U.K. magazine publisher Emap is planning a website launch bringing together brands from its existing fashion magazine portfolio. Media Week reports the project will be aimed at both consumers and business-to-business readers. Emap already operates fashion industry weekly Drapers, designers magazine Pop, kids clothes exhibition Premier Kids, the Pure Women show and the WGSN.com catwalk news source. It also publishes the First, NewWoman, More and Instant Beauty women’s magazines as well as the Closer, Grazia and Heat celebrity titles.
It’s the latest in a new wave of moves from a UK magazine house to aggregate disparate but related print brands at a single online destination. Emap is doing it with its construction industry titles. Future Publishing is melding several cycling magazines at BikeRadar.com. IPC recently launched its HouseToHome, drawing content from the likes of Living etc, Ideal Home and Homes & Gardens, and is also due to launch an online portal for women using content from its titles like Women’s Weekly, Now and Woman’s Own. Naturally touching on fashion, that site will now see IPC and Emap go head-to-head online in the same way they have traditionally in print. The companies are eager to get serious online to offset revenue and advertising losses in the consumer magazine business. Women’s fashion launches would emerge into a sector already enjoyed by Handbag.com, but the magazines carry considerable clout.