FEMALE, SINGAPORE'S LEADING FASHION AND BEAUTY MAGAZINE, GETS A FRESH UPDATE

Singapore, 22 February 2008 - Female, Singapore's leading fashion and beauty magazine under SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (SPH Magazines) will be significantly refreshed to galvanise its position as the fashion and beauty authority for women in Singapore.

Every month, Female delivers to its trend- and brand-conscious readers the hottest looks from the fashion capitals of the world, profiles the biggest designers, offers the very best in style advice, as well as all the latest beauty news, from the most revolutionary products and services, to the most up-to-the-minute trends. According to the AC Nielsen Media Index 2007, Female is the second best read women's magazine in Singapore, having readership of 140,000. It is vibrant and dynamic, a must-read for the stylish fashionista and beauty junkie.

With Female's readers always keeping their fingers on the pulses of the latest trends in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, the 34-year-old magazine is ready to refresh Its editorial approach and visual packaging again. Female’s refreshed and brand new editorial columns are presented with strong news points, trend-centric, exciting, engaging, as well as useful, with lots of take-back for the readers. Its approach to stories remains informative, useful and fun. Expect both newsworthy features and bite-sized snippets that come with a good dose of fresh perspectives, informed opinions and tasteful humour.

In synch with the new editorial direction, the new look and packaging is fashion forward, fluid and organic, less structured, more design and visually driven as well. The styling and photography of visuals take on an international stance, with arresting concepts that are impactful, unique and unexpected. This is further reflected in its new modern-retro design philosophy, from masthead, lustrous photography, cutting-edge design, to explorative use of typography, graphics and space – all this to offer readers a visual experience that’s at once exciting, progressive and serendipitous.

Fashion and beauty take up 80 per cent of the new Female's editorial pages, and features news from international runways, profiles of must-know designers and labels, practical style advice, as well as aspirational fashion and accessories spreads. In its beauty department, Female offers its readers updates on the latest beauty products and reviews. Female’s lifestyle section encompasses features, news and updates on travel, food, music, art, theatre, books, film, as well as design and architecture. Several new sections: Time, Jewels, The Mix, Toolbox, Aesthetics, Body, and Male, make their debut. The new look of Female is fashion-forward, progressive, and epitomises the new modern-retro design philosophy.

All this, in a concerted bid, to create a product that's more customised for its ever-growing fashion- and beauty- conscious readership, and in turn grow a larger following of trendy people among its readers. The new sleeker and more sophisticated design also provides a more relevant environment and advertising platform for both Female's existing and potential high fashion and luxe beauty advertisers.

“Our core readers are fashion forward white collar executives aged 25-35 who believe in investing in luxury,” says Female editor Pearlyn Quan. “With the influx of international titles and readily available news and influences from all around the world, we believe our readers are well exposed, ready and expecting to experience fashionable luxury from an exciting and global perspective.”

"As indicated by Nielsen Media Index 2007, SPH Magazines has captured a substantial share in the local women's magazines market. Female’s readership increased by 21 per cent from 2006’s figures. Through the company's marketing research efforts, the new Female will craft a sharper niche for our products and a definitive step for us to continue to increase our market share in the region," says Susanah Cheok, Group Editor, SPH Magazines.

Allen Loh, Managing Director of SPH Magazines adds, “The crisper, tighter and more well honed editorial content, coupled with a sleeker design and packaging, create a more customised platform and environment for our core fashion and beauty advertisers, both existing and potential. We are confident that the new product will help Female grow its advertising revenue.”

The new-look March issue will be available at the newsstand from 25 February 2008. Its copy price remains at $6.

Introducing the New Sections

Time: a dedicated watch column that touches on watch trends, collectors and industry expert interviews and the latest merchandise. Fashionable women now insist on building a timepiece wardrobe made up of watches for different dress styles and occasions. No longer is it one watch fits all.

Jewels: a dedicated watch column on precious metals and stones that features the latest jewellery trends, brands and merchandise. Independent self-loving women don't wait for men to buy them jewellery anymore. It is just how modern women pamper themselves these days. And we want them to make informed choices when they do.

Male: a dedicated section on men's fashion trends and tips, grooming updates and ideas, interviews with significant males, as well as boys' toys updates. Most of the time, it is the women who make the fashion and grooming decisions for the men. And because men do borrow Female from their girlfriends and wives. And while they're secretly reading Female, we want to ensure there's something for them too. And yes, of course, Female's readers like to enjoy some eye candy as well.

Aesthetics: a dedicated column on non-invasive and invasive beauty procedures. With so many advances being made in this field, we can't allow our readers to be left out.

The Mix: a column that offers a wide range of mix and match choices, as well as useful styling tips.

Toolbox: a column that offers clever tricks on achieving the latest beauty looks.

Issued by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd
Co. Regn No.: 196900476M

For more information, please contact:

Pearly Mak
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications
SPH Magazines Pte Ltd
Tel: +65-6319-2336
HP:+65-97656704
E-mail: pearlym@sph.com.sg

About SPH Magazines Pte Ltd

A leading publisher in Singapore and the region, SPH Magazines Pte Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of media giant Singapore Press Holdings Limited.

With a proven track record for sterling editorial content & award-winning designs, SPH Magazines raises the bar as a dynamic magazine publisher. In its stable are over 100 titles in English and Chinese, covering lifestyle, fashion, beauty, society, bridal, health, men’s lifestyle, movies, automobile, parenting, décor, new media and business. All the newsstand publications, including flagship title Her World, and other well-known titles such as Female, Home and Décor, Nuyou, Torque, HWM and GameAxis are among the highest-circulating titles and best-read in their respective lifestyle category.

This magazine group can also boast about its 10 luxury titles including its flagships The Peak and ICON. At the turn of 2008, SPH Magazines acquired Asia-Pacific Boating, China Boating, Jet Asia-Pacific, Luxury Properties, AsiaSpa, Polo China and Action Asia under its wholly-owned Hong Kong incorporated company Blu Inc Media (HK) Limited. This suite of titles has effectively made SPH Magazines the leading luxury magazines publisher in the Asia-Pacific region.

SPH Magazines' established editorial units also provide excellent custom publishing services to major corporate clients by producing custom lifestyle magazines, newsletters and any other collateral to meet their business needs.

In the online and IT arena, SPH Magazines also has a highly regarded presence through the portals and publications of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hardware Zone Pte Ltd. www.hardwarezone.com(R) is consistently been getting rave reviews through the Hitwise awards and several review watchdogs over the last 2 years such that it has become the most respected portal in Asia.

With a vision to continue growth regionally, SPH Magazines is set to become Asia’s publishing powerhouse. It has publishing houses in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. SPH Magazines in its fold have achieved strong market presence in their respective sectors, as well as distinguished track records and solid reputations.

At SPH Magazines, the promise is to deliver its best to meet the diverse needs and interests of all its stakeholders and achieve its vision to be a world class Publisher of Choice.

URL: http:\ www.sphmagazines.com.sg


About Female

Female is Singapore's leading fashion and beauty magazine. Every month, Female delivers to its trend- and brand- conscious readers, the hottest looks from the fashion capitals of the world, profiles of the biggest designers, and the very best in style advice; as well as all the latest beauty news, from the most revolutionary products and services, to the most up-to-the-minute trends. According to the AC Nielsen Media Index 2007, Female's readership is 140,000. It is vibrant and dynamic, a must read for stylish fashionista and beauty junkie.

This release was published on openPR.