Vogue (magazine)

Arthur Baldwin Turnure, an American businessman, founded Vogue as a weekly newspaper based in New York City, sponsored by Kristoffer Wright, with its first issue on December 17, 1892.[3][4] The first issue was published with a cover price of 10 cents (equivalent to $3.02 in 2021).[5]

Turnure's intention was to create a publication that celebrated the "ceremonial side of life"; one that "attracts the sage as well as debutante, men of affairs, as well as the belle".[5] From its inception the magazine targeted the new New York upper class, "recounting their habits, their leisure activities, their social gatherings, the places they frequented, and the clothing they wore...and everyone who wanted to look like them and enter their exclusive circle".[6]

The magazine at this time was primarily concerned with fashion, with coverage of sports and social affairs included for its male readership.[5] Growth was slow during this initial period.

Condé Montrose Nast purchased Vogue in 1909, three years after Turnure's death, and he gradually grew the publication. Nast changed it to a women's magazine, and started Vogue editions overseas in the 1910s. Its price was also raised. The magazine's number of publications and profit increased dramatically under Nast's management. It continued to target an upscale audience and expanded into the coverage of weddings. According to Condé Nast Russia, when the First World War made deliveries in the Old World impossible, printing began in England. The decision to print in England proved successful, causing Nast to release the first issue of French Vogue in 1920.

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  Vogue 1908
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  Vogue 1914
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  Vogue 1920
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  Adolph de Meyer Vogue Illustration 1920
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  Vogue 1926
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  Illustration 1926

The magazine's number of subscriptions surged during the Great Depression, and again during World War II. During this time, noted critic and former Vanity Fair editor Frank Crowninshield served as its editor, having been moved over from Vanity Fair by publisher Condé Nast.[7]

In July 1932, American Vogue placed its first color photograph on the cover of the magazine. The photograph was taken by photographer Edward Jean Steichen and portrayed a woman swimmer holding a beach ball in the air.[8]

Laird Borrelli notes that Vogue led the decline of fashion illustration in the late 1930s, when it began to replace its illustrated covers, by artists such as Dagmar Freuchen, with photographic images.[9]

Nast was responsible for introducing color printing and the "two-page spread".[6] He has been credited with turning Vogue into a "successful business" and the "women's magazine we recognize today", having substantially increased sales volumes until his death in 1942.[10]

In the 1950s, the decade known as the magazine's "powerful years",[11] Jessica Daves became editor-in-chief. As Rebecca C. Tuite has noted, "Daves led a quiet charge for excellence during one of the most challenging, transformative, and rich decades in the magazine's history."[12] Daves believed that "taste is something that can be taught and learned",[13] and she edited Vogue with the conviction that it should be "a vehicle to educate public taste".[11] While fashion coverage remained a priority, Daves also elevated the written content of American Vogue, particularly championing more robust arts and literature features.[12]

The Daves era of Vogue came to an end in 1962, when Diana Vreeland joined the magazine (first as associate editor, and then, following Daves's departure in December 1962, as editor-in-chief).[12] The pair had diametrically opposed approaches to editing Vogue: Daves famously declared, "I respect fashion ... it is exciting ... but I am annoyed at people who treat it as a joke, who constantly take sledge-hammers to it ... it's a very serious business."[12] On the other hand, Vreeland believed, as she once told art director Alexander Liberman, "it's only entertainment",[14] and conversely led the magazine into a period of youth and vitality, but also "extravagance, and luxury and excess".[15]

In the 1960s, with Diana Vreeland as editor-in-chief and personality, the magazine began to appeal to the youth of the sexual revolution by focusing more on contemporary fashion and editorial features that openly discussed sexuality. Toward this end, Vogue extended coverage to include East Village boutiques such as Limbo on St. Mark's Place, as well as including features of "downtown" personalities such as Andy Warhol's "Superstar" Jane Holzer's favorite haunts.[16] Vogue also continued making household names out of models, a practice that continued with Suzy Parker, Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Lauren Hutton, Veruschka, Marisa Berenson, Penelope Tree, and others.[17]

In 1973, Vogue became a monthly publication.[18] Under editor-in-chief Grace Mirabella, the magazine underwent extensive editorial and stylistic changes to respond to changes in the lifestyles of its target audience.[19] Mirabella states that she was chosen to change Vogue because "women weren't interested in reading about or buying clothes that served no purpose in their changing lives."[20] She was selected to make the magazine appeal to "the free, working, "liberated" woman of the seventies.[20] She changed the magazine by adding text with interviews, arts coverage, and serious health pieces. When that type of stylistic change fell out of favor in the 1980s, Mirabella was fired.[20] Well-known fashion photographers were:

