With a July-December 2017 ABC of 453,287 in the UK, the online fashion retailer’s print publication has been running for 11 years, most recently under the editorship of Francesca Babb, and its latest issue was printed by St Austell-based Wyndeham Roche.
Throughout its life, Asos Magazine has been printed in the UK by various members of the Wyndeham group, including Wyndeham Bicester and Poole-based Wyndeham Southernprint, which provided printing for the four variant covers that feature on the commemorative issue.
“We have done two or three issues, but it used to be printed at some of our sister plants,” said Wyndeham Roche scheduling manager Leanne Alderson.
Wyndeham Roche produced a run of 144pp perfect-bound magazines using 70gsm text paper stock from Stora Enso.
The commemorative edition is available with four different covers, featuring fashion and culture figures: singer Jorja Smith, rapper J Hus and actors Maisie Williams and Cole Sprouse. The cover was printed on 200gsm gloss stock with a matt UV varnish by Southernprint, Wyndeham Roche’s Poole sister company.
Repro was handled by Born Group. Wyndeham Roche printed the title using a Manroland Lithoman 72pp web press. Four-colour process inks were supplied by Flint Group.
The pages were trimmed to the Asos-specified size of 270x200mm and then perfect bound, all on a Corona binder from Muller Martini. Southernprint produced the covers using a Heidelberg M600 six-unit single web 16pp press.
“With several cover variations, we did have to regularly stop the binder running,” said Alderson. “We would have to halt production, swap over to the next cover, and continue until changing again. It’s a new process which we dealt with efficiently.”
The latest edition of the magazine is available on Asos’s website for £1. Its four covers spotlight four up-and-coming figures in fashion and popular culture – singer Jorja Smith, rapper J Hus, Game of Thrones actor Maisie Williams and former child star Cole Sprouse.
Francesca Babb said: “We’re enormously proud of what has been achieved by the Asos magazine over the past 11 years. When the magazine launched 100 issues ago, social media was in its infancy and we were that rare place within Asos where content and fashion could live together.
“Since then, as platforms have developed and our own circulation has grown both in the UK and internationally, the magazine’s remit has changed to become one of pure inspiration. Now with our first-ever paid-for edition, those new to Asos can see for themselves what it’s all about.”
