DE’WISHIK — an online magazine for women aged 16–25, channeling the glamour of the 2000s. New content is released on the website weekly, and the best issues can be ordered in print.
Girls Once Had Their Own Magazine
In the 2000s, besides newspapers and television broadcasts, there were printed magazines targeted at specific demographics, which could be acquired either by ordering them in advance to be delivered home or by visiting a specialized shop. These magazines were most often published for teens and served as a private space—a community resource—containing tests on various subjects, posters of favorite artists, horoscopes, event announcements, and both detrimental and helpful advice, much like tips from an older sister or a close friend. Often, a specific community would gather around these publications to facilitate the exchange of magazines. Thus, by saving money, an individual could read one and then pass it on to someone else.
Magazine cover featuring Kristina Aguilera. Source: https://pin.it/5CzbSCmKv YES magazine spread, p. 118, «What kind of boyfriend do you want?». Source: https://pin.it/3eGldMdSb
Problem: The «insider» magazine is scattered across various feeds
These magazines later moved online, and today they have dissolved into social media. Advice on fashion, relationships, and life is scattered across dozens of different platforms: • Everything is spread across Telegram, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest; • The content is fast-paced (following the three-second rule for attention capture) and superficial, often without fact-checking; • There is no single, dedicated space for teenage girls (ages 13–20) or for young adults (ages 21–25).
Screenshot of the EverythingGirl.com (Barbie.com) website Source: https://pin.it/55ZLQEUrN Screenshot of the zoneshe.com website Source: https://pin.it/62YByL46D
Moreover, until 2015–2017, similar sites continued to emerge, and blogs were being created on platforms like Tumblr and MySpace, which demonstrates that there was a need for a community that understood you and could somehow support or help you. However, this trend has been fading over the last decade. Now, such sites are lost media, and magazines are vintage. Social media, on the other hand, only displays products that are constantly being marketed.
Query Received
Graphs 1 and 2: Author’s chart based on data from «Vyberu.ru» and «Gazeta.Ru,» June 3, 2026. Link: https://www.gazeta.ru/business/news/2026/06/03/28597579.shtml
• 43% of Russians regularly purchase print media, with the main reason being fatigue from gadgets and social media (68%). • Psychology and lifestyle magazines lead the pack (31%), followed by travel and culture (24%). • 37% of Gen Z are nostalgic for the 1990s, and half fondly recall media before social networks. • 43% of Gen Z feel lonely on a daily basis.
Graph 3: Author’s graph based on GWI data (12 countries), as paraphrased by vfokuse.mail.ru. Link: https://vfokuse.mail.ru/news/67885755-fenomen-anemoyi-pochemu-molodyozh-skuchaet-po-vremeni-v-kotorom-nikogda-ne-zhila/ Graph 4: Author’s graph based on surveys from «Litnet» and Mamba, cited by «Izvestia,» March 26, 2025. Link: https://iz.ru/1859706/2025-03-26/eksperty-nazvali-samoe-odinokoe-pokolenie-rossian
To put it plainly—most people in our generation are currently suffering from a lack of connection, communication, and soulful content. In other words: Conclusion: young women are missing a tranquil space where they can read and feel completely at home.
After analyzing the current market offerings, we came across blogger Irina Halkus, who has already released a limited-edition print magazine about fashion and beauty. By reading the comments, reviews, and discussions, along with the available statistics, it became clear that the product is in high demand, and those who couldn’t purchase an issue are extremely interested in future acquisitions. This clearly indicates an audience desire for nostalgia and related themes, which further confirms the relevance of solving this problem.
Solution and Format
Due to increased technological accessibility, most of our target audience has access to the global network; therefore, we determined that the best approach would be to create a website with weekly releases.
DE’WISHIK: What the Girls Are Whispering About
The Concept:
• One central platform instead of a dozen separate threads: fashion, beauty, quizzes, music, psychology, travel;
• Maximum coziness, entirely free of toxic perfectionism or excessive glossiness;
• Nostalgia for the early 2000s, but infused with relevant themes and time-tested advice.
Format:
• Online magazine: new content released every Wednesday;
• A complete monthly edition featuring quizzes, posters, and contests;
• A print version available by pre-order, compiling the best themes and issues of the month, eliminating inventory risk;
• Newsletter subscription.
For whom: young women aged 16–25: school, studies, first jobs, relationships, finding oneself.
This showcases the «draft» of the website—a conceptualization of the magazine’s potential features and capabilities.
