In 2011, The Hearst Corporation reached a €651M deal with Lagardère to purchase the rights to publish Elle Magazine in fifteen countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia and Ukraine. launched Elle Decor magazine, focusing on home decor. By 1991, the magazine's sales were in decline in the U.S. The magazine was used as an informational and educational tool for opening of the Chinese textile market. It was the first four-color fashion magazine offered in China. The Chinese version of the magazine was first published in 1988. In 1985, Elle launched in Britain and the United States. Lagardère Group subsidiary, Hachette Filipacchi Médias began pushing Elle outside of Europe in 1969, launching its Japanese publication. By the 1960s, Elle had a readership of 800,000 across France and was said to "not so much reflect fashion as decree it." This dominance was reflected in the famous slogan: "Si elle lit, elle lit Elle" 'If she reads, she reads Elle '. Likewise, Brigitte Bardot had her first Elle cover at age 17, on 7 January 1952, months before her screen debut in Manina, the Girl in the Bikini. Its 100th issue, published on 14 October 1947, featured the work of Christian Dior just eight months after his debut show. Women won the right to vote in 1944, and Elle dove immediately into long-form "newspaper-like" features on women's role in national politics and the growing feminist movement. Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, Elle's pioneering founder, returned to Paris from New York City to create a unique publication that grappled with the many forces shaping the lives of women in France in 1945. The official Elle headquarters is located in Paris, with licensed publishers located in many other cities.Įlle was founded in Paris as an immediate aftermath of World War II and first sold as a supplement to France-Soir, edited at the time by Pierre Lazareff. The Lagardère Group of France owns the brand. Along with the magazine, the Elle brand includes 33 websites that stretch globally and receive 370 million monthly views. Elle magazine has over 69 million readers, with an audience of mostly women. Nina Garcia currently holds the position of editor-in-chief at Elle, appointed after the departure of Myers.Įlle is considered the world's largest fashion magazine, with 46 international editions in over 60 countries. Previous editors of the magazine include Jean-Dominique Bauby, well known for his memoir, and Roberta Myers, the longest-serving editor-in-chief at Elle.
Elle's Japanese publication was launched in 1969, defining it as the first international Elle publication of many.
Elle has since expanded outside of France, creating a global network of publications and readers. The magazine's readership has continuously grown since its founding, increasing to 800,000 across France by the 1960s. It was founded in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff and her husband, the writer Pierre Lazareff. The title means "she" or "her" in French. Elle (stylized ELLE) is a worldwide women's lifestyle magazine of French origin that focuses on fashion, beauty, health and entertainment.