
October 2006 issue of
Lucire, featuring New Zealand TV presenter
Amber Peebles as photographed by John F. Cooper. This was the first to be edited by
Summer Rayne Oakes.
Lucire () is a
fashion magazine that originally began on the
web in 1997, branching into a monthly print edition in its home country of
New Zealand in 2004. It is the first fashion partner with the
UNEP, an arrangement that began in 2003.
At its launch, it was the second online fashion title in New Zealand (after
Wellington Polytechnic's
Fashionbrat), and the first commercial fashion magazine on the web there. It claims to be the first fashion title to extend its
brand from the
internet into
print, and the first
website to launch print editions in more than one country. An unusual claim is that
Lucire is the first national consumer publication in New Zealand to use exclusively
typefaces designed and produced domestically.
Simone Knol edits the web edition, Laura Ming-Wong the "master" print edition in New Zealand.
Summer Rayne Oakes was made the US Editor in 2007. Previous positions were staffed by
Stevie Wilson, who served as US Editor-at-Large,
Catherine Rigod, who filled the role of West Coast Editor and
Richard Spiegel, who worked as a New York based photojournalist, among others. Lucire was founded by
Jack Yan, who continues to serve as
Publisher.
When conceived, the name was not intended to have a meaning; it was only later that the team discovered it was a quaint
Romanian term meaning ‘to glitter’ and there is a similar word in
Spanish meaning ‘to show off’.
In the early 2000s,
Lucire covered new talent alongside more established names. It was one of the first publications to profile
Zac Posen, New Zealand shoe designer
Kathryn Wilson,
MTV New Zealand presenter and former beauty queen
Amber Peebles, and numerous others. In 2003, it was the second-ever New Zealand website to be nominated for a
Webby Award.
It launched a Romanian edition (helmed by Mirella and Valentin Lapusca) in May 2005, claiming to be the first New Zealand fashion magazine to enter the continent, and the first
webzine in the world to launch two print editions. The magazine is subscribed to throughout the world, including
Australia, the
United States, and various
European nations.
Print edition
cover girls have included
Brittny Gastineau,
Vanessa Carlton,
Stacie Jones Upchurch,
Nicky Hilton,
Theodora Richards and
Monica Gabor.
New York photographers Barry Hollywood, Gray Scott and Jon Moe have contributed the greatest number of covers.
Car to Be Seen in
In 2000,
Lucire began its annual picks of the most stylish automobiles, awarding one the title of 'Car to Be Seen in' for the following year. The cars did not have to be expensive: often, the magazine's editors chose them because of their accessibility. The idea was that they had to represent both style and suitability to a globally minded woman who tends to be ahead of her peers. The winners have been:
2001 Audi A4 Avant
2002 Audi A4 Cabriolet
2003 Peugeot 307 CC
2004 Aston Martin DB9
2005
Mercedes-Benz SLK2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
2007
Tesla Roadster