What's in a name?

Welcome back! Before we get into the meat of this article, I have an announcement. I have officially committed to making a fashion magazine, settling on the genre once and for all. Besides the passion I have for the subject, I feel as if this topic will be the most fun to photograph and write for. Plus I already have a little experience when it comes to fashion knowledge so the content isn't the issue here. I was struggling between producing either a fashion magazine or a cooking magazine, but I decided that fashion is the way to go. I know more about fashion than cooking, and the time and effort put into cooking is unrealistic given the time I have to put into this project. Plus, I feel as if my passion for the subject will make a better overall final project compared to a cooking magazine on a subject I am less passionate about. 

Okay, so now that we got that out of the way, it's time for the interesting part. I have been struggling the past few weeks trying to come up with a name for my publication. Fashion magazines tend to have a bit more leniency when it comes to their names, as in, they don't completely have to make sense. My magazine name doesn't necessarily have to exactly describe what it will be about, so that eases some pressure. I don't think my appeal would be as great if my my magazine title screamed, "Hey, look, teens! This is for you." The last thing I want to come across as is forced and ingenuine. Instead, I think I want to take a more creative approach to my title that draws more attention and screams high fashion not corny. The challenge is finding a balance between a cool name and one that will attract my target audience of young adults aged 18-25. People may not want to pick up and read something when they don't even understand its title.

To figure this out, I took to researching some of the titles of my favorite fashion publications, dissecting what I believe makes them work. . . or not work. 

Vogue is a classic in the fashion realm, really in the magazine realm in general. However, when you take away the name recognition that they have developed throughout the years, you have a clean and crisp title that is equally trendy and alluring. I like the simplicity of the title and how it relates to the fashion scene so if someone was living under a rock and just happened to glance at the title, they would still know roughly what the publication is about. I want my title to have somewhat of that same appeal, so that it's not just some completely random name. I'm all for creativity but this is one genre convention I'd rather not break. I've got to pick and choose my battles here!

Schon magazine is a bit more on the unconventional side, somewhat of a hidden gem that I discovered during my research. The name means "beautiful" in German, but the magazine is actually English based. I was instantly intrigued by the title, whose name seems to match the fun vibe of the cover shots. The use of a different language somehow makes the magazine seem more high fashion and wordly, a concept I am attracted to when it comes to my own publication. I think I may consider stepping out of my comfort zone and naming my magazine something that is not an English word. It creates a playful mood for the publication and adds an extra element of intrigue. 

Again, Elle is one of those magazines that took the more foreign approach to their names. However, Elle, which means "girl" in French is slightly more recognizable than Schon! The title still holds the same unique appeal that comes with a foreign name, which gives it an edge compared to regular English titles. The more I look into magazines with non-English titles, the more I am  convinced that I do not want my own publication title to be English. 

Teen vogue is almost like the daughter of Vogue, meant for the younger generation of fashion-heads,  thus I almost forgive it for placing "teen" within its title. Almost. I don'y know, something about including the target audience within the magazine title seems too forced for my liking. Teen Vogue pulls it off but I feel like if I tried to include "teen" in my title, it would come off as too forced. I think I'll stray away from this sort of blatant addressing of my target audience. Yes, it does let potential readers know exactly who my content is appealling to, but for me, I think a more subtle approach is the way to go. 

So, I've done my research, now comes the hard part - coming up with the name. I think based on my findings, for my magazine, a foreign name is the way to go. I want something fun and catchy and different, and I think a non-English name may just be the way to go. Who knows, maybe I'll even make up my own word. This way, I think I'll have better luck with standing out from the rest, and giving my publication that extra zing. 

Citations: 

Hall, Chloe, et al. “Chloe Hall.” ELLE, ELLE, www.elle.com/.

“Insomnia.” Schön! Magazine, schonmagazine.com/.

Nast, Condé. “Fashion, Beauty, Entertainment News for Teens.” Teen Vogue, TeenVogue.com, www.teenvogue.com/.

“Vogue Magazine: Celebrity Covers, Subscriptions, and More.” Vogue, Vogue, 31 Dec. 1969, www.vogue.com/magazine.