its fashion and beauty spreads could have been lifted from either title.
It would be a challenge for Nova to be anything truly nouveau this time around. Even Juergen Teller’s modern yet 60’s cover shot reflects the fact that fashion has repeated itself at least once since Nova introduced readers to feminism and Mary Quant miniskirts, and in the magazine’s absence the women’s market has seen a lot of growth. IPC’s foray into the high fashion market is perhaps best described as fusion publishing, putting out Cosmopolitan content with i-D attitude. Perhaps it will find a market among those that find the former too ditzy and the latter too intimidating- the other option is that it could end up capturing the worst aspects of both.