«Fashion in the Big City”—a digital media outlet covering Moscow fashion and lifestyle. We write about local designers, venues, events, and figures in the scene: featuring interviews, reviews, curated collections, spot guides, and reports from fashion shows and exhibitions.
More than just news, we offer authorial pieces rich with context.
MEDIA OBJECTIVES
To define the fashion and cultural context of contemporary Moscow, immerse the reader in the local scene, and provide them with the tools to understand what is happening in the city’s fashion and lifestyle right now.
«Fashion in the Big City» doesn’t just inform—it explains, through an author’s perspective and context.
SEGMENT
Fashion × Lifestyle × Moscow
Niche focus: the Moscow fashion and cultural agenda. Local brands, social scenes, key locations, and scene figures.
COMPETITORS
For the analysis, competitors were selected across three categories: direct, indirect, and potential.
I searched using search engines (Yandex, Google) with queries such as «fashion media, ” „Moscow fashion, ” and „fashion media“ plus social networks (Telegram, VK, Instagram) by using hashtags and recommendations.
I evaluate them based on criteria: positioning, audience, content and creative assets, visual presentation, tone of voice, tools, content adaptation, audience reaction, and how we are similar to and different from them. It is important to identify weaknesses—to understand where we can differentiate ourselves and what we can adopt.
DIRECT COMPETITORS:
The Blueprint
1. Positioning: An independent media outlet focused on fashion, culture, and lifestyle—a creative platform integrating media, production, and events.2. Audience: Core demographics are aged 25–44, supplemented by young adults aged 18–24. They are interested in fashion, design, art, business, and lifestyle.3. Content and Creatives: Long-form articles, interviews, and in-depth analysis. The emphasis is on depth rather than speed. We feature special projects with brands, thematic editions, business breakfasts, and gala dinners.4. Visuals: Premium, magazine-quality, and highly recognizable.5. Tone of Voice: Expert, intellectual, yet unpretentious.6. Tools: Website, Telegram channel, YouTube, newsletter, special editions, offline events, and collaborations.7. Content Adaptation: A distinct strategy is developed for each specific platform.8. Audience Engagement: Feedback is limited; the website does not feature comments, and the audience does not actively participate in discussions.Similarities: We write about fashion and culture, and we work with young audiences.
Differences: They operate globally at the premium level; we are a local media outlet focused on Moscow. They focus on long-form pieces and production value; we prioritize more focused, author-driven material.
Weaknesses: A bit too grandiose, conflicts of interest (advertising disguised as editorial content), periods with heavy formatting and overloaded prose, and a lack of focus on Moscow.
What can be borrowed: Lists and rankings, themed special issues, and small offline community gatherings.
Moskvichka
1. Positioning: «Post-sanction glossy magazine» instead of the departed Tatler. A magazine about life in a big city, without gender positioning.2. Audience: Ages 25–44, middle class and above. Thoughtful, observant.3. Content and Creatives: Glossy photo shoots, social chronicle, interviews, columns. Collector’s almanacs, brand collaborations, issue presentations. Focus on viral content.4. Visuals: Printed glossy magazine with strong art direction, collector’s covers.5. Tone of Voice: Friendly, without excessive snobbery. «The modern Muscovite is a person who is interested in and comfortable living.»6. Tools: Print (main revenue stream), Telegram channel, MOSCK Club (offline events), brand collaborations.7. Adaptation: Print is their core income. The website is designed like a longread. MOSCK Club is for offline events. Telegram is used for breaking news.8. Audience Reaction: Loyal and engaged, but there is little public analysis. Favorite sections are more focused on «fashion» and «wishlist.»Similarities: Focus on Moscow, engaging with the city agenda.Differences: They maintain a printed glossy magazine for ages 25–44, while we focus on digital content for the young scene. They have social chronicle and advertisers, whereas we focus on local fashion and systematic content production.
Weaknesses: the reputation of «Kremlin gloss,» isolationism, and censorship.
