Vogue magazine is the world's most influential fashion magazine. It became known worldwide in 1909 when it found its current publisher Conde Nast, and is now published in thirteen different countries across the world with a circulation of over 200,000 in Britain. Vogue is so named because it suggests transient impermanent fashionability but the magazine itself is now so famous that all connotations of the word's original meaning are lost and the connotations of Vogue is a magazine of the highest fashion.Vogue is published monthly by Conde Nast Publications and costs £3.60. Conde Nast specialise in magazine produciton and also produce a wide range of other publications such as Tatler, Vanity Fair, GQ, Easy Living, House & Garden, Glamour and CN Traveller. Vogue has a readership of over 200,000 which is more than any of the previously mentioned Conde Nast publications. Vogue's website, vogue.com recieves 1.2 million users per month.
Vogue magazine appeals to a wider range of readers than it initially intended. The current Vogue reader profile is 93% women, of ages 18 to 44, with an average age of 28. 29% are married and 67% work full time. However, although these statistics are relevant, Vogue's initial target audience was simply for the independent, sophisticated and probably more mature woman. It is clear that Vogue is targeted at women with money, by the types of products featured in the magazine. However, Vogue appeals to a much wider audience as it is so influencial in the fashion world. Many young girls aspire to live the lifestyle Vogue portrays and so read the magazine.
The cover presents a black and white theme with cover supermodel Kate Moss standing out from the white background, dressed in black. Her facial expression is quite provocative and alluring but in a high fashion way. As a top model, this expression indicates her model status and could be a signature look. Her body language suits her facial expression. As a fashion model, Kate Moss' aim is to make the clothes look good. However, as the cover model for Vogue magazine, her pose is very important. Firstly, and probably most importantly, she is making eye contact with the camera and therefore the reader looking at the magazine. The tilting of her head suggests understanding and familiarity and the position of her arms shows self-confidence and poise. In general, the medium shot give a confident, self-assured impression. The clothing is all black, and being on the cover of Vogue we expect it to be an expensive design. Kate's black clothes stand out from the white background and also from her skin. The use of Kate Moss for the cover shows that readers of Vogue would appreciate her success in the fashion industry. Kate Moss is now regarded so highly in the fashion industry that her name alone is enough to sell magazines and products alike. Therefore, it is not simply the way in which she has been styled and her pose on the cover that tells us about Vogue's target audience, but more about the status of the model and similarly the magazine itself.
Aside from the image of Kate Moss, the cover also presents in the typical layout the masthead for the magazine of which in typical Vogue style has been cut up by the model's head. Titles for the main articles of the issue are displayed on the front cover alongside other information such as the price and issue date. The text is all black and white to fit in with the theme of the issue. This leaves the only part of the cover that's not black or white as Kate Moss' face. This makes it stand out even more from the page, which is appropriate considering her fame. Overall the cover has the conventional look of a fashion glossy and looks similar to many other like publications such as Tatler, Marie Claire and Elle magazine. However, with Vogue as probably the most notable of these, it has set the tone for the other publications to follow.
Vogue's glossy cover and conventional format gives it an expensive look, with a price tag to match. The presentation of the magazine would be recognisable as Vogue even without the masthead. Within the fasion glossy category, it would appear Vogue has the edge, being the most highly regarded amongst members of the industry and also holding the largest readership of like magazines. The print style and artwork create a luxurious look which is cohesive to the products and lifestyle Vogue represents.
Most of the advertisments featured in the magazine are for luxurious, expensive designer clothes and accessories. These products share Vogue's target audience in their own right but through exposure to Vogue's audience, they become in further demand as the readers aspire to own such products in order to become more like the women modelling them. These models are typically skinny, pretty and sometimes more unusal looking. As Vogue is read by so many people in the fashion industry, many of its readers may be able to relate to the models in that they are also models, or perhaps just look like them. However for Vogue's younger readers, the magazine is about aspiring to be like the models and to own the things that they're modelling. Vogue's original target audience of slightly older readers may look at the models as simply displaying a product which they may soon go out and buy. It is important to mention that there is much controversy over the use of size zero models and the effect this may have on consumers. For example it has been reported that many young girls starve themselves in order to become as skinny as the models they see in magazines such as Vogue but also on the catwalk. However, although some individual designers that may be featured in Vogue have taken a stand and started using regular sized models, Vogue as a whole has made no change to its attitude towards the issue and continues to use very skinny models without any pressure specific to Vogue to change.
Vogue represents women as strong and independent. Men are rarely featured in images and when they are, as a mere accessory. They are mentioned more in text, but generally not as the main feature. This shows readers that they don't need a man and encourages them to be independent. Children aren't featured apart from in one, family related article and even here, they are only a part of the image rather than the piece as a whole. The working classes are also never featured as Vogue is targeted at rich, upper class women. Celebrities featured in the magazine, are often models. For example, Kate Moss is essentially a model, but whom is now famous in her own right. The cover of Vogue usually features someone famous and then the corresponding article in the magazine is obviously about them. The other celebrities featured in the magazine are generally featured purely for style rather than reporting on events in their lives. Socialites and people with style are featured as those to be admired and Vogue never reports on celebrity gossip. The celebrities chosen are generally for chosen for their style or perhaps they are an up and coming star. However, a woman has to gain a certain status within society before she can be on the cover of Vogue.
Vogue is in competition with other similar publications such as Marie Claire and Elle, but it seems that Vogue has the edge. These other magazines are similarly priced and as far as layout and topics go, they are not different to Vogue. However, Vogue maintains the highest circulation and most significant status in the fashion magazine genre.
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