A new Irish monthly women's magazine, The Gloss, goes on sale today.
The new publication is a 160-page glossy with a mix of familiar subjects such as fashion, features, interiors, food and beauty, all treated in an innovative, intelligent way, expressing a broad view of female lives and interests.
It is a joint publishing venture by sisters Jane and Sarah McDonnell and is backed by The Irish Times. It sells for €4 and is aimed at the 22-44 age group in the high-end ABC1 market.
"We wanted to redraft the traditional blueprint for a women's magazine and make it exciting and fresh," said editor Sarah McDonnell.
"We believe it is time to provide an alternative to titles that seem tired and generic and blend into such a noise on the news-stands," said Jane, the publisher and managing director.
The avoidance of the standard close-up cover shot is the immediate signal of a change of approach.
The women are veterans of women's magazine publishing. Jane McDonnell worked at Conde Nast on Vogue with Anna Wintour, with Fairchild on W magazine and with Carlton magazines in Britain before joining Image Publications.
As editor of Image for seven years, Sarah McDonnell presided over its highest circulation.
The strong visual identity of the new magazine has been created by Pentagram, a leading design consultancy. It is printed by Lithographic Web Press, Bray, Co Wicklow.
The initial print run is 31,000.