Exploring Vogue Under Anna Wintour’s Leadership

The glasses. Wide, black, and iconic. The appearance of a raised eyebrow behind them or a quiver of the lip below them could end careers or incite a worldwide trend. Anna Wintour and her infamous black sunglasses began revolutionizing Vogue magazine, and the fashion industry as a whole, when she became Editor-in-Chief of Vogue in 1988. The magazine, which has run for over 120 years, has seen many different Editors-in-Chief, but Wintour brought Vogueinto the national conversation by appealing to the everyday woman and addressing national issues, not just the typical high fashion coverage. In today’s culture, women’s magazines often further the stereotypes of socially constructed ideas of womanhood by only covering flippant fashion and relationship advice and ignoring any stories of real substance. Wintour actively engaged Vogue’s audience in real problems that affect women and offered a new change for the magazine in embracing realism and producing a product that covered more than the typical fashion magazine. Anna Wintour’s editorial leadership for Vogue magazine legitimized the publication to a world that discounted fashion magazines as frivolous and paved the way for future women in positions of leadership in the magazine industry.

Anna Wintour became Vogue’s new Editor-in-Chief in 1988 and filled the position previously held by Grace Mirabella for 15 years. Wintour’s father was the editor of London’s Evening Standard, and he taught his daughter the ways of the publication world and the value of appealing to the youth of the publication’s audience. Wintour began work as a fashion journalist for various British magazines before becoming editor of British Vogue in 1985. Three years later Wintour was the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. Before her editorial leadership, Vogue was experiencing a considerably stagnant stage, especially in comparison to magazines like Elle which were quickly gaining ground. Vogue’s publisher, Condé Nast, recruited Wintour to bring a much needed change to Vogue since she had previously revamped British Vogueand House & Garden with radical ideas that challenged the typical magazine and boosted subscriber counts (Fortini). Her profound changes to the magazine would revolutionize Vogue and expand the audience’s scope wider than previously thought possible.

Perhaps the most remarkable example of Wintour’s changes to Vogue rest on the cover of the first magazine she edited. The cover of the November 1988 issue stood in stark contrast to every other past issue of Vogue. Wintour, years later, described how the now iconic cover was a combination of accidents, “It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue’s covers back then, with tons of makeup and major jewelry. This one broke all the rules” (Wintour, “Honoring”). The skirt the model was supposed to wear did not fit on the day of the shoot, and as a result, the Israeli model Michael Vercu wore jeans, something never before seen on the cover in its 120 years of circulation. Unlike the typical elegant close-ups Vogue readers were used to seeing, this casual cover featured a model who was not even looking at the camera, whose eyes were almost closed, and whose hair was blowing across her face. For years, Vogue had prided itself on offering customers a magazine that read almost with an air of escapism, “More contemporarily, in 1976 Beatrix Miller, then editor of Vogue, remarked, ‘We are 60% selling a dream and 40% offering practical advice’” (Winship 13). The magazine’s printing company even called Vogue before printing the controversial cover to check if there had been a mistake since this cover seemed to contradict ever other cover Vogue had previously published. The public’s response was a mix of all false accusations who assumed the cover model was pregnant or Vogue was pushing a religious statement with the cross-adorned jacket (Wintour, “Honoring”). While none of the accusations were true, Wintour succeeded in engaging a new audience for Vogue by generating buzz about the cover. With controversy came publicity, and Wintour would soon utilize this publicity to revive Vogue in the public’s eye.

