• by Erik Sass , March 30, 2006

Two new magazines targeting young women are scheduled to launch this summer--and although they have distinctly different feels, both suggest that print is very much alive, even in a period of continuing "market fragmentation."

Quince Girl resembles existing bridal magazines in its focus on a single all-important ceremony--in this case the quinceñera, a rite of passage celebration marking Latina girls' transition to womanhood at the age of 15 (quince), somwhat akin to bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs as well as the "Sweet Sixteen" once quite popular in mainstream "Anglo" culture.

In contrast to the "Sweet Sixteen" parties of yesteryear, however, quinceñera parties are growing in popularity, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, Latino-American society continues to embrace traditional institutions like the quinceñera. Meanwhile, Latinos are joining the American middle class in ever-larger numbers, meaning that more and more families have the resources for elaborate quinceñera parties, which can include pricey clothing for not only the honoree but friends and family--as well as catering, venue rentals, entertainment, and gifts.

According to Will Cain, president and publisher of Quince Girl, the quinceñera also cuts across communities that were previously broadly--and inaccurately--lumped together under an all-encompassing "Hispanic" designation.

"'Hispanic' is really almost a meaningless word," Cain said. "It encompasses several different backgrounds from different geographic locations that are loosely connected by language--but even that is tenuous." He went on: "So far a lot of businesses have marketed to them in a shotgun approach--meaning, 'run something out there en español... really the United States is just beginning to figure out the Latino market."

By contrast, Cain believes Quince represents a new generation of culturally attuned publications: "What we've found is that the quinceñera is really one of a few universals. Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, all the way down to Argentina--they all practice the quinceñera, with varying degrees of cultural penetration."

Meanwhile, Quince Girl's market research suggests the magazine has identified a particularly desirable sub-demographic: "We all know the direction the Latino market is headed," Cain allowed. "But within that, teenagers are the fastest-growing part of the Latino population. They're already a significant buying force, and that's just going to increase over the coming years."

Missbehave probably wouldn't share many readers with Quince Girl, but it's similar in that it targets a segment of the young female population that was previously underserved. Launching July 24, it's a provocative consumer magazine from the publishers of Mass Appeal targeting women ages with fashion, beauty tips, and cultural lowdown appropriate to "more edgy, street-savvy women ages 18-32," according to editor Samantha Moeller.

The magazine moves in a milieu that marries hip-hop street culture and the cultivated hipster sensibility embraced by many young women with disposable income in urban environments. Interestingly, according to Moeller, this style demographic was first served by men's magazines.

"There's a lot of men's magazines featuring this whole sneaker culture--graphic t-shirts and all this 'gear,' I call it," said Moeller. "But a lot of women from all different backgrounds are into the same thing. They might have a 9-to-5 job, but they're going out to parties and rocking their gear, dressed down like that. Even more so, there are a lot of jobs, in all kinds of industries, where it's really acceptable to wear all that kind of gear."

Moeller summed up: "There's all these men's magazines that show this kind of stuff--and we're saying hey, it's time for the women's side too." For example, the magazine has a section called 'ADHD,' Moeller said, with short features categorized by "style, entertainment, and tech."

But Moeller emphasized that Missbehave is very much a lifestyle magazine as well, with "documentary" articles exploring the myriad female American subcultures. "For example, there's a subculture in Texas of female fans who worship Selena, the late singer--and there are fans who wear t-shirts with her picture airbrushed on them, and it's a real culture," Moeller said. "We love that kind of stuff, because it's a fashion thing, without being 'style.'"

Moeller's husband Adrian, Missbehave's publisher, is also in charge of pushing the magazine to readers: "Initial circulation's going to be 75,000, and we're going to be doing a lot of promotions." He went on: "We're going to be doing some huge wallscapes in SoHo and the Lower East Side, postering all of New York and Los Angeles. We're doing Fashion Week. We're buying special placement in Borders and Barnes & Noble. It's going to be huge."