French connection

When my very first article for the fashion section of the Philippine STAR came out two and a half years ago, then Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Myrza Sison sent me a congratulatory text message. The encouraging SMS was an ego boost, especially coming from a woman who held iconic status in the magazine and fashion industry, and especially when sent to a girl who had just quit her job and was vacillating on which career path to take.

Though the text messages are not a public privilege, Myrza, who reigned over the catwalk as a supermodel prior to pursuing her publishing career, has inspired many a woman, who, at one time in her life, begged clueless on certain aspects of their lives. She did this as editor-in—chief of Cosmopolitan for eight years. Myrza, along with her staff, was support group, best friend, adviser, and sounding board to women desirable of self—discovery and self—improvement.

Now in her 10th year with the women’s magazine industry, Myrza continues to flaunt her flair for knowing what women want and giving them what they need. This time, though, she has another title to back her up: the Philippine edition of Marie Claire, the French—created international magazine that’s Summit Media’s newest introduction to the local magazine industry.

Marie Claire Philippines, which formally makes its debut tonight at the Rockwell tent, sends a message to a different kind of woman. The Marie Claire woman, describes Myrza, is "sophisticated, confident and open-minded. She is socially active, socially aware, yet unabashedly fashion and beauty-conscious".

Once again, Summit Media has found a niche to cater to and once again, Myrza Sison promises support and poses inspiration.

YStyle: Just to clear things up, how different is Marie Claire from Cosmopolitan?

Myrza: If Cosmo’s tagline is "Fun, Fearless, Female", Marie Claire’s is "Vital, Vivid, Voyeuristic". Cosmo helps its reader live, Marie Claire makes its reader think. Cosmo is the reader’s "bible on life", Marie Claire does not issue commandments but presents the realities of life from serious issues to humorous takes on things. The Cosmo Girl is into self-discovery and self-improvement, the Marie Claire woman has life pretty much figured out and is ready to share herself with the world. Of course, the Cosmo Girl knows that any change in the world starts from changing yourself. Marie Claire has a unique mix of powerful and provocative journalism with inspirational yet accessible fashion, beauty and lifestyle features. We like to say that the Marie Claire reader is a woman of substance with an eye for style.

How is Marie Claire regarded internationally?

Marie Claire’s editorial formula has made it one of the most successful magazines in the world with 25 international editions in 14 different languages and more than 21 million readers worldwide. The Philippine edition will be the 26th. It’s the biggest monthly fashion title in France and was awarded Best Women’s Magazine of the Year for 2004 because of its editorial quality, creativity, and the power of its concept. It’s always among the top women’s titles in the UK, Australia, the United States, South Africa, and in almost all countries where it is found.

How was Marie Claire brought into the Philippines?

Claire Landrau, Marie Claire’s deputy director for international editions in Asia, met with Summit Media publisher Lisa Gokongwei two years ago, and talks started from there. Summit decided that the time was right to launch a top fashion magazine that sophisticated women trust, and a brand that advertisers know.

What does Paris think about Marie Claire’s prospects in the Philippines? We’re launching Marie Claire today, so I think that’s definitely a good sign. They’re very optimistic. After just two visits and talks with advertisers, they agreed with us that the country was ready for Marie Claire.

What should we expect from the first issue of Marie Claire Philippines?

Powerful global and local reportage, inspiring and comprehensive fashion and beauty coverage, fabulous lifestyle features, all with a healthy dose of fun and humor. Marie Claire’s "25 Most Incredible Women", powerhouse achievers like Maria Ressa, Dr. Margie Holmes, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Teresita Ang See, Che Che Lazaro, Cherie Gil and Lea Salonga, kick up their heels in a fun photo spread to help us kick-start the premiere issue. We take a look behind the scenes at China’s first artificial beauty pageant where all the contestants have gone under the knife, pay homage to the trendsetting heroines who turn recycled trash into European trends, and spy on a long-dateless reporter whose mission is to find seven dates in seven nights. We road-tested the "Frenchwoman’s Diet" ourselves and tell you why the French don’t get fat. We investigate those one-stop beauty "clinics" in the mall and clue you in on what to watch out for. All this plus the very best international and local fashions suited for the Filipina. It is substance and style as you’ve never seen combined in a glossy before.

Describe the Marie Claire woman.

Psycographically speaking, she’s a modern, intelligent, independent woman who demands quality in all aspects of her life. Sophisticated, confident and open-minded, she is socially active, socially aware, yet unabashedly fashion and beauty-conscious. She’s as comfortable discussing the latest trends in fashion as she is talking about headline news. She’s stylish, and yet has a need to feed her soul. She is well-travelled, knows what she wants and how to get it.

What prompted your decision to leave Cosmo and head Marie Claire?