When trying to reach any audience, especially potential customers, the cover of a magazine is the critical selling point. The cover holds the vital responsibility to visually pull buyers in and as a result, “A magazine’s visual aesthetic is carefully designed to appeal to specific types of individuals as they seek to be identified” (Duffy 31). Wintour understood the critical nature of the cover and made Vogue relatable and practical for its audience by humanizing the cover models who were previously overly perfected and artistically curated. “The cover image shouts that this woman’s world of personal life and feminine expressivity is one worth bothering about, engendering a feel for the reader that such pursuits are successful, and moreover bring happiness: the model smiles” (Winship 12).  The cover of any magazine holds immense responsibility of not only reaching potential buyers, but also capturing a society in its current time and presenting a bold representation of what values a society holds. “From an anthropological perspective, dress and appearance, and fashion trends in particular, are visible embodiments of cultural systems and meanings” (Lynch and Strauss 35). By mixing designer and inexpensive clothes together and shooting full body images in natural lighting, Wintour rebranded Vogue from its previously stylized close-up profile images that were only shot in dramatically lit studios (Fortini). Wintour championed the ability to mix the two world of high-end and retail on the covers of her magazines, and, as a result, target potential customers from across all spectrums of economic standpoints. This balance was explored in Janice Winship’s Inside Women’s Magazines, “What ‘you’ are also offered on the cover is a careful balance between practical items linked to daily life and those which draw you, dreamily, into another world” (Winship 12).  The shock value of the cover grabbed people’s attention and catapulted Vogue into the new era of change with Wintour at the helm. “Like people, successful magazines have personalities that reflect their philosophies, energy, and wisdom and wit. The cover is a magazine’s statement of its identity” (Duffy 31). Perhaps more importantly though, Wintour’s editorial changes to the cover and overall style of Vogue added a refreshing relatability to the high-fashion magazine that had previously felt distant and unattainable to the everyday woman. Wintour’s editorial leadership began with a cover that sparked a change in direction for the magazine that would bring more success than ever before and last for the years to come.

This cover held more depth than just a shock value; it represented the new wave of change that Wintour foresaw for Vogue as a magazine and a brand for years to come. Wintour wrote in her first letter from the editor in the November 1988 issue that she was imparting a “new realism” onto the pages of Vogue, and she explained how the magazine was shifting in its approach to fashion into a new age. The new realism of fashion embraces women dressing and acting in the way that is practical for them, and not trying to put on a façade of couture and glamour on a daily basis (Wintour, “a New Realism”). As Wintour says when describing Vogue’s new “girl”, “But her style is irreverently casual, un-starlet-like, and real” (Wintour, “a New Realism”). Wintour emphasizes natural hair and makeup and the value of adding small pieces of ornamentation to every day go-to pieces for an effortlessly classic look. Wintour’s diction is pithy, with powerful diction to emphasize her notion of a no-nonsense direction for the magazine under her leadership. She writes, “This issue is about change. A change in the way we approach fashion. In the way we approach all aspects of style. The new code word: realism” (Wintour, “a New Realism”). Wintour understood that fashion at its core relies on motivation in order to sell a product, and the appeal of a new change would attract audiences like never before. “Fashion change, according to this motivation-based psychological theory, is caused by the human perception process, and the attraction of ‘newness’ as a stimulant” (Lynch and Strauss 28). This personal address from Anna Wintour gave a broad overview of the vision for the future of Vogue, and how the brand would change to embrace the new realism of fashion at the very beginning of her career with the magazine.

In the wake of an audience that considered women’s magazines to be no more than petty entertainment, Wintour brought new substance and practicality to Vogue’s pages. For decades, the general public perceived women’s magazines as nothing more than surface level fashion and cooking advice, a perpetuation of sexist ideals of domesticity. Ironically, “Whether or not the reader is married, has children, works outside the home or even runs that all-important home, has been largely irrelevant to this phenomenally successful magazine formula for communication with women” (Forster 17). This perception was mostly accurate as the pages of women’s magazines often continued these stereotypes, since the cycle of perception and production kept creating content that executives knew audiences would buy. “Feminist scholars have addressed the role of women’s periodicals in establishing guidelines for heteronormative femininity and domesticity, in conflating gender with consumerism, and in perpetuating unrealistic standards of beauty and physical perfection, among others” (Duffy 23). Since marketing teams knew the petty stories of domesticity would sell, few magazine executives wanted to take the leap and make a change. Rachel Ritchie in Women in Magazines cites Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, who realized this trend in the 1960s and wrote, “The image of woman that emerges from this big, pretty magazine is young and frivolous, almost childlike; fluffy and feminine; passive; gaily content in a world of bedroom and kitchen, sex, babies, and home. Where is the world of thoughts and ideas, the life of the mind and spirit?” (Ritchie 3). Even though these sexist stereotypes presented challenges for Wintour and the rest of the women’s magazine industry to overcome, they also provided an opportunity to explore societal implications.  “Women’s magazines reflect the contradictions of female subjectivity but can also provide a way into understanding women’s experiences, hopes, and aspirations” (Ritchie 47). Wintour challenged this accepted ideal and pushed Vogue into the national conversation by covering stories that had larger repercussions, whether that be in the world of politics or fashion. 

