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Harper’s Bazaar Italia has named Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak, the founders of design studio M/M, as its new creative directors.
The Hearst publication’s appointments, in some ways, are a long time coming: Stefano Tonchi, the editorial director of Harper’s Bazaar Italia, said that he’s long wanted to work with Amzalag and Augustyniak. The publication was drawn to their mix of editorial experiences, from working on major fashion titles like Vogue France as well as more niche magazines like Man About Town and Purple. The pair also has an extensive history of working with brands, including Yohji Yamamoto, Jil Sander and Calvin Klein.
Harper’s Bazaar Italia is both a legacy title as well as a relative newcomer: It initially began publishing in 1968, but shuttered in 1997. It was reintroduced in a digital-only format in 2019, with the print product relaunched in 2022. Editor-in-chief Massimo Russo and Tonchi, who both joined the team last year, said that it’s already made inroads in the Italian luxury market, and feel that there is space for a publication that unabashedly focusses on fashion and how it intersects with culture, both globally and locally.
“We believe that there is an audience for something that focusses on fashion and what is fashionable,” said Tonchi. They want to primarily stick to featuring models on their covers, with the idea of “trying to redevelop a visual language for fashion,” according to Amzalag, creating beautiful imagery that is increasingly rare in publishing amid dwindling budgets. The multiple covers of its April 2025 issue featured the model Lulu Tenney photographed by Nick Knight, including in an elaborate boat-shaped hat from Philip Treacy.
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Amzalag and Augustyniak’s creative direction will work to further this mission.
“We’ve been losing the idea of fashion as a very active cultural fantasy that can help people dream,” said Augustyniak. Bringing that back, he added, is the “important challenge” of creating a magazine today.
Russo said that their joining marks the start of the next phase in Harper’s Bazaar Italia’s growth, both artistically and commercially: The publication saw an 11 percent increase in advertising revenue during the first quarter.
“Now is the time for disruption and more fluidity,” he said. “[We want to] make it really something special on its own, different from any other magazine.”
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