I’m a sucker for a glossy magazine and, although I buy fewer now that so much content is readily available online, a tantalising cover will always draw me in. And so it was that a copy of Porter somehow found its way into my possession when I was browsing the shops in Gloucester Road after a meeting last week.

{Gisele graces the cover of the launch issue}

A brand new publication from the team behind online luxury store Net-a-Porter it claims to be “the fashion magazine for the stylish, intelligent woman of now”. Just as with the retail operation, the magazine oozes pure luxury so don’t expect to find any ‘Get the look for less’ or ‘More dash less cash’ features. The fashion, as one would expect, is nothing short of spectacular with dresses by the likes of Lanvin, Versace and Louis Vuitton (and plenty of POA – price on application…)

The beauty features are refreshingly down to earth and, unlike some mags, seem to be targeted at a wide age range, not just 20-sonethings with flawless skin. Mixed in with the high octane glamour are some more meaty reads such as an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario who was kidnapped in Libya in 2011. There is also a 12-page spread dedicated to actress Uma Thurman (who, funnily enough, I had just been thinking about a couple of days before I bought the magazine) and shorter profiles on designer L’Wren Scott and J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons. An impressive line-up of contributors includes photographer David Bailey (on his banned documentary about Andy Warhol), movie mogul Harry Weinstein (on the allure of silver-screen star Grace Kelly) and shoe maestro Manolo Blahnik who writes about the return of the mule.

I’m not sure why, or even if I’m alone in this, but I always read the back page of a new magazine first. And Porter magazine doesn’t disappoint: its back page, appropriately if somewhat unoriginally, entitled ‘Last word’, is dedicated to wrap dress queen Diane von Furstenberg.

All in all, as one would expect from the brand headed up by Natalie Massenet, one of the most powerful women in fashion, this is a confident launch that manages to stand out in a crowded market at a time when many are predicting the demise of Old Media. I , for one, can’t wait for the next issue of the bi-monthly publication to hit the shelves…