Fashion magazine Elle edges closer to demise

Bauer Media looks set to close women’s fashion and beauty magazine Elle, with its licencing deal on the verge of ending.

Lara Worthington on the cover of an Elle magazine. Picture: Darren McDonald.

Bauer Media looks set to close women’s fashion and beauty magazine Elle, with its licensing deal with French media giant Lagardere on the verge of ending.

The expiry of the licence comes just weeks after The Australian reported that Bauer was considering closing Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, which could be the first big move by chief executive Brendon Hill.

It is understood US-based media group Hearst Magazines, which owns the licence of Harper’s Bazaar in Australia, is not happy with the fashion masthead’s local performance.

Elle had an average readership of 133,000 over the 12 months to June, sharply below Harper’s Bazaar’s 210,000, according to the latest data from Enhanced Media Metrics Australia.

However, a Bauer spokesman said Elle, which has been licensed by the company in Australia since 2013, is a key brand within its portfolio.