 In regards to the political sphere, Wintour was intentional to bring political coverage onto the pages of Vogue. Under her leadership, no longer would Vogue only be regarded as a fashion magazine that never addressed current events. A former staff member of Wintour’s described her motivation, “‘Above and beyond any politics, she wants Vogue to be wherever the action is,’ In other words, she’s in search of something more than just a victory in November; she wants politics to take fashion seriously” (Fortini). Wintour achieved her goal, and over the past years under her leadership, Vogue’s political coverage has increased dramatically. While before she took control, Vogue might have put an occasional first lady on its cover, Vogue now filled its pages with profiles of governors, staffers, and senators. The Editor-in-Chief’s vision plays an incredibly important role in defining how the magazine will be received, and Wintour made sure her vision of a politically present magazine was maintained. “By utilizing some unique combination of tone, format, aesthetics, and features, Editors-In-Chief create and maintain the identity of their publications while establishing the magazine as an intimate imagined space” (Duffy 31). Wintour’s editorial genius came into play, however, when deciding how to best highlight these individuals. While some might try to categorize a political figure in a fashion magazine by focusing merely on the individual’s political role, Wintour knew how to incorporate both fashion and politics into the articles. “The hallmark of these pieces, naturally, isn’t their take on FinReg or Medicare but rather how their subjects handle and seek power, and what role fashion plays in their stateswoman-chic lifestyle” (Fortini). Wintour’s opinion soon grew to dictate the thoughts of many, and as a result, her political stance and prowess became an advantage to many running for office.  Besides raising over half a million dollars for the Obama campaign, her decision to place Michelle Obama on the cover helped generate a powerful image for the Obamas in the political sphere. 

While Wintour’s political influence helped generate positive press for Michelle Obama, when Wintour had a negative opinion of someone in politics, her coverage, or lack thereof, would have undesirable affects for the individual. Wintour was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton and “In the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Vogue published a profile that was important in shaping the public image of Hillary as a dignified, elegant survivor; a similarly glowing story followed when she ran for Senate” (Fortini). However, when Clinton later declined to appear in Vogue in 2008, Wintour published a negative letter from the editor criticizing Clinton for her apparent fear of appearing “too feminine”. Anna Wintour not only succeeded in bringing Vogue into the national conversation, but she also used the magazine to add its own political opinion to the larger political sphere, a feat never before done by a fashion magazine.  “Over the years, the responsibility for differentiating titles fell to the Editors-In-Chief, who were encouraged to ‘infuse their magazines with their own personalities’” (Duffy 31). Wintour “infused” her personality into Vogue by ensuring the publication never failed to address present political issues in combination with fashion trends.

When becoming Editor-in-Chief, Wintour was quickly met with the controversial issue of femininity and sexism in regards to the portrayal of women in magazine publications. However, instead of disregarding these issues or pushing them aside, Wintour confronted these topics head-on by introducing current issues to the magazine. She understood that, “The images in women’s magazines constitute the only cultural female experience that can begin to gesture at the breadth of solidarity possible among women, a solidarity as wide as half the human race” (Ritchie 47). In addition to addressing issues of femininity, Wintour also brought Vogue into the digital age during a time of immense change in the print industry. The title of Editor-In-Chief means that Wintour must understand that, “In an aggressively competitive media marketplace, magazine producers must work tirelessly to set their publications apart in the minds of both audiences and advertisers” (Duffy 121). Under her leadership, Vogue launched its first website in 2010, and a newer re-designed version launched in 2014. In addition to the website, Wintour also helped create the online Vogue archive, a paid subscription service that catalogues every issue of Vogue since the magazine’s inception in 1892 (Button). Wintour understood how to modernize Vogue and allow the magazine to stay current, but not sacrifice Vogue’s integrity along the way. 

