Elle (magazine)

Elle (stylized in all caps) is a French worldwide magazine that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, and society and lifestyle. The title Elle means she in French. Elle is considered "one of the world's largest fashion and lifestyle publications", with 45 international editions totalling 33 million readers and receiving 100 million unique monthly visitors on its 55 digital platforms.

It was founded in Paris in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff. The magazine's readership has grown since its founding, increasing to 800,000 across France by the 1960s. Elle editions have since multiplied, creating a global network of publications and readers. Elle's international expansion began with Elle UK and Elle USA in 1985. Previous magazine editors include Jean-Dominique Bauby for Elle France and Roberta Myers, the longest-serving editor-in-chief at Elle USA. Véronique Philipponnat is currently the director of Elle France. Nina García currently holds the position of editor-in-chief at Elle USA, appointed after the departure of Roberta Myers. The Paris-based Lagardère Group, a subsidiary of Louis Hachette Group owns the brand internationally. Elle France's official headquarters is located in Levallois-Perret, Greater Paris.

Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, Russian-born and Paris-raised, started Elle in Paris in the immediate aftermath of World War II. It was first sold as a supplement to France-Soir, edited at the time by Hélène's husband, Pierre Lazareff. Hélène, Elle's pioneering founder, returned to Paris from New York City to create a unique publication that grappled with the many forces shaping women's lives in France in 1945. Women won the right to vote in 1944, and Elle dove immediately into long-form "newspaper-like" features on women's role in national politics and the growing feminist movement. Elle would "celebrate a new type of woman: independent, modern, active, comfortable in her own skin and her time". The first issue of Elle France was published on 21 November 1945 featuring Yolande Bloin on the cover dressed by Elsa Schiaparelli. Bloin was an actress in Jacques Becker's film Falbalas. The magazine had a circulation of 110,000 copies in 1945.

In the Elle articles featuring rising fashion designers, the magazine would provide free patterns of some of their fashion pieces. This allowed the general public to experience haute couture as the glamour of the fashion world was becoming accessible to the common working class.

Its 100th issue, published on 14 October 1947, featured the work of Christian Dior just eight months after his debut show. Likewise, Brigitte Bardot had her first Elle cover at age 17, on 7 January 1952, months before her screen debut in Manina, the Girl in the Bikini.

On 2 April 1956, Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of Elle France, a few days before her marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. On 16 July 1956, Elle France featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover.

By the 1960s, Elle had a readership of 800,000 across France and was said to "not so much reflect fashion as decree it." This dominance was reflected in the famous slogan: "Si elle lit elle lit Elle (If she reads, she reads Elle)" (lit. "If she reads she reads She").

Beverly Johnson became the first Black woman on the cover of Elle when she appeared in the 1970s.