Vogue magazine is a renowned fashion and lifestyle magazine that has been prominent publication in the fashion industry for many years. It covers a wide range of topics including fashion trends, beauty, culture, and influential figures in the industry. Vogue Targets the Aspirer, from young and Rubicam’s 4C’s model, their core aim is status and being perceived highly by others; the aspirer responds to images, appearances, and fashion. Vogue also appeals to the mainstreamer as vogue is a big part of mainstream media consumption as it is such an established brand- something that appeals to the mainstreamer. Vogue situates fashion in the context of culture and our society, it is a luxury brand which seeks to influence its readers and keep them up to date with current trends. Vogue’s primary purpose is to entertain, and secondary purpose is to inform; it is targeted towards a female audience and women interested in fashion.
British front cover:
All of Vogue’s front covers follow a general theme, the masthead, the iconic ‘Vogue’ is always in the signature font, Didot- serif, positioned at the top of the page, usually taking up around 20% of the whole page. The colour of the masthead varies to fit the aesthetic of the cover but typically it is white and always stands out on the page. The model is the main focus of the page, front and centre, pictured in a medium closeup shot; this in combination with the model’s eye contact creates a personal aspect and almost establishes a relationship between the model and the audience. The model is surrounded by several cover lines around the perimeter of the page. The coverlines illude to the content included inside the magazine but also include catch phrases such as ‘bringing sexy back’. On this edition we see the model positioned behind the iconic masthead however, sometimes the image of the model will be placed above the title, covering part of the masthead; Vogue can do this because they have such a strong brand identity that their brand is recognised by the first letter of the title, reinforcing how established and iconic vogue is. The background is a basic white/ slight grey colour which camouflages with the feather jacket the model is wearing, this highly contrasts the colour of her skin which is on show to make her stand out against the all-white. The coverlines are in red and black which, too, stand out against the white background so that they are easily read. The tone of red used for the coverlines matches the shade on the model’s lips and the blush on her cheeks this subtle draws our attention back to the model, even if it is subconsciously as we recognise the colour match.
This Front cover stars Kate Moss, arguably the most famous model of the 90’s and one of the models with the most Vogue front covers. This cover was from December 2013. Vogues ideologies are to influence and inspire but also, of course, fashion and fashion freedom and expression. Vogue seeks to empower women, made for women by women as a way to celebrate them and cater to their interests. This is evident in the coverline that states High-tech heroines- this is praising women for having done something very brave or having achieved something great. By referring to the women as ‘heroines’ creates them to be admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities.
Vogue: Double page spread:
This is a double page spread from Vogue, a typical feature of any magazine. The image dominates 50% of the page whilst the copy/ text takes up the other half. The headline reads: seeing double and cleverly inverts this and positions it underneath, mirroring the title above- but upside down! The title illudes to the double page spreads content to be about eyesight and possible vision problems, this creates a slight enigma code, we have to read on to find out what its about, however the standfirst underneth the title answers this question and informs us that it is actually about eye bags, which is further cleared up as you read on. Knowing this makes The layout of the title clever as it creates the effect of an eye bag, shadowing the under eyes. ‘seeing double’ could actually relate to the idea that eye bags create the apperance of two eyes. The image too relates to the idea of the article being about vision issues as the model is photographed wearing big lenzed, almost goggle style glasses. The image is playful and unrerious and there is an element of surprise as the image looks like it has been taken off guard or even as a ‘candid’. Thisis evident with the models messy hair, which isnt conventional of a typical magazine image. The colour scheme of the spread is very black and white which contrasts with the playful tone of the image and the article itself, this could be a stylistic choice to remain consistent with vogue’s brand identity, sophisticated, classy and chic- what better way to say that than with classic black and white! Similarly, the layout and design of the spread is in-keeping with this established and refined identity as it is neat and orderly; the collumns are aligned to create an organised feel.
International front cover:
This front cover is from Vogue Paris and features Kate Moss, again. It was published in October 2009. The main image of Kate dominates the page, so much so that she becomes a part of the masthead- her head stands for the ‘g’ in Vogue. This is because Vogue is such a highly established brand that missing letters in their masthead wouldn’t make a difference in the recognition of the brand. The coverline of ‘Exclusive’ attracts the reader's attention and illudes to what will be inside the magazine, it makes people want to read so that they can get the ‘exclusive information’ and feel special. The other coverline credits the ‘special top models’ and lists them this appeals to the target audeince of people interested in the fashion industry and model/ celebrity culture. Kate is shot in a medium close- up with the camera at centre level however, her tilted head and downward looking stare makes it look like we are positioned beneath her, like she is looking down on us, creating her powerful and in control. This reflects vogues ideologies of female empowerment and women taking charge of the narrative.
Vogue Website:
Vogue’s website is very easy to navigate. The menu bar across the top of the page shows you everything that is included on the sight; they are interactive so by clicking on them it will direct you straight to the selected page. The home page always includes an ad as a banner, picture or video, at the top of the page, just below the menu bar. There is a top stories section that includes advertisement features, celebrity gossip, about films and series, the met gala, and interviews with celebrities. Each different page has the same layout to the home page- with a relevant advert as the banner at the top of the page. There is also a separate menu bar on each specific page which are sub-categories of the main page. All the content is relevant to the typical conventions of a fashion magazine website such as the trends section which discusses everything you need to know about contemporary fashion, and keeping up with the ever changing styles.
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