FLARE "CANADA'S FASHION MAGAZINE" MARCH 2013

Got the March issue of Flare in the mail...
you know it, the one that call's itself  "CANADA'S FASHION MAGAZINE".

And, in I plunged. On my first go through, slow but steady, interested in all things fashion, but particularly Canadian, hence the reading of this magazine, I was confused. Where was the "CANADIAN"  part?

Being the purveyor of the "CANADIAN CLOTHING AND FASHION WORLD" that I am, a second go through, and ah yes, 3 pages on "LORI-ANNE KRAUSEWITZ"  maker of "statement headpieces". Nice. Which tied in well to the other "CANADIAN DESIGNER" content  which I found while reading the small print,  Flare used "GRETA CONSTANTINE'S" headresses to decorate a layout of "International" designers clothes. Sad they could not use "The Greta's clothes as well..."

On a third very slow and scouring check, a skirt from "PINK TARTAN" and a shot of an "ARTHUR MENDONCA" jacket. "CANADA'S FASHION MAGAZINE" left me curious as to where might the assumed Canadian content be...

Curiosity prevailed...and so I "counted" my way through...

the March 2013 issue contains
178 full pages total,
98 of which are full page ads,
77 of the ads are from International sources,
8 ads are from Flare themselves, and
3 ads are from Canadian Companies, (thanks Melanie Lyne and Smart Set (oh, with a pull-out)).

Editorial content wise, Miranda Purves, in her Editor's Letter, goes on at length about her new fashion muse, Barbara, "a mysterious blond" from an German film playing at TIFF.

In the personalities department, the issue hits us with a glossy 2-pager of a write up about stylesetters and French sisters, Poppy and Cara Delevingne, and on other pages; Hannah Bronfman of Canadian lineage, but New York residency and pedigree, the always lovely, born in the USA, Actress and Author, Julianne Moore and London born, Masschusett's-bred West African Taiye Selasi. International, and fascinating but were there no Canadians they could talk to? They do manage the writer and donut maker Leanne Shapton, at least Ontario born, but, New York based.

The cover and 10 pages feature the latter day "look and attitude" dopelganger of Avril Lavigne, the American model,  "Charlotte Free".  In the other multi paged fashion editorial spreads, other than the afformentioned "ARTHUR MENDONCA" jacket, there is nothing Canadian.

About 50% of the magazine as you can see is advertising, which is pretty much on par with most these days.

With approximatley 90% of the ads being of international origin, I can see that the international content would be of about the same percentage.

Yes, the magazine itself is a Canadian Product. Great. But what they are saying is already being said elsewhere. I can and do read American Vogue for American coverage, which they do wonderfully and they throw in just about as much Canadian content as Flare does. Other International glossies cover the Internationals quite well, and the Canadian designer is being mixed into their editorial pages right along with all the others .

I have a subscription, and I will continue to read Flare, as I have for years, I have seen that some issues have more than this particular one, and will hope to see more again. And if this sounds like a negative rant soley against Flare and its moniker, it is not. My real curiousity lay with the CANADIAN DESIGNERS, MANUFACTURERS, BUYERS AND SELLERS OF FASHION...I suspect there would be more Canadian content if there were more advertising dollars from them.

TOM D'AURIA, "CANADIAN DESIGNER" said
"Canada is becoming international. It's just a matter of time. We're a young country. We're just starting to get recognized."

But please note, he said this in an article, by BERNADETTE MORRA, writing in the Toronto Star, on August 6, 1987.

Its almost 30 years later people....a little help from home would surely go a long way.