• Erwin Blumenfeld (1897–1969)
• Cecil Beaton (1904–1980)
• Horst P. Horst (1906–1999)
• Regina Relang (1906–1989)
• Irving Penn (1917–2009)
• Henry Clarke (um 1917–1996)
• Richard Avedon (1923–2004)
• Peter Lindbergh (1944–2019)

In July 1988, after Vogue had begun to lose ground to three-year-old upstart Elle, Anna Wintour was named editor-in-chief.[21][22] Noted for her trademark bob cut and sunglasses, Wintour sought to revitalize the brand by making it younger and more approachable;[23] she directed the focus towards new and accessible concepts of "fashion" for a wider audience.[24] Wintour's influence allowed the magazine to maintain its high circulation, while staff discovered new trends that a broader audience could conceivably afford.[24] For example, the inaugural cover of the magazine under Wintour's editorship featured a three-quarter-length photograph of Michaela Bercu, an Israeli model, wearing a bejeweled Christian Lacroix jacket and a pair of jeans, a departure from her predecessors' tendency to portray a woman's face alone; according to The New York Times, this gave "greater importance to both her clothing and her body".[25] As fashion editor Grace Coddington wrote in her memoirs, the cover "endorsed a democratic new high/low attitude to dressing, added some youthful but sophisticated raciness, and garnished it with a dash of confident energy and drive that implied getting somewhere fast. It was quintessential Anna."[23] Throughout her reign at Vogue, Wintour accomplished her goals to revitalize the magazine and oversaw production of some of its largest editions. The September 2012 edition measured 916 pages, the highest ever for a monthly magazine.[22] Wintour continues to be American Vogue's editor-in-chief to this day.

The contrast of Wintour's vision with that of her predecessors was noted as striking by observers, both critics and defenders. Amanda Fortini, fashion and style contributor for Slate, argues that her policy has been beneficial for Vogue, delivering it from what some critics had termed its boring "beige years."[26]

Among Condé Nast executives, there was worry that the grand dame of fashion publications was losing ground to Elle, which in just three years had reached a paid circulation of 851,000, compared to Vogue's 1.2 million. Thus, Condé Nast publisher Si Newhouse brought in the 38-year-old Wintour, who through editor-in-chief positions at British Vogue and House & Garden, had become known not only for her cutting-edge visual sense, but also for her ability to radically revamp a magazine—to shake things up.

Although she has had a strong impact on the magazine, throughout her career, Wintour has been pinned as being cold and difficult to work with. In an article on Biography.com, Wintour admits that she is "very driven by what [she does]", and has said "I am certainly very competitive. I like people who represent the best at what they do, and if that turns you into a perfectionist then maybe I am."[22]

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  United Kingdom 2000, Kate Moss
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  Vogue Taiwan 2021, Lalisa Manoban
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  Compilation of Vogue Magazines at Textile Museum and Documentation Centre, Terrassa, Spain

• December 1892: The first cover of the magazine features a debutante at her début.[8]
• July 1932: The first cover with a color photograph, featuring Edward Steichen's image of a swimmer holding a beach ball.[8]
• August 1933: The cover features model Toto Koopman who is both bisexual and biracial. She portrays a woman that readers during the Great Depression would dream to be like.[8][30][31]
• September, 1944: USA Tent Hospital in France. Lee Miller as war correspondent for Vogue USA.
• May 1961: Sophia Loren covers the magazine, and is one of the first celebrities to do so.[8]
• August 1974: Beverly Johnson becomes the first black woman to cover American Vogue.[32]
• November 1988: Anna Wintour's first cover features Israeli model Michaela Bercu.[33]
• May 1989: Madonna became the first singer to be pictured on the cover of Vogue, something that was considered "controversial" at that time according to Wintour because having a non-model.[34]
• April 1992: Vogue's 100th anniversary cover featuring 10 supermodels namely Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Karen Mulder, Yasmeen Ghauri, Niki Taylor, Elaine Irwin,& Claudia Schiffer, and is the highest-selling issue ever.[35][36]
• November 1992: Richard Gere becomes the first male to appear on the cover, alongside Cindy Crawford.[37]
• December 1998: Hillary Clinton becomes the first American first lady to cover the magazine.[8]
• September 2012: Lady Gaga graced the cover of the largest edition of Vogue in history, weighing in at 4.5 pounds and 916 pages.[8]
• April 2014: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West appear on the cover in one of the most controversial cover shoots for Vogue. Kardashian is the first reality television star on the cover and West is the first rapper on the cover. They are also the first interracial couple to appear on the cover of the magazine.[38]
• August 2017: Zayn Malik appears on the cover, making him the first male Muslim to be on the cover of the magazine.
• September 2018: Beyoncé is given "unprecedented" total editorial control of the magazine's cover and feature.[39] She hires 23-year-old black photographer Tyler Mitchell to shoot the cover, making him the first black photographer to shoot a cover for Vogue in its 126-year history.[40]
• December 2020: Harry Styles becomes the first male to appear by himself on the cover of Vogue.[41]
• February 2021: Kamala Harris becomes the first female vice president to cover Vogue. She is the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, and the first African American and first Asian American vice president.[42][43]
• October 2021: Adele becomes the first person to simultaneously cover the American and British editions of Vogue.[44]
• August 2022: Emma Corrin becomes the first non-binary person to cover Vogue.[45]

