Kering launches digital magazine

Luxury brand conglomerate Kering, formerly PPR, has launched its first digital-only publication ‘K’, a weekly digest that will be published in both English and French on its website. Kering’s move into publishing is part of its continuing rebrand and

refocus on two areas: luxury and sport and lifestyle, which resulted in the group’s name change from PPR to Kering earlier this year, and the launch of ‘K’ is to help communicate the groups new identity as well as add an openness to its activities in the fashion industry.

As well as offering an insight into the French-based group, with interviews and features on its luxury brands that includes Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane, the digital publication will also offer lifestyle features on personalities that have something “sparkling to say” about the arts, fashion, lifestyle, luxury, sports and creativity.

Kering’s director of communication, Louise Beveridge, commented to French publication Doc News, that the purpose of ‘K’ was to support a “broader reflection” on the way the group communicates as a corporate brand, as well as to “devise a new approach to story-telling” as a follow-up its ‘Kering Stories’, a series of videos produced by blogger Garance Doré.

Kering launches editorial platform

The first issue debuted last week and features profiles on Galliera Palace’s fashion museum director Olivier Saillard, Boucheron’s Pierre Bouissou, Korean fashion designer Jin Kay and an article by pro skateboarder Remy Stratton on his “colourful” career. There are also ‘In Brief’ pieces on Christopher Kane, sustainable developments, and Kering’s Foundation that was set up to combat violence against women in 2009.

The launch of the group’s first publishing venture, which is already been compared to Nowness, the LVMH-owned digital platform, was quite a subdued one, there was no party, no huge campaign or advertising, just a simple video trailer displaying a long series of famous names ending in K – from Ashton K to Wladimir K and ending with the tagline, “There is a new K in town” that was circulated via its social media channels.

For the second issue, ‘K’ will include an interview with Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia, discussing the group’s recently launched internship scheme, as well as a feature on design schools from around the world to inspire young designers.