Elle (magazine)
Elle is a French weekly women’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, published in Paris since its founding in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff. Stylised in all caps, it reaches over 250 million people globally each month across 50 international editions. The magazine also produces spin-offs including Elle Décoration, Elle Men, and Elle à Table. Gordon-Lazareff, who was Russian-born and raised in Paris, launched the magazine shortly after World War II, initially as a supplement to France-Soir, which was edited by her husband Pierre Lazareff. Returning from New York City, she aimed to create a publication addressing the forces shaping women’s lives in post-war France, just after women gained the right to vote in 1944. The first issue appeared on 21 November 1945, with actress Yolande Bloin on the cover dressed by Elsa Schiaparelli, and sold 110,000 copies. Elle’s early issues included free patterns of haute couture designs, making high fashion accessible to working-class readers. Its 100th issue in October 1947 featured Christian Dior’s work months after his debut. Brigitte Bardot appeared on the cover at age 17 in January 1952, before her film debut. Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe also graced the cover in 1956. By the 1960s, the magazine boasted 800,000 readers in France and was seen as a fashion authority. In 1987, Elle Décoration launched in France. By 1995, worldwide circulation reached 5 million copies. In 2011, Hearst Corporation bought rights to publish Elle in 15 countries from Lagardère, which kept the French edition and brand ownership. In 2018, Lagardère sold Elle France to Daniel Křetínský’s Czech Media Invest. At the end of 2021, all global editions banned fur from their pages starting in 2023. The magazine has covered political and social issues such as gender equality, women’s health, reproductive rights, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2025, the Italian edition nominated sociologist Porpora Marcasciano for the Nobel Peace Prize. As of 2026, there are 51 editions of Elle, plus 26 of Elle Décoration, 9 of Elle Men, and 8 of Elle à Table, including region-specific titles like Elle Hong Kong, Elle Québec, Elle Belgique, Elle Baltic, and Elle Middle East.
- founder
- Hélène Gordon-Lazareff
- field
- Fashion and lifestyle magazine
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Weekly publication mixing fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content; global editions and spin-offs like Elle Décoration
Lore & Background
Elle is a French weekly women’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, published in Paris since its founding in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff. Its appearance is marked by a distinctive all-caps stylization of its title, and it offers a mix of fashion, beauty, and general lifestyle content. The magazine has a global monthly audience of over 250 million people, with fifty international editions and spin-offs including Elle Décoration, Elle Men, and Elle à Table. It is considered one of the world’s largest fashion and lifestyle publications. The first issue, released on 21 November 1945, featured actress Yolande Bloin on the cover dressed by Elsa Schiaparelli, and had a circulation of 110,000 copies. From its start, Elle combined fashion with long-form journalism on women’s political roles and feminism, reflecting the post-war moment when French women had just gained the right to vote. The magazine famously provided free patterns of haute couture designs, making high fashion accessible to the working class. Its 100th issue in October 1947 featured Christian Dior’s work, and Brigitte Bardot appeared on her first cover at age 17 in 1952. By the 1960s, readership reached 800,000 across France, and the magazine was said to decree rather than merely reflect fashion, captured in the slogan “If she reads, she reads Elle.” In 2021, all global editions announced a ban on fur from their pages starting in 2023.
Reader's Guide
Founded in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, *Elle* was a weekly publication that from its first issue blended fashion and beauty with in-depth political reporting, reflecting the new rights French women had gained, such as the vote. The magazine’s early circulation of 110,000 copies grew to 800,000 readers by the 1960s, a period when it was said to dictate rather than merely reflect fashion. *Elle* made high fashion accessible by including free patterns of designers’ pieces, allowing working-class women to experience haute couture. It featured rising talents early, such as Christian Dior just months after his debut and a teenage Brigitte Bardot before her film breakthrough. The magazine’s influence extended beyond style; it consistently covered gender equality, women’s health and reproductive rights, and social justice issues including racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights, reporting on movements like Black Lives Matter. In 2025, its Italian edition nominated a transgender sociologist for the Nobel Peace Prize. *Elle*’s global reach spans over 250 million monthly readers across 50 international editions, with spin-offs like *Elle Décoration* and *Elle Men*. A landmark 2021 decision saw all global editions ban fur from their pages starting in 2023, citing animal welfare and sustainable innovation. Through its long-form journalism and advocacy, *Elle* established itself as a major force in both fashion and feminist discourse.
