• by Larry Dobrow , May 14, 2003

When BusinessWeek and style gurus Chic Simple announced an agreement last week to co-produce Dress Smart Business, a fashion supplement for BW subscribers, the skeptics made themselves heard early and often. Among the witticisms: "I wonder if Vogue is planning a feature on 401(k) divestment now."

But to hear BW associate publisher Jeff Dodge tell it, the idea has been embraced warmly by fashion advertisers keen to flaunt their wares in front of the mag's well-heeled, style-conscious readership. And after hearing Dodge argue his case for 20 minutes, it's hard to disagree.

"Editorially, we're obviously not about fashion," he says. "But there's 970,000 people [the magazine's North American rate base] who get this magazine every week. They get up for work every day, put on nice clothes and go to the office. They have purchasing power and a purchasing need - and we now have a vehicle through which fashion advertisers can reach them."

Fashion ads aren't entirely foreign to BW, as high-end names like Cartier and Bruno Magli have been seen in the magazine's pages in the recent past. But Dress Smart Business marks the first time that BW has provided any kind of editorial backbone for such advertisers. Furthermore, as both Fortune and Forbes (with its FYI supplement) have proved, fashion advertisers won't hesitate to wade into the business-pub waters if the opportunity is there. "It's not the first place advertisers turn to, but those who have the bigger budgets have gone after the business audience," Dodge says.

Dress Smart Business arrives at a time when, Dodge says, white-collar workers are "moving away from business casual and towards traditional business dress." The supplement will debut in BW's September 15 issue and will be delivered to the publication's entire North American rate base. BW and Chic Simple will jointly produce the editorial; it will be printed on heavier paper stock and have its own title page.

According to DSB marketing materials, story ideas being floated to advertisers include "The Ideal Business Suit," "Business Travel Wardrobing" and "Accessories That Impact." While Dodge admits that "editorially, it's very much a work in progress," he is quick to note that DSB isn't the publication's first foray into the world of fashion. Earlier this year, BW's international edition launched its FashionWeek supplement, which was jam-packed with ads from chi-chi brands like Giorgio Armani, TAG Heuer, Breitling and Hugo Boss. "What its success said to us was that the fashion community was interested in reaching people who are making money and buying nice clothes," Dodge says.

He also notes that BW has successfully crafted non-business-themed publications in the past, pointing to a golf-focused supplement produced in concert with Golf Digest. "What we've been doing over the last few years is reaching out to a variety of partners to collaborate editorially on subjects that are important to a business-involved audience," he explains. "Golf and fashion certainly fit the bill."

Dodge declines to reveal or predict future BW editorial ventures, but obviously has high hopes for Dress Smart Business. "You and I go to work every day and see people that probably need a little help fashion-wise - to be honest, you can probably put me in that category," he says. "Trends in business attire come and go so quickly, but we're going to stay right on top of them."