Launched in 1984, the magazine was one of the first for black women in Britain.
[1] Chic was an initiative of Val McCalla, who had earlier founded The Voice, and the magazine originally appeared as a supplement to The Voice.
From an initial circulation of 15,000, sales had risen to 32,000 by mid-1986, with half that number again sold abroad.
[2] Its editorial intention was to cover "the whole spectrum of hair care and beauty, as well as fashion, fitness and all the other facets which contribute to the total look of a sophisticated contemporary black person.
There was also emphasis on the double discrimination of being both Black and female, and some attention paid to race and politics.