May 2013 marked the first anniversary of a healthy body initiative that was signed by the magazine's international editors—the initiative represents a commitment from the editors to promote positive body images within the content of Vogue's numerous editions. Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann explained:

In the magazine we're moving away from those very young, very thin girls. A year down the track, we ask ourselves what can Vogue do about it? And an issue like this [June 2013 issue] is what we can do about it. If I was aware of a girl being ill on a photo shoot I wouldn't allow that shoot to go ahead, or if a girl had an eating disorder I would not shoot her.[46]

The Australian edition's June 2013 issue was entitled Vogue Australia: "The Body Issue" and featured articles on exercise and nutrition, as well as a diverse range of models. New York-based Australian plus-size model Robyn Lawley, previously featured on the cover of Vogue Italia, also appeared in a swimwear shoot for the June issue.[46]

Jonathan Newhouse, Condé Nast International chairman, states that "Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the wellbeing of their readers."[47] Alexandra Shulman, one of the magazine's editor, comments on the initiative by stating "as one of the fashion industry's most powerful voices, Vogue has a unique opportunity to engage with relevant issues where we feel we can make a difference."[47]

Google partnered with Vogue to feature Google Glass in the September 2013 issue, which featured a 12-page spread.[51] Chris Dale, who manages communications for the Glass team at Google, stated:

The Vogue September issue has become a cultural touchstone ahead of New York's Fashion Week. Seeing Glass represented so beautifully in this issue is a huge thrill for the entire Glass team.[51]

In the September 2015 issue, technology such as Apple Music, Apple Watch, and Amazon Fashion were all featured within the issues 832 pages.[52]

Wintour's "Fashion Night" initiative was launched in 2009 with the intention of kickstarting the economy following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, by drawing people back into the retail environment and donating proceeds to various charitable causes. The event was co-hosted by Vogue in 27 cities around the US and 15 countries worldwide, and included online retailers at the beginning of 2011.[53] Debate occurred over the actual profitability of the event in the US, resulting in a potentially permanent hiatus in 2013; however, the event continues in 19 other locations internationally.[54] Vogue also has the ability to lift the spirits of readers during tough times and revels that "even in bad times, someone is up for a good time." The article states that Vogue "make[s] money because they elevate the eye and sometimes the spirit, take the reader someplace special."[55][51] These fantasy tomes feel a boost during economic distress—like liquor and ice cream and movie ticket sales."[55]

In 2006, Vogue acknowledged salient political and cultural issues by featuring the burqa, as well as articles on prominent Muslim women, their approach to fashion, and the effect of different cultures on fashion and women's lives.[56] Vogue also sponsored the "Beauty Without Borders" initiative with a US$25,000 donation that was used to establish a cosmetology school for Afghan women. Wintour stated: "Through the school, we could not only help women in Afghanistan to look and feel better but also give them employment." A documentary by Liz Mermin, entitled The Beauty Academy of Kabul, which highlighted the proliferation of Western standards of beauty, criticized the school, suggesting that "the beauty school could not be judged a success if it did not create a demand for American cosmetics."[57]

Leading up to the 2012 US presidential election, Wintour used her industry clout to host several significant fundraising events in support of the Obama campaign. The first, in 2010, was a dinner with an estimated US$30,000 entry fee.[58] The "Runway To Win" initiative recruited prominent designers to create pieces to support the campaign.[59]

In October 2016, the magazine stated that "Vogue endorses Hillary Clinton for president of the United States". This was the first time that the magazine supported as a single voice a presidential candidate in its 120 years of history.[60][61][62]

