Elle was the women’s fashion magazine founded in France in 1945 by Hélène Gordon-Lazareff.
The first issue appeared in postwar Paris on 21 November 1945, shortly after French women gained the right to vote. Gordon-Lazareff had already worked at Paris-Soir, Marie Claire, The New York Times, and Harper’s Bazaar, giving her experience in both French and American magazine journalism. Her husband, Pierre Lazareff, was a leading newspaper editor.
Elle combined fashion and beauty coverage with reporting about women’s work, culture, politics, and everyday lives. That mix helped distinguish it from magazines focused mainly on luxury fashion. The title’s name means “she” in French, a concise fit for a publication aimed at defining modern womanhood.
A common mix-up is confusing Elle with Marie Claire, which also originated in France, or Vogue, an older international fashion title. Elle later expanded into a global publishing brand with numerous international editions and related titles such as Elle Décoration.