A new chapter for Harvey Nichols has begun -literally and figuratively: we have launched our very own magazine called HN Magazine, which is now back in business after more than a decade! We caught up with Marketing about the late-night hours that went into it and the philosophy behind it.

Tell us about the concept for the magazine? 
HN Magazine is a group-wide magazine that will be issued six times per year (bi-monthly), corresponding with the marketing themes of the year. It is available in an A3 print format in-store as well digitally via our website. There will be an issue on Christmas, menswear, beauty and so on. Everyone will get their chance in the spotlight. The first issue has gone out with the Evening Standard at targeted postcodes of our target customer segments.

How did the idea for a magazine come into existence? 
Harvey Nichols used to have its own magazine 15 years ago, which our current Marketing Director Deb and Head of Media Sales Charmian both used to work on at the time. The magazine has now been out of business for over a decade. A few months after Deb returned to Harvey Nichols she decided that, considering the research our new agency TBWA had done, a magazine made sense.

How does this magazine fall in line with the marketing vision?
It’s an interesting time to launch a magazine because print is in decline, but it’s a big statement about our marketing vision, which is all about demonstrating our style authority and fashion expertise. A magazine is a great way to curate and share the unique fashion knowledge that Harvey Nichols has. It’s also a good instrument to nurture the relationships with our brands, as they are keen on being a part of it.

What has the process been like behind pulling this magazine together?
People from across the board have been involved: from design, to writing, to marketing and advertising. The turnaround of the magazine, since Deb joined, has been massively tight.  Everyone has worked around the clock to get the magazine out there; the art team have been incredible to design a magazine from scratch, the fashion team have been really stretched to get the film and shots done, and the writers have been working incredibly hard to get the features in. Now it has finally come together!

What is the first issue all about?
The first September issue coincides with our Holly Nichols campaign of celebrating women and with our fall offering. It is Knightsbridge-specific, with a big first-floor feature and exclusive interviews, such as with Dries van Noten and The Man Repeller. In London we are partnering with the Evening Standard, who have issued out 60,000 copies in select London post codes. The magazine is distributed across all of our stores.

What do you think this magazine is going to do for the brand?
With this magazine we are getting the Harvey Nichols name out there once again. People think fondly of our brand; this magazine reminds them of our unique fashion edit and that we welcome them in. It should drive people to our stores as well as give brands new ways of working with us. We can't wait for the exciting buzz that is ahead of us.

Take a look at the digital issue of HN Magazine here or pick your hardcopy up in store!