C Journal, California’s life-style publication, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this fall with a particular situation that includes cowl star Cindy Crawford.
Styled by Paul Cavaco and shot by Matthew Brookes at Paramount Studios, the shoot marked a full-circle second for the journal’s founder, editorial director and chief govt officer Jennifer Smith, who first stepped onto the lot as a 16-year-old intern for writer-producer Gary David Goldberg’s Ubu Productions in Los Angeles.
“Iconic Hollywood,” she stated of photographing Crawford in that setting. “It was wonderful.”
“She was a three-time C cowl lady, even earlier than we did this situation,” type and content material director Andrew Barker, who joined the group seven years in the past, added of Crawford. “There’s a timelessness to her. You’re nonetheless simply as enthusiastic about Cindy immediately as you have been 20, 40 years in the past. She’s the O.G. supermodel for all of us.”
The very first situation of C Journal was born from a want to rejoice and showcase the power, creativity and tradition of the West Coast with tales distinctive to California. It got here after Smith, together with her household, relaunched Santa Barbara Journal and determined to broaden the idea to seize the broader California life-style. Smith had moved to L.A. from Michigan and has been calling it dwelling since 1991.
“The primary one is wonderful,” Smith stated of C Journal’s inaugural situation, with Carolyn Murphy on the duvet. “We had everyone, from an interview with Barry Diller to behind-the-scenes with Dede Wilsey at her museum, the de Younger Museum. We had Ann Getty in San Francisco, Carolyn Murphy on the seashore in Malibu. We did a vogue story on the San Andreas Fault. We had [chef] Thomas Keller from The French Laundry. It was the most effective of the most effective. And I believe it began out with such a bang that everybody then trusted us going ahead.”
C Journal’s first cowl, with mannequin Carolyn Murphy.
With Smith on the helm, the core C Journal group additionally contains Jenny Murray, president and editor, who has labored with Smith since Day One, and James Timmins, artistic and design director, who has been with the journal for a decade. Whereas many work remotely, the group maintains an workplace in Santa Barbara, the place Smith first established a workspace in 1999.
At the moment, releasing seven points a 12 months at $7.99 every, C Journal has a complete distribution of 135,000, together with 120,000 subscriptions, and with 750,000 readers month-to-month — 90 p.c girls with a median age of 44 and median family revenue of $220,000. Prime areas embody Los Angeles and Orange County, adopted by San Francisco and Santa Clara/Silicon Valley.
“One among our strengths is figuring out the shoppers for our promoting companions,” Smith stated. “Apart from with the ability to write nice tales and be giving an insider’s perspective, we generally is a nice promoting accomplice for them and say, ‘Nicely, what are your wants? We bought it. We all know this crowd. Do you want content material?’ We’ve now virtually change into an company. We’re creating loads of customized content material for everybody, from Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Vuitton, Thom Browne, you identify it. They’re coming to us after they have a California activation that they should amplify.”
“Placing a California lens on these worldwide manufacturers,” Barker stated.
C Journal has additionally launched a e book to mirror on 20 years, “California: Dream State: Trendy Residing from Canyon to Coast,” with Rizzoli.
Among the many highlights through the years is a function and shoot with actress Kelly Lynch and writer-producer Mitch Glazer within the couple’s John Lautner-designed dwelling in L.A., Smith stated: “It’s Kelly on horseback, wanting wonderful. Mitch in his classic automobile. It’s all of it. So we get design, we get vogue, we get attention-grabbing individuals. She’s an actress, he’s a filmmaker. We get structure, we get nature. If that’s not a fruits of what C Journal is, I don’t know what’s.”
Trying again, what’s been the most important problem on this altering media panorama? Smith famous that staying related means evolving past conventional print.
Jennifer Smith
“You’ll be able to’t simply be {a magazine},” she stated. “As a lot as I need to simply be hardcore print, you must have the digital, you must have the social, however you additionally should do the clienteling to your advertisers and actually give them that service.”
“Magazines have simply change into a kind of increased artwork types that individuals love and cherish,” Barker stated. “It’s extra of a luxurious product.”
The twentieth anniversary situation has greater than 100 pages, showcasing California-based girls together with Oprah Winfrey at dwelling in her backyard and three-Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn, who’s behind the brand new Dior restaurant on Rodeo Drive.
Trying forward, Smith stays optimistic.
“I nonetheless imagine within the California dream,” she continued. “I simply imagine on this romantic California, and to not say that it doesn’t have its trials and tribulations, however on the finish of the day, what else do I’ve to hold on to however that drive on [Pacific Coast Highway], home windows down, music blasting?”
A take a look at C Journal’s twentieth anniversary situation, with Cindy Crawford.
