"It's happening all over the country. Celebrity is the sex of the 21st century as we become a more voyeuristic society," said Husni, chairman of the university's journalism department. "And where is there a better place to be a voyeur than in D.C.?"
Husni said that unlike Washington's last crop of boom-time magazines, such as Regardie's and culture-focused Dossier in the 1980s, the new publications should have more staying power. Dossier, for example, went under after Garfinckel's department store closed, said Anne E. Abramson, who was publisher of Dossier when it folded. said. Newer magazines targeted at the rich survived the post-Sept. 11, 2001, slump in advertising because they have a more diverse ad base and in part, Husni said, because they have less substance.
Paige Bishop, formerly of Washington Business Journal, left, Jason Binn, publisher, and Cristina Greeven Cuomo, daughter-in-law of former New York governor Mario Cuomo, are launching Capitol File magazine.
(Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post)
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"The beauty of those caption magazines is people who are in it will buy it," he said. "And those who want to be in it will buy it."
Of the three, Spain-Smith's D.C. Style is staking out the most prosaic niche, one occupied by the 40-year-old Washingtonian magazine, which has more than 150,000 subscribers. Their average household income is $185,800. A four-color ad can cost up to $20,000.
Spain-Smith said D.C. Style is targeted at a slightly younger, more urban audience than Washingtonian. One with slightly less disposable income.
"We'll still show you the $8,000 bag, but we're going to show you an $800 one too," she said.
She said her magazine will also focus on service. A recent issue of Philadelphia Style offered advice on how to wear vintage jewelry and get rid of a migraine. But, she said, she will leave "Best Doctors," and "Best Schools" lists to the Washingtonian and focus on happy hours and home decor.
Husni said the Washingtonian probably has nothing to worry about. "It's a totally different animal," he said.
With D.C. Style, Spain-Smith said she thinks she can do for Washington what she did for Philly -- cure it of its inferiority complex with New York.
Key to her prescription is no negative coverage. "I follow my mother's rule: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything,' " she said.