A Post-War Reckoning with Fashion
Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, a Russian-born woman raised in Paris, returned from New York in the immediate aftermath of World War II carrying a bold editorial vision. In 1945 she launched Elle not as a simple fashion title but as a publication that would grapple with the forces reshaping French women's lives. Women had only just won the right to vote in 1944, and Elle responded with long-form, newspaper-style features exploring women's roles in national politics and the emerging feminist movement. The magazine set out to champion a new archetype: a woman who was independent, modern, active, and at ease in her own skin. The inaugural issue, dated 21 November 1945, placed actress Yolande Bloin—dressed by Elsa Schiaparelli—on the cover and sold 110,000 copies. What made the title distinctive was its democratic impulse: articles profiling rising designers included free sewing patterns, allowing working-class readers to experience haute couture firsthand. This blend of political seriousness and accessible glamour defined the magazine from its very first pages.
From Paris to a Global Powerhouse
What began as a modest supplement to France-Soir, edited by Hélène's husband Pierre Lazareff, grew into one of the world's largest fashion and lifestyle publications. By the 1960s, Elle commanded a readership of 800,000 across France, and by 1995 its circulation reached five million copies worldwide. Today the brand spans fifty-one active editions, twenty-six Elle Décoration titles, nine Elle Men publications, and eight Elle à Table editions, reaching over 250 million people monthly. The business structure has shifted over the decades: in 2011, Hearst Corporation agreed to a €651 million deal with Lagardère to publish Elle in fifteen countries including the UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Ukraine, while Lagardère retained the French edition and collected royalties. In April 2018, Lagardère sold the French edition to Daniel Křetínský through Czech Media Invest, yet the Bolloré family's Louis Hachette Group continues to own the Elle brand globally through licensing. The first non-European edition launched in Japan in 1970 as An An Elle Japon, and the network now stretches from Elle Québec to Elle Arabia to the 2026 Elle Baltic covering Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Decreeing Fashion and Capturing Icons
By the 1960s, Elle had achieved a cultural authority that went beyond mere trend reporting. The magazine was said to not so much reflect fashion as decree it, a dominance encapsulated in its famous slogan: Si elle lit elle lit Elle—if she reads, she reads Elle. Its covers became cultural touchstones. In January 1952, seventeen-year-old Brigitte Bardot graced the cover months before her screen debut in Manina, the Girl in the Bikini. In April 1956, Grace Kelly appeared on the cover just days before her marriage to Rainier III of Monaco, and by July of that same year, Marilyn Monroe took her place. The magazine also moved quickly to spotlight emerging talent: its 100th issue, published 14 October 1947, featured Christian Dior's work mere months after his debut show. This pattern of identifying and elevating the next wave of designers and stars cemented Elle's role as a gatekeeper of taste, a publication that didn't simply document fashion history but actively shaped who and what the world would admire.
Advocacy, Ethics, and the Modern Era
Beyond its fashion pages, Elle has consistently positioned itself as a voice for social and political change. The magazine has published in-depth coverage of gender equality, equal pay, reproductive rights, and the global struggle for access to safe abortion services. It reported on the Black Lives Matter movement, championed LGBTQ+ rights, and dedicated special issues to women in politics worldwide. In 2025, Elle Italy announced the Nobel Peace Prize nomination of sociologist Porpora Marcasciano, the first transgender individual in history to receive such a nomination. On the industry-ethics front, at the end of 2021, Elle declared that all global editions would ban fur from their pages effective 1 January 2023, framing the decision as an opportunity to raise animal-welfare awareness and drive demand for sustainable alternatives. The magazine's editorial roster has also reflected its commitment to diverse voices, including Jean-Dominique Bauby, who later became famous for his book written after suffering near-total paralysis. These choices underscore a publication that sees its platform as extending well beyond the runway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of content does Elle (magazine) typically feature?
Each weekly issue blends fashion coverage, beauty advice, and broader lifestyle journalism aimed at a female readership. The mix of editorial photography, trend reporting, and cultural commentary is its signature format.
More in Magazines & Newspapers 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record