Jane (magazine)

Jane

Jane, cover dated January 2005
Editor-in-Chief Brandon Holley
Categories Fashion magazine
Frequency Monthly
First issue September 1997
Final issue August 2007
Company Condé Nast Publications
Country United States
Language English
Website janemag.com

Jane was an American magazine created to appeal to the women who grew up reading Sassy Magazine; Jane Pratt was the founding editor of each. Its original target audience (pitched to advertisers) was aged 18–34, and was designed to appeal to women who did not like the typical women's magazine format. Pratt originally intended the magazine to be named Betty, but she was voted down by everyone else involved in the making of the magazine.

History and profile

Jane was launched in September 1997; the final issue was dated August 2007.[1][2] The events surrounding the magazine's fold were chronicled through the experiences of two assistants on the SOAPnet series The Fashionista Diaries. The magazine was published on a monthly basis.[3]

Sassy, created by Pratt in 1987, was intended to appeal to adolescent girls, but because of its sexual candor and coverage of topics other teen magazines did not touch, such as the riot grrrl movement, its popularity exploded beyond its intended audience. When Sassy ended its New York editorial run in 1994, readers were left heartbroken and waiting for something to take its place. In September 1997, Jane Pratt's new magazine, Jane, published by the Disney-owned Fairchild Publications, hit the stands with Drew Barrymore as its maiden covergirl.[4] (Fairchild Publications has since merged with Condé Nast Publications.)

On 25 July 2005, Pratt announced that she was resigning from her position as editor in chief of Jane and would be leaving the company on 30 September 2005, exactly eight years after the magazine's debut.[5] Insiders speculated that Pratt wanted a change in her life after she lost the twins (a son and daughter) she had been carrying at 5 months gestation.[4]

In August 2005, Brandon Holley, editor in chief of Elle Girl, was named to take Pratt's place. Stephanie Trong, who had been with the magazine since 1999, would remain as executive editor. Christina Kelly managing editor of "Elle Girl", as well as a rumoured favorite to take over "Jane" because of her decades-long friendship with Jane Pratt, took over "Elle Girl".

When Jane announced that it was ceasing publication, the magazine notified its readers that they will receive one of a number of sister magazines (Glamour, Allure or Lucky) for their remaining subscription durations. Glamour, Allure and Lucky were all Conde Nast publications that were suffering from lower circulation. Subscribers who did not wish to receive these publication in lieu of the cancelled magazine could call Conde Nast and request any of the other magazines that they published including the popular Vanity Fair.

An episode of the MTV animated show Daria entitled "The Lost Girls", from season 3, would poke fun at Pratt's image and magazine. In the episode, an over-the-top name-dropping fashionista named Val, editor of Val magazine, visits Lawndale High after Daria wins an essay contest. Ultimately, Daria confronts Val about the unrealistic expectations that these fashion magazines force on young girls and about the mass-marketing of popular culture.

References

  1. ↑ Kate Torgovnick (July 10, 2007). "RIP, Jane Magazine". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ "The 20 Best Magazines of the Decade (2000-2009)". Paste Magazine. November 26, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ Nat Ives (July 9, 2007). "Conde Nast Says Goodbye to Jane". AdAge (New York). Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Drew Barrymore for Jane Magazine
  5. ↑ "Conde Nast closing down Jane magazine". Reuters (New York). July 9, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2015.

External links

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