Harper’s Bazaar Italia has named Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak, the founders of design studio M/M, as its new inventive administrators.
The Hearst publication’s appointments, in some methods, are a very long time coming: Stefano Tonchi, the editorial director of Harper’s Bazaar Italia, mentioned that he’s lengthy wished to work with Amzalag and Augustyniak. The publication was drawn to their mixture of editorial experiences, from engaged on main vogue titles like Vogue France in addition to extra area of interest magazines like Man About City and Purple. The pair additionally has an in depth historical past of working with manufacturers, together with Yohji Yamamoto, Jil Sander and Calvin Klein.
Harper’s Bazaar Italia is each a legacy title in addition to a relative newcomer: It initially started publishing in 1968, however shuttered in 1997. It was reintroduced in a digital-only format in 2019, with the print product relaunched in 2022. Editor-in-chief Massimo Russo and Tonchi, who each joined the staff final yr, mentioned that it’s already made inroads within the Italian luxurious market, and really feel that there’s area for a publication that unabashedly focusses on vogue and the way it intersects with tradition, each globally and domestically.
“We imagine that there’s an viewers for one thing that focusses on vogue and what’s trendy,” mentioned Tonchi. They need to primarily stick with that includes fashions on their covers, with the concept of “attempting to redevelop a visible language for vogue,” in keeping with Amzalag, creating lovely imagery that’s more and more uncommon in publishing amid dwindling budgets. The a number of covers of its April 2025 difficulty featured the mannequin Lulu Tenney photographed by Nick Knight, together with in an elaborate boat-shaped hat from Philip Treacy.
Amzalag and Augustyniak’s inventive route will work to additional this mission.
“We’ve been dropping the concept of vogue as a really lively cultural fantasy that may assist folks dream,” mentioned Augustyniak. Bringing that again, he added, is the “necessary problem” of making {a magazine} right this moment.
Russo mentioned that their becoming a member of marks the beginning of the subsequent part in Harper’s Bazaar Italia’s progress, each artistically and commercially: The publication noticed an 11 p.c improve in promoting income through the first quarter.
“Now could be the time for disruption and extra fluidity,” he mentioned. “[We want to] make it actually one thing particular by itself, completely different from some other journal.”
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