It’s always easier and safer to stick to what you already know and love and just keep at it, and it did cross my mind to choose an easier life and stay in my comfort zone. But after eight years of building and growing Cosmo and somehow helping keep it in its No.1 spot, moving to Marie Claire seemed like a natural transition, and definitely a daunting challenge. Even while I was still with Preview in ’95, I was a huge Marie Claire fan. The US edition edited by Bonnie Fuller had then just been launched, and I was hooked since I got my first copy. I never thought I’d see the day when Marie Claire would come to the Philippines. I’ve also always been a Francophile since I was in my teens, studying French every chance I got in college and (repeatedly!) at the Alliance Française. Naturally, the chance to undergo training in Paris was very tempting to resist!

Of course it also helped that I got the job. I applied for the position like everyone else in the Marie Claire staff. So when the opportunity presented itself, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I also knew I couldn’t move unless I could leave Cosmo in good hands, and its new editor-in-chief Ianne Evangelista was the perfect choice. Her talent and editorial potential was evident from the day she joined Summit. I’m so excited to see all the wonderful new innovations and youthful energy she’ll infuse into Cosmo for its current set of readers.

Did you still have those "first day anxieties" when you first stepped into the position as Marie Claire’s EIC?

I’ve been having "first day anxieties" for four months! It can be nerve-wracking – there’s immense pressure to meet market and industry expectations and deliver a fantastic new product they haven’t seen before. All I can say is that we’re just doing our very, very best and whatever it takes to do that. I may have ten years of experience as a magazine editor, but Marie Claire’s exacting standards of magazine journalism and their meticulous attention to visual detail and quality are incredible. It has pushed me and the staff to constantly strive for excellence. It’s hard work and tougher than what we’re used to, but we’re learning so much!

What do you miss most about Cosmo? Don’t you miss the men?

I definitely miss the men and the privilege of attending those daring centerfold shoots. At the last Bachelor Bash, I felt bad that I didn’t know any of the hunks anymore. I used to know all their names by heart! It’s interesting to note that male models seemed to have stopped approaching me when I no longer had any power to choose the Cosmo Bachelors and Hunks of the Month. Haha!

I miss the wonderful Cosmo staff and all our great times together through deadlines and shoots and our fun, fabulous events, as well as the devoted readers who have made Cosmo their handbook on life. But I have an amazing new staff now at Marie Claire, a dream team of incredibly talented and hardworking young women, all carefully screened and handpicked by the Paris office. We all get on well and this makes our work quite enjoyable. I’m also very excited to hear from and meet the Marie Claire readers beginning this week.

Having worked with magazines for 10 years, what can you say about the recent influx of titles in the publishing industry?

Competition keeps us on our toes! It helps us fight complacency and forces us to keep innovating so that we’re always a step ahead, and evolving so that the readers never tire of us. It’s great to know Filipinos have really gotten into the reading habit and magazines are a good way to start. Summit Media alone now has 22 top-selling titles for every age group, gender and subject matter you can think of. My boss Lisa Gokongwei says she’s excited and happy that Summit has played a part in this renaissance. She says, "Imagine, just ten years ago, it was a wasteland." Today, there are more magazines than ever. This is positive for both consumers and advertisers.

How do you think you’ve grown as a magazine editor, since your start as fashion editor of Preview, to editor-in-chief of Cosmo to now that you’re editor-in-chief of Marie Claire?

After 10 years in this job, I think I’ve become more decisive, learning from all the million and one little glitches and crises I encounter and need to solve in the course of each workday. The nature of this job entails the need to make wise, quick decisions, the outcome of which will affect not just the magazine but the lives and jobs of people in our support groups like production, marketing, publishing, circulation, and advertising.

I’m less of a control freak now. Sure, being OC is a prerequisite for being an editor, so you aim and strive for, and try to achieve the best quality you can, but eventually you learn to distinguish between what you can and cannot control, and accept what you can’t given the constraints of time and money. I’ve learned to let go, believe and trust in the talents and abilities of the people I work with. I’ve realized you really can’t succeed at anything if you don’t work through others, so a high EQ is a definite must.

I’ve learned to keep my finger on the pulse of my readership and treat the reader as King, or make that Queen. If you’re true to your reader and give her not only what she wants but what she never knew she wanted, you’re on the right track. At the end of the day, if your magazine doesn’t sell well, you’re probably not exciting a lot of people with your content, and you won’t last very long.

Would you rather be remembered as a fashion model or a magazine editor?

It’s still quite a thrill when people approach me and say, "Are you a model?".

Believe me, at this point it’s such a huge self-esteem boost, proof that the pull of gravity has not yet triumphed over mass infusions of moisture into your epidermis and your painstaking efforts to drag yourself to the gym at dawn!

It’s also quite fulfilling to be told by a fellow woman that your efforts at your job have helped her change her life for the better, or moved her to do something about what she’s not quite happy about, whether it’s an aspect of her life that troubles her or something she’d like to help change in this world. In the end, I think it doesn’t really matter what you do in particular as long as you do it well. I don’t know what my next job will be yet, but whatever it will be, I’d rather be remembered as a good and kind person who did her best at what she chose to do.

The first issue of Marie Claire Philippines will be out in the stands on Oct. 24.