Hopes Flourish will thrive

Perth newsagents recently added a new title to the already well-stocked shelves of women’s magazines.

Perth women Jo Beer and Jane Willis, as co-editors, oversaw the launch three weeks ago of Flourish, which they hope will find a niche among the colourful, glossy, chic offerings targeting women.

“We met at an exercise training group but about 12 months ago we were talking over a cup of tea about what wasn’t in women’s magazines,” Ms Willis said.

“We had exactly the same ideas and that is where our own magazine idea evolved from.”

The result of 12 months of brainstorming became a reality last month when Flourish magazine hit the state’s newsstands.

The magazine is divided into five, colour-coded sections – inform, nourish, about your look, play and tool kit.

“Inform includes our cutting-edge articles, guest columns and is about informing the individual,” Ms Beer said. “Nourish is about food products; it has articles about food and fabulous recipes.

“Fashion and beauty is covered in about your look, and everything outside of work including exercise is in the play section.”

Ms Beer said the toolkit section located at the back of the magazine was unique to Flourish.

“The toolkit relates to articles in the magazine, and is for readers to hold on to and make notes on,” she said.

Issue one of Flourish includes articles on wine, women and sickness, menopause, foster children, Dear Anna (Perth chef Anna Gare), and parenting. 

Flouish has ring binding and is A5 size.

“It is yours to keep, not like other magazines that you throw away,” Ms Willis said.

Flourish’s target market is women aged 30-55, but Ms Willis said the magazine was getting feedback from 20-year olds and women in their 60s.

“There will be two issues this year and it will become quarterly next year,” Ms Beer said.

“We want to make issue two as good as issue one and we want to consistently improve.”

Ms Willis said that, ideally, they would like Flourish to become the state’s leading magazine for women.

"We want it to be an authority on what’s happening in WA; it has to have integrity and the information, well-researched."

The women bring different skills to Flourish. Ms Willis has a background in publishing, fashion and beauty, and Ms Beer has her own nutrition and health business.

The summer edition of Flourish will be out in September.