While it's not uncommon for magazines to be discontinued or change publishers due to publisher circumstances, Marie Claire moved to Kadokawa Shoten when Chuokoron-Shinsha (now Chuokoron-Shinsha) became a subsidiary of the Yomiuri Shimbun, and then to Hachette Fujingahosha (now Hearst Fujingahosha) in 2003.

In Japan, it's said that people stick with their companies, and Ida Hiromitsu worked in advertising sales with Marie Claire, moving from Chuokoron to Kadokawa to Hachette to Chuokoron-Shinsha. He knows Marie Claire's evolution better than anyone.

Ida says that it was under the second editor-in-chief, Ikoma Yoshiko, that he felt a certain sense of accomplishment with Marie Claire at Hachette Fujingahosha. In February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was signed. While newspapers and television programs debated the uncoordinated signing, Editor-in-Chief Ikoma learned that luxury brand Louis Vuitton was already addressing the issue. He then ran a special feature in the September 2005 issue titled "The Story of Eco-Luxe by Louis Vuitton." His support for the documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore led to his eco-consciousness being reflected in the pages. Furthermore, he positioned eco-luxe, which combines eco-friendly and luxury lifestyles, two concepts previously thought to be polar opposites, as the fashion of the 21st century. In 2006, the French magazine Marie Claire launched a campaign called "La Rose Marie Claire." Half of the purchase price of roses was donated to the "Every Girl Goes to School" association, which established a girls' school in Cambodia and launched a scholarship program for female students in France, providing educational opportunities to more girls. In 2008, a Japanese-style Rose Campaign was launched in the Japanese version of Marie Claire.

Editor-in-Chief Ikoma's focus was on environmental and human rights issues. Aiming for a sustainable world, she suggested shedding the clothes of outdated values, wearing new clothes, and enjoying fashion. It was reminiscent of the 1980s, when Marie Claire's style was all about intelligence.

"Editor-in-Chief Ikoma was, in a sense, an artist. Her keen insight into the future and her drive to move things forward drew luxury brands, even unknowingly, into her work," Ida reminisces.

The job of an editor-in-chief is physically demanding. She leads a team of unique editors, confronts assertive clients head-on, has her own unique style, and works hard to gain everyone's trust. As a result, the joy she feels when readers support her is priceless.

(Continued on 12/12. Marie Claire Style: A new approach to fashion magazines.)