Joanna Coles talks to us about her magazine's new reality show, Running in Heels, Marie Claire the musical and interns today
Current role: Editor-in-chief, Marie Claire
First job: News reporter, London Daily Telegraph
Fantasy Career: Airline pilot. "I've always wanted to say, all doors on manual."
When did you decide it was time for Marie Claire to be on TV? I arrived at the magazine three years ago when The Devil Wears Prada was in theaters and I had producers calling me every week wanting to do a show with Marie Claire—everyone was interested in the fashion world. I spent the first year putting my stamp on the magazine and then I made those trips to L.A. to talk to producers. We ended up making a pilot with a production company and after months of filming realized the show just wasn't us. Once we met with the Style Network, we went about the process differently.
How so? Instead of filming a pilot, we allowed the production company (Left/Right Films) to shoot us in the office 24/7 for three months, letting the show reveal itself. It became clear that the show would focus on the fashion team where all the characters are. We had four seperate camera crews in the office at one time from August 2008 through this past January.
Did you have any control over the editing? Of course it's irritating when cameras record a 20 minute interview that ends up being only nine seconds on air, but we made a deal that allowed us 48 hours to view each episode and give feedback. I've always been very frank and the production company was amenable to that. It was a collaborative process. We can't do a show without them and they can't do it without us, so we've got each other by the short and curly's.
How did you choose the Style Network? Cable shows repeat episdoes, which is way better than having one shot a week. Reruns are what get people hooked (Think Project Runway). The Style Network is small and exclusively about style. There are people who watch the network who don't read Marie Claire and I want to reach them. It's a very straightforward marketing tool.
Did you have any experience with television before this? I worked at BBC in London and made documentaries, so I understood what it takes to get a show off the ground. Right now, we have a leg up on our competitors. The market is down by 27 percent in the fashion and beauty category. All the major magazines are down in ad sales. Having this show makes our brand relevant and creates interest in advertising.
How did you choose the interns featured on the show? We have hundreds of people applying for internships at Marie Claire every year. At any given time, we have at least 12 fashion interns and a high turnover rate. We gave the production company a pile of applications to choose from. Of course the difference this time around was the prospects had to be comfortable on TV.
How did filming change the office dynamics? It made my staff more confident. Our shopping editor, Zoe Glassner, for example really blossomed. It gave everyone a little more responsibility and made them enjoy their jobs more. When a TV crew follows you doing your job, you begin to realize what you do is actually important and interesting and you stop taking it for granted.
So should every magazine have a reality show? Every magazine can't have a reality show because people are interested in fashion. I don't think a show about The Economist would be as much fun.
What are interns like today compared to when you started out? They didn't have interns in Britain. I don't think it would ever dawn on them—Brits are far too lazy to work without getting paid. What I hear people say is interns are more entitled and because they've seen a lot of reality TV they think they can become the next Olivia Palermo, but it's not like that. It's really fetching coffee, steaming outfits, and packing clothes. I'm just glad I'm not 21 anymore.
Any more plans to "expand the brand" beyond television? Yes, Marie Claire the Musical. It's time for Stephen Sondheim to do a soulful look at what's happening in fashion.
Really? No, but I wouldn't mind being known as the Mary Poppins of fashion rather than the Simon Cowell.
By Dara Pettinelli
