'Bazaar Indonesia' hits newsstands

'Bazaar Indonesia' hits newsstands

JAKARTA (JP): Internationally renowned Harper's Bazaar has
launched Bazaar Indonesia, its 13th international edition for
women who are "already up there" in their personal and
professional lives.

New York editor in chief Kate Betts said the magazine's target
audience was a whole new generation which loves fashion and makes
it part of its daily life.

President of Hearst Magazines International George J. Green
put it another way: "We provide an escape". The magazine is
intended as a window into the fashion world and an opportunity to
find a diversion from the boring, routine lives most of us lead.

The local consultant to the magazine is the designer Biyan
Wanaatmadja, who has earned a reputation on foreign shores,
including in hard-to-please Singapore, for his distinctive,
ultrafeminine designs.

Biyan said the Indonesian woman of today was mature and ready
for change, including a change for the better. He said Bazaar
provided the much-needed outlet for her reading diversions. He
added that the magazine served as a route for Indonesian culture,
art, creativity and beauty to be channeled into the future with
the advance of globalization.

His words were proved true both in the first issue, with a
section on kain (textiles), and at the fashion show held for the
magazine's launching. The traditional kebaya, a mainstay of
Indonesian women's wardrobes for special events and ceremonies,
was presented as graceful, attractive and a trendy addition to
wardrobes of the young and fashion-conscious.

Another plus is that the magazine will showcase the beauty of
Indonesian models on its front cover. It's high time that there
was another forum to highlight Indonesian -- and Asian -- looks
as we venture forth into a changing world which appreciates
beauty in all its great diversity.

Is there any possibility of the magazine being printed in a
bilingual Indonesian-English edition for those of us whose
Indonesian skills are limited to giving directions to taxi
drivers?

"It's an Indonesian magazine for the Indonesians," Green said,
which means Indonesian-deficient expatriates interested in the
magazine should hit the dictionary.

The 50,000 inaugural edition copies, which will be distributed
in all major cities in the country, are priced at Rp 21,500 each.

The Indonesian publisher is Mugi Rekso Abadi Group, which also
began publishing Kosmopolitan, the Indonesian sister publication
to Helen Gurley Brown's brainchild, three years ago.

Despite the assumption that the big, glossy, pricey magazines
are competing for the same readers, the publisher draws a clear
distinction.

It's all in the theme: Kosmopolitan is for the "Fun Fearless
Female", but Bazaar stands by its "New Vision, New Voice, New
Generation". Kosmopolitan, which costs Rp 18,500 per issue, is
more service oriented, giving direction and support, referring to
the upcoming women, the younger age group, but Harper's, despite
the "new" aspects, is for women, young and old, who have made
their mark.

Bazaar, also often lumped in the same market category with
Vogue, has another special distinction. Although some might
dismiss it as merely another one of the many fashion bibles full
of beauty tips which are thinly veiled nods to advertisers, many
faithful readers will beg to differ.

They will profess that the real attraction of the magazine is
its literary entries.

They say the magazine, which is more than 130 years old and
has won several National Magazine awards, is packed with
interesting, funny, quirky, touching essays and pieces of
criticism. It editors claim it is also often at the vanguard of
trends. Is not uncommon for the magazine to highlight an issue
and, a few months later, for a major book to come out on the same
subject.