LALA Lands An EIC

LALA magazine is bringing on Jessica Kantor as its first editor in chief.

After spending a decade with Condé Nast, most recently running the Los Angeles editorial operations of Glamour before that title slowly began shrinking toward the end of its life as a print publication, Kantor will be sitting at the top of a masthead for the first time.

LALA is a relatively niche title that launched less than two years ago with a quarterly print product focused on the broad creative scene in Los Angeles, but Kantor is looking to grow the title's content and reach as she will now oversee all editorial creation and production, as well as special projects and events.

“So many celebrities and artists have such large personal social followings, they no longer need traditional media, but LALA is an independent artists-driven book that allows for creativity and flexibility, which I think is always appealing to talent and readers,” Kantor said.

She added that “there is space and real growth for independent magazines” and with LALA specifically, there seems to be plenty of white space, as it is still essentially a sole print product with social media output.

“I am really excited to work with brands, talents and fans of LALA to create unique and editorial experiences that don't feel commercial, but really bring value to everyone involved,” Kantor said, citing her past experience producing a show for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and Glamour events.

Sarah Harrelson, the editorial director and founder of LALA and Cultured magazine, said that she's been “exceptionally pleased” with how LALA has already grown since its launch, noting subscriptions in 2018 doubled and newsstand sellthrough is “about 50 percent higher than industry standard.” Newsstand sales vary by magazine and have fallen precipitously in recent years, but tend to hover around 20 percent, give or take a few points.

“Now is the perfect time for Jessica to step in as editor in chief,” Harrelson said. “She is an incredible editor who knows how to think beyond the page and cultivate important partnerships that will foster LALA's tremendous growth.” — KALI HAYS