The last two years have seen considerable investment in the magazine's digital platforms with particular focus on its iPad edition. However, The Sunday Times recognises that it is essential to keep evolving the flagship print edition.
The relaunch will see non-core content such as food moved to The Sunday Times Magazine, leaving Style to focus on fashion and beauty. The refocus will open up a range of new advertising opportunities and increase inventory for brands looking to target the title's high-end demographic, say the publishers.
In addition to sharpening the title's content focus, Style will be supported by a year-long schedule of brand activities designed to strengthen its position in the industry as a key fashion and beauty brand. A major outdoor and in-paper advertising campaign will launch on March 3 and readers will also be invited to attend exclusive Style-branded events, including an upcoming series of Style Conversations. Hosted at the Savoy, Style Conversations have seen major fashion designers such as Valentino, Donatella Versace, John Galliano and Giles Deacon taking questions from Sunday Times fashion writer Colin McDowell. Erdem is due to headline in April, with the event being filmed and streamed live across the UK for the first time.
As part of the magazine relaunch, Style will also be undergoing a comprehensive redesign. As well as a new look, the revamped title will have an increased number of beauty pages and greater stand out for advertisers to promote their brands and products.
Dylan Wyn-Pugh, head of strategy for The Times and Sunday Times, said: "This is one of the most important relaunches for Style in its 10-year history as a standalone section. In recent years the magazine has become home to a range of content which, while much loved by readers, isn't central to its mission. By refocusing the magazine on fashion and beauty we can ensure that we're giving our core readers what they want whilst also offering advertisers a clearer opportunity.
"Style is unique as an advertising property. It has mass reach into a premium, fashion and beauty buying female demographic and, more importantly, it reaches a significant sector of that audience who don't consume other fashion and beauty titles. Moreover, Style can offer unprecedented speed-to-market. We reach 100% of our audience within a week, compared to something like six months for the monthly glossies. For a fashion brand looking to promote this season's collection that's a massive difference."
Tiffanie Darke, editor of Style magazine, said: "Fashion and beauty is what our core readership want and it's what this relaunch is going to deliver.
We're already world-famous for our fashion coverage but we're going to add more depth, more great photography and much more beauty content.
"The Sunday Times Style magazine is already a pillar of global fashion media and this relaunch is only going to consolidate that position. We're taking the title back to its roots in order to stake our claim as the number one title for women with an interest in high-end fashion and beauty."