The Met Gala is an annual event that is hosted by Vogue to celebrate the opening of the Metropolitan Museum's fashion exhibit. The Met Gala is the most coveted event of the year in the field of fashion and is attended by A-list celebrities, politicians, designers and fashion editors. Vogue has hosted the themed event since 1971 under editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland. In 2013, Vogue released a special edition of Vogue entitled Vogue Special Edition: The Definitive Inside Look at the 2013 Met Gala.[63]

In 2015, Vogue listed their "15 Roots Reggae Songs You Should Know"; and in an interview with Patricia Chin of VP Records, Vogue highlighted an abbreviated list of early "reggae royalty" that recorded at Studio 17 in Kingston, Jamaica which included Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, The Heptones, and Bunny Wailer.[64][65] In addition to their coverage of historically significant artists, Vogue is a source for contemporary music news on artists such as Jay-Z, Eminem, Tom Petty, and Taylor Swift, as well as being an influencer that introduces new artists to the scene such as Suzi Analogue in 2017.[66]

In 2009, the feature-length documentary The September Issue was released; it was an inside view of the production of the record-breaking September 2007 issue of U.S. Vogue, directed by R. J. Cutler. The film was shot over eight months as Wintour prepared the issue, and included testy exchanges between Wintour and her creative director Grace Coddington. The issue became the largest ever published at the time; over 5 pounds in weight and 840 pages in length, a world record for a monthly magazine[81] Since then, that record has been broken by Vogue's 2012 September issue, which came in at 916 pages.[82]

Also in 2012, HBO released a documentary entitled In Vogue: The Editor's Eye, in conjunction with the 120th anniversary of the magazine. Drawing on Vogue's extensive archives, the film featured behind-the-scenes interviews with longtime Vogue editors, including Wintour, Coddington, Tonne Goodman, Babs Simpson, Hamish Bowles, and Phyllis Posnick.[83] Celebrated subjects and designers in the fashion industry, such as Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Evangelista, Vera Wang, and Marc Jacobs, also appear in the film. The editors share personal stories about collaborating with top photographers, such as Leibovitz, and the various day-to-day responsibilities and interactions of a fashion editor at Vogue. The film was directed and produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. In October 2012, Vogue also released a book titled Vogue: The Editor's Eye to complement the documentary.[84]

In 2013, Vogue launched the Vogue video channel that can be accessed via their website. The channel was launched in conjunction with Conde Nast's multi-platform media initiative. Mini-series that have aired on the video channel include Vogue Weddings, The Monday Makeover, From the Vogue Closet, Fashion Week, Elettra's Goodness, Jeanius, Vintage Bowles, The Backstory, Beauty Mark, Met Gala, Voguepedia, Vogue Voices, Vogue Diaries, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and Monday's with Andre.[85]

Books published by Vogue include In Vogue: An Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine, Vogue: The Covers, Vogue: The Editor's Eye, Vogue Living: House, Gardens, People, The World in Vogue, Vogue Weddings: Brides, Dresses, Designers, and Nostalgia in Vogue.[86]

Launched in 2011 by Condé Nast Digital, Voguepedia is a fashion encyclopedia that also includes an archive of every issue of Vogue's American edition since 1892.[87] Only Vogue staff are permitted to contribute to the encyclopedia, unlike the VogueEncyclo—hosted by Vogue Italia—that receives contributions from anyone.[88] As of May 9, 2013, the site was not fully functional; code still showed in search results and only certain search terms yielded results.[89]

Vogue has also created an easily navigable website that includes six different content categories for viewers to explore. The website includes an archive with issues from 1892 forward for those whom subscribe for the website. The magazines online are the same as those that were printed in that time and are not cut or shortened from the original content.[90]

Vogue launched the teaser for its podcast series on September 10, 2015. The magazine announced that star André Leon Talley would host the podcasts, and the inaugural twenty-one-minute podcast was released on September 14, 2015, featuring Anna Wintour. Talley commented that he had "been a longtime storyteller at Vogue and it's just another format for telling stories—as at Vogue, we love to tell the story of style, fashion, and what is absolutely a part of the culture at the moment", hence why the magazine has decided to create podcasts.[91]

The app was introduced on April 26, 2016, as a way for the magazine to become more mobile friendly. The Vogue app displays content on mobile devices and gives people the ability to view the magazine content wherever they go. The app has new content every day and people can choose to receive content recommended just for their taste. In addition, the app allows one to save stories for later and or read offline. Lastly, the app provides notifications for fashion outbreaks and for new stories that are published pertaining to that viewer's particular taste.[92]