What can be borrowed: a club or offline events for readers, collectible themed issues (digitally).
ÖMANKÖ
1. Positioning: a creative hub. Media on fashion and culture + creative agency + retail store.2. Audience: 18–25, interested in fashion as a cultural phenomenon.3. Content and Creatives: in-depth articles, interviews with designers, collaborations, industry news. Own retail store and advertising channel.4. Visuals: drawing inspiration from the Hypebeast aesthetic.5. Tone of Voice: youthful and vibrant, yet highly expert.6. Tools: website, Telegram channel, store (omankostore), creative agency, restaurant Ö ꞉DÖM̤, brand collaborations, offline events, festival partnerships.7. Adaptation: the primary channel is long-form articles; the news channel provides rapid updates, and the website serves as supplementary content.8. Audience Reaction: the audience is small but highly engaged, showing high ER and lively reactions to posts.Similarities: a young audience interested in fashion as a cultural phenomenon.Differences: they are a combined entity with a store, agency, and restaurant + they cover the industry broadly, whereas we are a pure media outlet + focused solely on Moscow and the local scene.
Weaknesses: fuzzy positioning, because the media, the agency, the store, and now even the restaurant all exist within the same ecosystem without a clear core. The entire model relies on a continuous flow of collaborations and creative projects, which could dry up.
What can be borrowed: informational partnerships with festivals and events, and collaborations with local brands.
INDIRECT COMPETITORS
BURO.
1. Positioning: an independent online media outlet focused on fashion, beauty, culture, and society. The focus is on the individual and their ecosystem.2. Audience: 18–35 years old, Millennials, and Gen Z. They are interested in premium fashion, beauty, culture, and lifestyle.3. Content and Creatives: news, longreads, interviews, and reports. Proprietary projects include: Beauty Kit, Shopping Festival, New Cool, and Fashion Forward Initiative.4. Visuals: editorial, premium digital.5. Tone of voice: expert, friendly, without excessive snobbery.6. Tools: website, Telegram channel, social media, special projects, festivals, awards, and collaborations.7. Content Adaptation: a global network that exchanges content, with local editions adding their own perspective while gaining international exposure.8. Audience Engagement: active, but engagement levels are lower than those of niche channels.Similarities: We write about fashion and culture and work with a young audience.Differences: BURO is a global brand with luxury collaborations, whereas we are a local media outlet with a clean start.Weaknesses: a tarnished reputation due to scandals surrounding the former editor-in-chief, a decline in advertising sales, and the Moscow office appearing as a local branch of an international brand rather than an independent media outlet.
What to adopt: ratings and the work with young talent.
GRAZIA
1. Positioning: A glossy weekly magazine covering fashion, beauty, and celebrities.2. Audience: Primarily women, core demographic 18–44, middle to upper-income.3. Content and Creatives: Fashion news, celebrity interviews, stylist recommendations, reports, and special projects with luxury brands, brand brunches.4. Visuals: Glossy, editorial.5. Tone of voice: Friendly, yet maintaining a degree of distance.6. Channels: Print, website, Telegram channel, VK, Zen. Offline events, special editions.7. Content Adaptation: Print serves as the foundation, the website handles real-time updates, and social media uses adapted formats.8. Audience Reaction: Loyal, though public analysis is limited.Similar to: We write about fashion and lifestyle.What sets us apart: GRAZIA is more about high-gloss celebrity features and luxury, whereas we focus on local media covering the Moscow scene.Weaknesses: dependence on print media and luxury advertisers, focus on celebrities, diluted local identity.
What to borrow: image analysis, special editions.
MUS Magazine1. Positioning: a digital publication focusing on fashion, lifestyle, and beauty.2. Audience: young women interested in fashion and social life.3. Content and Creatives: monthly issues featuring covers, interviews, trend analyses, reports, and destination guides. Editorial content outweighs press releases.4. Visuals: high-quality photography, professional team.5. Tone of Voice: friendly, vibrant.6. Tools: website, social media, special projects, brand collaborations.7. Content Adaptation: the website is the primary platform; social media utilizes more adapted formats.8. Audience Reaction: demand for covers is high; the audience is loyal.Similarities: we write about fashion and lifestyle and work with young personalities.Differences: MUS writes about people and ideas in a broad sense; we focus exclusively on Moscow and the local scene.
