Eliza magazine: Style and substance

Summer Bellessa didn't intend for ELIZA magazine to be anything big. Just a side project.

You know, similar to scrapbooking, she joked during a recent interview.

But when your "hobby" gets featured on "Good Morning America," Fox News and in Newsweek, things change.

And for Bellessa, it changed in a big way.

Her magazine, which is based in Los Angeles, suddenly hit the national stage. People were jumping to subscribe to the magazine, which showcases stylish yet modest fashions and also "uplifting" entertainment and lifestyle articles.

For Bellessa, the growth of ELIZA is a clear indication there is a market for modesty. Women want to know about top fashions and trends but without having to wade through articles and images they may view as inappropriate, she said.

Her print-run is 10,000, and her magazine can be found in stores across the nation, including Barnes & Noble bookstores in Utah.

"We have found there is a group of women whose voices aren't heard," said Bellessa, who serves as editor-in-chief of ELIZA. "They still want to buy fashion magazines … but they don't cover their view."

You can sense Bellessa's passion as she talks about her magazine. During a recent interview at Bambara restaurant in Salt Lake City, she talked about how articles are selected and trends presented in the magazine.

It's a careful balance to determine how people will perceive things and the message that will be sent by words and images. In the most recent issues of ELIZA, Bellessa said she and her colleagues were careful to call it their "marriage" issue instead of a "wedding" or "bridal" issue.

They wanted to promote their belief that getting married is about more than the wedding and a fancy dress. Sometimes the words "marriage" or even "wife" have bad connotations, said Bellessa.

"We wanted to make sure we could show how fun marriage really is and that it's worth it, working hard to build that relationship," she said.

But the magazine is by no means "prudish." Bellessa, who is in her late 20s, is a former runway model and is still represented by Ford Models. You can sense she knows fashion by the way she dresses and the clothing featured in her magazine, which is published quarterly.

There are beautiful images that showcase trends such as layering, or wearing lace and other vintage-inspired themes. Also, articles and images show different ways to apply makeup, or highlight different styles of wedding dresses for sale.

"We attract really creative people whose work is right up there with Vogue and Glamour and it's so much fun to be able to do that," said Bellessa about the talent that helps produce her magazine.