Are Media has turned up the luxury dial for 2027, unveiling a raft of new memberships, international opportunities and exclusive experiences across its ELLE Australia, marie claire, Gourmet Traveller and Belle portfolios.
The publisher revealed its 2027 luxury agenda at its ‘Language of Luxury’ event at Sydney’s Shell House on Tuesday, bringing together editors, commercial partners and luxury brands for a look at what’s next across fashion, beauty, food, travel and design.
The strategy centred on strengthening audience relationships through editorial content, live experiences and new commercial opportunities, while addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence on consumer discovery.
Are Media general manager of luxury Nicky Briger highlighted the commercial importance of editorial trust, revealing that 77 per cent of women say trusted content helps them move from discovering a brand to making a purchase.
Across its four luxury titles, Are Media’s cross-platform audience has grown 30 per cent this year, adding 365,000 audience members. The portfolio now attracts 1.2 million monthly unique website visitors and has a combined social following of 3.5 million.
The publisher also hosted 53 events across its luxury portfolio in 2026, spanning reader dinners, styling salons, pop-ups and major awards ceremonies.
“For our partners, this is intimacy at scale: the warmth of a dinner party, with the reach of a national media brand and the international connections of our global network,” Briger said.
ELLE Australia will expand its cultural footprint in 2027, building on its Next Gen platform with initiatives spanning music, cinema, fashion and lifestyle.
ELLE Sounds will spotlight emerging female musicians and greater representation on Australia’s ARIA charts, while ELLE Film Club will introduce regular events connecting audiences with filmmakers and creatives.
The ELLE Next Gen Awards will return, alongside ELLE Loves, a new endorsement program spotlighting local retailers, boutiques and experiences.
ELLE Man will also expand its print and digital presence, opening additional commercial opportunities across men’s fashion and culture.
For marie claire, 2027 will bring an expanded focus on women’s sport, beauty, longevity and reinvention.
Its Women in Sport initiative will launch in January’s print edition before culminating in the inaugural Women in Sport Seminar and Awards in June.
The publication will also introduce Future Beauty, a digital skin clinic directory and its largest-ever global beauty survey, coinciding with marie claire‘s 90th international anniversary.
Meanwhile, its vodcast You’re Gonna Want To Hear This, hosted by editor Georgie McCourt, will move beyond the screen with a new live experience series, ‘You’re Gonna Want To Be In The Room’.
The brand will also launch marie claire Passport, to connect Australian businesses with international customers through its network spanning 32 markets.
Gourmet Traveller is set to introduce Club GT, a paid membership offering exclusive editorial content, curated experiences and insider access to chefs and destinations.
Its Restaurant of the Year Awards will return with an expanded program, while the accompanying issue will be published in Mandarin for distribution across mainland China and Hong Kong, targeting prospective inbound travellers.
The publication will also reimagine its Hotel and Travel Awards as The GT 100, an expert-selected guide covering 100 outstanding hotels, destinations and travel experiences worldwide.
Belle will expand its experiential offering through Belle Design Salons, bringing designers, architects, artists and commercial partners together for intimate events.
The Belle Milan Report will return in the first half of 2027, examining international trends across interiors, architecture and craftsmanship, while the Belle Interior Design Awards will continue celebrating established and emerging Australian talent.
AI was another major talking point, with futurist Anders Sörman-Nilsson exploring how AI-powered recommendations have changed luxury purchasing behaviour.
“Story today is data with a soul, and you as luxury brands need to optimize both for the soulfulness, but also for the data that the AEOs will optimize and find you through,” said Sörman-Nilsson.
He pointed to the growing influence of AI in luxury purchasing, citing figures suggesting 70 per cent of luxury AI searches do not mention a brand, while 82 per cent of heavy luxury spenders used AI during their last purchase journey.
However, he argued that the increasing dominance of digital technology is also creating renewed demand for authentic, real-world connections.
“It’s a renaissance of belonging,” he said, pointing to the importance of physical experiences, community and human storytelling in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Are Media has responded to changing discovery habits through Are Visible, its AI visibility solution, which helps commercial partners understand and improve their presence in AI-generated recommendations.
“For luxury brands, how you appear matters as much as being discovered,” said Are Media director of sales Anna Quinn.