Weaknesses: a young project without a large budget, dependence on the editor-in-chief’s personal brand, focus on social life.
What to adopt: the subject-interview format, the location guide.
POTENTIAL COMPETITORS
As potential competitors, I am considering independent Telegram channels and personal brands. While they are not media in the classical sense, they capture the same audience attention. The most prominent independent channels in the niche have been selected based on reach, influence, and proximity to our audience.
ANTIGLYANETS
1. Positioning: a high-society TG channel and lifestyle media.2. Audience: affluent, fashionable Moscow society.
3. Content and Creatives: society news, insider scoops, memes, jabs at celebrities. Original columns and a podcast featuring notable people.
4. Visuals: minimal, text and screenshots.
5. Tone of voice: witty, entertaining.
6. Tools: TG, podcast, offline parties.
7. Adaptation: one channel, one format.
8. Audience Reaction: the audience is large and active, but public analytics on engagement are limited.Similarities: we write about fashion and high society life and work with a Moscow audience.Differences: they focus on people and gossip + they have an entertainment format; we focus on fashion as a system + feature articles and analysis.Weaknesses: reliance on personal connections and scoops, single format, lack of visuals and depth.What to borrow: humorous columns and an ethical approach to news events.
MUR
- Positioning: an author-led Telegram channel and YouTube presence about fashion by journalist Madonna Mur.
- Audience: women aged 25–55 interested in fashion and glossies.
- Content and Creatives: industry news, social scene coverage, personal opinions and evaluations, and interviews. The author shares her perspective.
- Visuals: in addition to video interviews, there is minimal text and photo content.
- Tone of voice: expert, but not snobbish.
- Tools: Telegram, YouTube, podcast.
- Content Adaptation: Telegram for timely updates and opinions; video for deeper immersion and topic exploration.
- Audience Reaction: The audience is loyal and comes for the author’s perspective.
Similarities: We write about fashion, work with both young and adult audiences, and have an authorial viewpoint.
Differences: MUR is ultimately the personal brand of a single journalist. They are heavily invested in the author.
Weaknesses: Dependence on one author; irregular publications.
What to borrow: The «inside perspective» format.
Good morning, Carl!
1. Positioning: A proprietary Telegram channel about fashion and fashion media, from a former editor of Vogue, Interview, and The Blueprint. 2. Audience: People interested in fashion and the industry—professionals and deeply immersed enthusiasts. 3. Content and Creatives: Industry insights, breakdowns of photoshoots and collections, commentary, digests, and author columns. 4. Visuals: High level of visual sophistication. 5. Tone of voice: Authorial, informal. 6. Tools: Telegram, a separate chat for subscribers. 7. Adaptation: One channel; content is not duplicated across other platforms. 8. Audience Reaction: High engagement, comments, and discussions in the chat.Similarities: We write about fashion and the industry, work with a young audience, and offer an authorial perspective.
Differences: Carl is a personal channel run by one author, with a focus on insider information and opinions.
Weaknesses: Dependence on a single author, lack of a visual brand.
What to adopt: Navigation by topics.
DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
The primary platform is Telegram. Our target audience (ages 18–25, Moscow scene) is there, as are our competitors. Telegram allows for direct communication without algorithms and enables rapid scaling.
YouTube is the second platform: episodes featuring reviews, podcasts, and discussions on timely issues. It will provide the depth that text alone cannot.
+ Website — an archive of materials and long-form articles.
Content is tailored for each platform: short posts and updates on Telegram, videos and podcasts on YouTube, and full versions of the materials on the website.
TARGET AUDIENCE DESCRIPTION
