Date of Premiere Issue : Fall 2001
Editor-in-Chief : Brandon Holley
Creative Director : Florence Sicard
Publisher : Linda Mason
Dimensions : n/a
Frequency : 4 issues a year
Country of Origin : United States
Website : n/a
Contributed by : Tangelia B
Statement
We've had a blast making this magazine, but we never could have done it without you. So big thanks to our interns, to our Student Council (an advisory board made up of all the great girls we've met over the past several months), and, of course, to all the very cool and opinionated visitors to www.ellegirl.com
Because our website launched months before the magazine, you've been able to tell us exactly what you want to see in ELLEgirl - and we've listened (okay, except to the person who wanted us to publish "lots of articles about natural disasters"). You sent us story ideas (see page 30), you gave us beauty tips (page 80), you sent us questions for our advice columnists (see page 150) you even voted for one of them! And in most genius example of great minds thinking alike, you named Julia Stiles as your favorite celeb, our first choice as well.
Julia is the ultimate ELLEgirl: She's confident, attractive, independent, and scary smart. In addition to being one of Hollywood's young actresses, she's a sophomore at Columbia University, a self-described feminist, a monster on the soccer field, and someone who's not afraid to express herself. That's what style (and Stiles) is all about.
So what's ELLEgirl about? Helping you discover your own personal style, starting with your closet. Style influences are everywhere, from your hometown to the streets of Paris. Just look at Global ELLEgirl (starting on page 35), where our correspondants in 34 countries bring you the latest trends from teens around the world.
Style is about not being afraid to take chances. Experiment! That's what our advice columnist, Jennifur Brandt, does. Every time I see her, she's assumed a different persona depending on her mood; glamorous Marilyn Monroe, tough-gril Joan Jett, classic Molly Ringwald. Jennifur believes that fashion is not about conformity but about individuality, and we here at ELLEgirl feel the same way. Take our intern, Niki, who rips up all of her clothes and sews them back together in fabulous new ways. I love her style; it's one of a kind - but I'm pretty sure I won't be working the shocking pink eyebrows she sported at her "Seven-day Makeover" photo shoot (page 60).
As for makeovers, we love them. Why? They're fun, they're experimental, and above all, they're temporary! Look at the five beauty pageant contestants we made over on page 124. They arrived at the photo shoot with perfect hair and shiny gowns. A few hours later they had tousled locks and a scruffy street style. Did they fun on the shoot? Absolutely. WIll they dress that way every day? Well, probably not.
What our teen beauty queens learned - and what we hope you'll get from this magazine - is that if you try something new, you might discover something new about yourself. Yeah, it's just clothing and makeup, but that's only the beginning. Once you start experimenting and taking chances, there's no telling where you'll end up. That's how we approached ELLEgirl; we tried to do things a little differently. As a result, we'd like to think we've got our own style - just like you. So make your style your own and make ELLEgirl your own.
And keep telling us what you think. E-mail me at brandon@ellgirl.com
Brandon
Editor-in-Chief