Time Inc.'s People Weekly has consistently given its readers the scoop on the activities of the celebrities. InStyle, launched in 1994 by Time Inc., went one step further. It took readers inside the celebrities' homes and wardrobes, thus complementing what was called the most incredible launch of the '70s.

Readers caught on with keen interest. By the end of 1999, InStyle was selling nearly 1.3 million copies all by offering readers hints and insights on how to make their lives, their homes, their weddings, and their style like their favorite celebrities.

Pages filled with haste. InStyle grew so much that you could not put more than three copies in the checkout counters when it was started, as opposed to the standard 10 to 15-a problem every publisher dreams of.

Part of InStyle's success is that it attracts with movie stars rather than models. The difference is not apparent on the outside, but rather it comes from a familiarity that works.

"If I say Ally McBeal, you think: 'I know her; I know what she's about; I know what her life might be like,'" editor Martha Nelson told New York Times reporter Alex Kuczynski. "You can't say the same thing about Kate Moss."

As anecdotal evidence of InStyle's strength in readers, I offer the following. Last year, I assigned students in my "Editing by Design" class to recreate a magazine cover with new cover lines, a new logo and a picture of themselves. When I received their products, probably half of the women in the class put themselves on the cover of InStyle.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking, that InStyle is in touch with our culture?