Red – First Issue Review

Yesterday saw the launch of Emap Elan’s Red magazine – the magazine where ‘age isn’t an issue’. The title is aimed at ABC1 women aged 30-39 who ‘have responsibilities – a house, a garden, maybe a partner and kids – but are still interested in style, passion and enjoying themselves’.

With a masthead very similar to another Emap title, Q , the new title offers an interesting and topical read, with a mix of ‘Point of View’ shorts such as ‘The Blue Rinse Network’ about the prevalence of identical little old ladies and ‘Brief Encounters’ about buying underwear; and more detailed studies such as ‘The 70’s Welcome To Decadence’ – a retrospective look at the decade which fits in well with celebrity interviews with Matt Dillon and William Macy (one of the stars of ‘Boogie Nights’).

Subjects covered include fashion, beauty, home, gardening and celebrity interviews. Emap have stated that the title is for readers who have grown out of Elle, but are not quite into She – I would suggest that with the new revamped She (from the January issue), with its billed ‘refocus’, the two will end up rather similar. The current difference appears to be that whilst She has sections for adults about children – development, health, fashion – Red’ s article are more focused on adult attitudes to children – revelations about how high parks feature in mothers’ lives and mothers’ reactions to separation from siblings. In addition I think Red is more style and fashion orientated.

A good, interesting read with enough in it to last a month. I have to say however that one particular article supposedly about entertaining friends nearly put me off completely – I’m not sure what this was about, but ‘effortless style’ it certainly wasn’t – pretentious ramblings it certainly was!

The title is made up of 196 pages – around a fifth of which are given over to advertising. Advertisers include Estee Lauder, Missoni, Lancome, No7, Persil and Yardley – the two latter ads taking up the ‘Red’ theme.

Red: 0171 208 3258

Reviewer: Lynne Moxon