By Lewis Lazare
Is Chicago big enough for both? That's what we're going to find out as two high-gloss, society-centric magazines face off against each other in the Windy City starting this week. One, CS (formerly Chicago Social) is the well-entrenched old-timer, celebrating its 14th anniversary this month. The other, Michigan Avenue, a product of the New York-based Niche Media Holdings, introduces itself to Chicago with a gala soiree Saturday at the James Hotel just as its first issue hits the streets and the mailboxes of the super rich.
CS Publisher John Carroll takes Michigan Avenue's bold entry into the market in stride. "We've faced off against them in other markets and survived," said Carroll, adding "I think the pool of upscale national and local advertisers is big enough to support two publications." Modern Luxury, parent of CS
But Michigan Avenue's powers-that-be talk as if they've entered the fray to win the society mag war. Publisher Dan Uslan believes his magazine's debut issue, totaling 356 pages (compared to 350 for CS' current issue), has a larger complement of high-end fashion advertisers. But Carroll counters that he can offer his advertisers a range of local publications, in addition to the monthly CS: men's and bridal magazines twice a year, an interior-design mag four times a year and an in-room hotel magazine. MA editor in chief Susanna Homan hopes to set her magazine apart from CS editorially by offering a slew of short, bylined articles by local big names. The debut MA issue has pieces penned by -- among others -- Chicago International Film Festival Founder Michael Kutza, Desiree Rogers, Maureen Dwyer Smith, TV host Lou Canellis, ex-news anchor Bill Kurtis and the big "get" herself Oprah Winfrey, who shamelessly includes her own trinket store and her former chef Art Smith's Table Fifty-Two restaurant in her list of five favorite local haunts. The big question facing Homan, of course, is whether the well of local authors with social and/or showbiz ties is deep and chatty enough to keep her magazine supplied. Carroll argues that his magazine's editorial, partly authored by veteran local journalists such as Lisa Skolnik, Anne Spiselman and others, is more substantive than the competition, but he isn't promising it will all be local. "We're keeping about 70 percent local and the other 30 percent will be national travel and fashion-related material," Carroll said. Homan wants MA's focus to be squarely on Chicago and its so-called stars. "Hopefully, when readers look at our magazine and recognize some of the authors, they'll think of the magazine as a kind of insider's club," Homan said. Well, we'll see.