While her editorial leadership is often praised, and equally criticized, Wintour is not singularly responsible for Vogue’s success; and she realizes this. Wintour gave credit to the team of those who create every page of the magazine in Vogue: The Editor’s Eye. This book pays homage to the past fashion editors of Vogue since the magazine’s early beginnings. Opening with Babs Simpson, who was fashion editor beginning in 1947, the book serves as a tribute to the work each fashion editor contributed to the magazine. Through collaboration with designers, stylists, models, writers, and more these editors created every inch of the prestigious pages of Vogue, and often with little credit. Wintour wrote the foreword and explained her vision for the book was to fix the very first problem she saw with Vogue the moment she began her work as editor-in-chief: giving due recognition to all involved with the publication. In fact, Wintour was the first to give fashion editors written credit to the stories they worked on in Vogue. (MacSweeney 4). Accounts and opinions may vary in regards to Wintour’s temperament and leadership style, but one undisputed fact is her ability to give credit where credit is due.

When asked to describe how she defines her vision for Vogue, Wintour once quoted esteemed designer Ralph Lauren saying, “‘I don't want to be too hot and I don't want to be too cool, I just want to be part of the conversation, like Nike or Coca-Cola’” (Ives). Through her years as Editor-In-Chief, Wintour achieved her goal of a magazine that perfectly strikes the balance between known, but not overused. She paved the way for women in the future who would take on editorial positions by paying homage to those who have come before her, and insuring those who deserve credit, receive it. She brought Vogue into the 21st century by modernizing the publication to cater to the everyday woman, while still maintaining the integrity and class of the magazine. She challenged sexist stereotypes that women’s magazines have nothing to offer but cooking and domestic advice, and instead brought political and world issues into the pages of Vogue. In 2017, Wintour was named Dame Commander (DBE) of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for her service to British journalism and fashion (“Vogue – Condé Nast”). Wintour’s leadership still characterizes Vogue as the magazine continues to grow in prevalence and respect in contemporary society, and Wintour resides at the top of the industry, eyes ever peered behind her still-infamous sunglasses ready to offer her revered, and feared opinion.

 

 

Works Cited

Button, Janine. "Vogue Timelines." Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, vol. 10, no. 1/2, Mar/Jun2006, pp. 279-288. EBSCOhost,   spot.lib.auburn.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ap h&AN=21101172&site=ehost-live.

Duffy, Brooke Erin. Remake, Remodel: Women's Magazines in the Digital Age. Urbana,   University of Illinois Press, 2013.

Forster, Laurel. Magazine Movements: Women's Culture, Feminisms and Media Form. New        York, NY, Bloomsbury Academic, 2015.

Fortini, Amanda. "Defending Vogue's Evil Genius." Slate. Graham Holdings Company, n.d.             Web.<http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/fashion/2005/02/defending_vogues_evil_genius. html>.

Ives, Nat. "Magazine of the Year: Vogue." Advertising Age, vol. 82, no. 36, 10 Oct. 2011, p. 20.   EBSCOhost,spot.lib.auburn.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct    =true&db=aph&AN=66645560&site=ehost-live.

Lynch, Annette, and Mitchell D. Strauss. Changing Fashion: a Critical Introduction to Trend      Analysis and Meaning. Oxford, UK, Berg, 2007.

MacSweeney, Eve, editor. Vogue: the Editor's Eye. New York, Abrams, 2012.

Vogue – Condé Nast.” Condé Nast, Condé Nast, www.condenast.com/brands/vogue/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.

Wintour, Anna. “a New Realism...” Vogue, Nov. 1988, p. 351.

Wintour, Anna. “Honoring the 120th Anniversary: Anna Wintour Shares Her Vogue         Story.” Vogue.com, 14 Aug. 2012, www.vogue.com/article/anna-wintour-on-her-first-  vogue-cover-plus-a-slideshow-of-her-favorite-images-in-vogue. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

Winship, Janice. Inside Women's Magazines. London, Pandora, 1987.

Rebekah Stolle