The online fashion industry publication was launched in January 2019. The new property aims at offering a global perspective on the fashion industry with industry insights. Although sharing the Vogue brand name, Vogue Business is operated as a separate business entity with an independent editorial team. In June 2019, Vogue Business launched the Vogue Business Talent, a platform that promotes vacancies from international fashion brands and companies with the goal to match professionals with their job opportunities.[93][94]

The magazine became the third international edition and was first published from 1928 to 1929. It became the sixth edition when relaunched in 1979. In December 2020, it was also announced that Christiane Arp will exit Vogue Germany after 17 years, after joining the title in 2003.[135] In October 2021, Kerstin Weng was announced as the magazine's Head of Editorial Content.[136]

The magazine became the seventh (eight overall) international edition in 1988. On January 11, 2017, it was announced that Eugenia de la Torriente will become the new editor-in-chief.[137] In December 2020, it was announced that de la Torriente will step down from the magazine after three years.[138][139] In September 2021, Inés Lorenzo was announced as the magazine's Head of Editorial Content.[140][141]

Vogue Russia became the tenth (twelfth overall) international edition in 1998. In July 2010, it was reported that Victoria Davydona will assume as editor-in-chief following Aliona Doletskaya's resignation. Davydova's appointment is effective immediately.[142] On March 8, 2022, Condé Nast announced the suspension of all of its publishing operations in Russia, including the publication of Vogue Russia, as a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[143]

The magazine became the eleventh (thirteenth overall) international edition in 1999. In May 2021, it was announced that Mitsuko Watanabe will exit Vogue Japan at the end of the year, after thirteen years as the editor-in-chief, and that a successor has yet to be to be named.[144] In January 2022, Tiffany Godoy was announced as the magazine's Head of Editorial Content.[145][146]

The magazine became the eighteenth (twenty-first overall) international edition in 2013. The first issue of the magazine sold-out. Editor-in-chief, Kullawit Laosuksri was the only male editor at the helm of Vogue at the time.[147]

It became the nineteenth (twenty-second overall) international edition in 2013. In June 2012, it was reported that Ukraine will be publishing Vogue the next year. With Condé Nast International chairman and CEO Jonathan Newhouse saying, "Kiev is booming, and there is a strong market demand for luxury products and the experience Vogue can offer the reader."[148]

The magazine became the eight (ninth overall) international edition in 1994. It became the twenty-fifth edition when relaunched in 2020. In March 1994, there were initial reports of Condé Nast planning to launch the first Asian edition of Vogue magazine in Singapore beginning in September, with the magazine being edited and designed by Vogue's Australia office in Sydney.[149] It became the first Asian edition. It had an initial print run of 35,000 copies for distribution in Singapore, plus 10,000 for Malaysia and 1,000 each for Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.[150] It was published between September 1994 and February 1998.[151]

In January 2020, it was reported that Condé Nast will be launching Vogue in Singapore via a license agreement with publisher Indochine Media. It was also reported that the launch will be in the fall of the same year with an English-language print issue, a website and presences on all relevant social platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, with an editor-in-chief to be announced.[152] The magazine officially relaunched in September 2020 with both print and digital versions of the publication will feature scannable QR codes, as well as AR and VR content. The inaugural print issue features three collectible covers, capturing Asian cover stars including Singaporean model, Diya Prabhakar; Chinese supermodel, Jū Xiǎowén; and Japanese actress, Nana Komatsu.[153][154]

The magazine became the twenty-sixth (twenty-eight overall) international edition with its launch in June 2020.[155] It was also confirmed that the magazine would be published in English, to be accessible world wide, with Martina Bonnier being its Editor-in-Chief.[155] In order to be more sustainable, the magazine announced to be published in an online form.[155] On August 2021, Greta Thunberg appeared on the first issue of the magazine.[156]

The magazine became the eithteenth (twentieth overall) international edition in 2012. It became the twenty-sixth edition when relaunched in 2022. In November 2011, the magazine was confirmed to debut in 2012 with Karin Swerink assuming the editor-in-chief role.[157] In early July 2021, in an Instagram post to the publication's official account, Vogue Nederland editor-in-chief Rinke Tjepkema announced that the Dutch magazine would be shutting down, after almost 10 years.[158][159] However, in October 2021, it was reported that the magazine would return to the Dutch market in February 2022.[160]

After a consolidation at Condé Nast, the publisher will put its largest titles -including Vogue- under global and regional leadership. The role of editor-in-chief was replaced in some international editions for the new role of Head of Editorial Content.