Condé Nast says NO to Vogue Africa

[Nemova]

The photographer should have teamed up with a big local publishing group and designed a serious business project. Vogue is not about the artistry or the innovation, it is about the business and the money it makes. With the right approach (i.e. a business one), this project could definitely take off.

 

[blueorchid]

Ok one more thing. I kind of don't want there to be a Vogue Africa yet because I want a magazine such as Arise to actually flourish in that arena and not get overshadowed by Vogue. I've read a few issues of Arise and I feel like that they could potentially become a widely respected magazine if they get a chance to mature.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

I guess the main issue with Arise is its cost. I cant remember the actual cost but even people in the west where incomes are way higher than here complain about its cost. This has unfortunately minimised its chances of lasting long.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

I think it's a stupid concept. It's like having Vogue Iberian Peninsula for example regardless of the fact that Portugal and Spain have nothing to do with each other and do not even speak the same language.(Not that It matters in Portugal's case, because the magazine should be called British Vogue Translation, but that's another story). What is this Africa they are talking about?
They should target specific countries in Africa.

 

[masquerade]

I guess the right team could pull it off. But surely the photographer was being serious about the pitch, and the covers don't look serious enough.
For starters I can read French text on the last one. There just looks like there hasn't been that.. pushing effort.

I definitely see your point. If you are presenting something to a corporation like Conde Nast, you better have the best presentation ever, especially if you are trying to launch a magazine. Make it look professional and make it look believable. I have seen better mock-ups by tfs members in the Vogue Cover Challenge thread.

 

[Bahiyya]

There might be many who are interested and excited about the concept, but is that many enough to sustain the livelihood of such a Vogue edition?

For a magazine such as Vogue Africa to generate cash, you can't just rely on a niche group, but it needs to go mainstream.

Again, I would like to see Conde Nast's financial analysis of the project and some definitive numbers and market projections.

At the end of the day, Conde Nast is a business. If they thought Vogue Africa would make money, they would've gone for it.

Honey, please, Vogue Italia is a niche mag if I ever saw one & Vogue Paris is vaunted as mag for "fashion insiders" not mainstream. I'd love to see how much cash they generate...

But yeah, I agree with vogue28 on the lame look of the photographer's cover pitch & with others about "Vogue Africa" being way, way too broad a concept, pick a nation.

 

[iluvjeisa]

I like the sound of Vogue South Africa. If it could be sold as a more avantgarde black fashion magazine it would be quite the feather in the hat considering the history of South Africa.

Someone should pitch n'prune that idea and sell it to Michelle Obama

 

[KhaoticKharma]

An African edition of Vogue would be incredible. But covering a whole continent would be difficult.

My only problem with a Vogue SA is that it would be full of reprints from the UK, USA and Japan.

While my initial inclination is to agree, I can't help but think of how innovative and beautiful Vogues in India, Turkey, and Greece have proven to be. I'm fairly certain those countries are all in the same economic "ballpark" so to speak, so who's to say that Vogue South Africa couldn't possibly become something similar?

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

I'm agreeing with everyone in the sense that Vogue South Africa would
be a lot better than Vogue Africa....its judt to broad whereas VSA would sell amazingly
if they featured a perfect combination of African models who are black and not black

 

[Yupes]

Perhaps they could segment the market into 5 regions not too dissimilar to the image below. Essentially into 5 regional vogue magazines – in the South an English African Vogue; East Swahili Vogue; North Arabic Vogue; in centre Africa a French African Vogue and finally a West-African Vogue. Some problems do arise. What can be done with the French speaking countries in the West, are they to be incorporated into the Centre-African or West-African Vogue Magazine edition? What of the portuguese speaking countries in the South and none Swahii speaking countries to the East?

The current market is not strong enough for singular-country Vogue Magazines. However, within 20 years Africa Vogue whether regional or country specific will be available. Discretionary income is projected to rise by 50 percent over the next 8 years, reaching 128 million. If Condé Nast continues its’ traditional country specific model, they could still cater for more regional consumer base through the dominant economies. You would therefore have a South African, Egyptian, Congolese, Kenyan and Nigerian Vogue Magazines each capturing something of the region’s they inhabit.

An African edition of Vogue would be incredible. But covering a whole continent would be difficult.

afdb​

 

[Heroin_Chic]

The time for an african Vogue hasn`t come yet. ****Edited****

Africa lacks two things that are essential for Vogue; on own high fashion & lifestyle industry and a wide interest in (& ability to afford) luxury goods.

Vogue lives from its advertising and would advertise his luxury jewellery in a magazine who`s readers *Edtied to say: ..... may not be able to buy the advertised goods.

 

[Palssie]

The time for an african Vogue hasn`t come yet. **Edited***
Africa lacks two things that are essential for Vogue; on own high fashion & lifestyle industry and a wide interest in (& ability to afford) luxury goods.

Vogue lives from its advertising and would advertise his luxury jewellery in a magazine who`s readers *Edtied to say: ..... may not be able to buy the advertised goods.

****Edited****

I agree that a Vogue Africa would have to cover way too many countries, but a Vogue South Africa would definitely work. ***Edtied**** we're able to pop by Louis Vuitton if we want to. Or maybe go to Gucci, Max Mara, etc.

(Obviously I'm not implying the majority of South Africans shop at Louis Vuitton regularly, but neither does the majority of Americans, so you get my point.)

 

[Palssie]

***Edtied*** to remove response to edited posts.


LabelWhore4 is right, there are literally all the other regular fashion/lifestyle magazines, as well as all the high end shops.

So my point is that there IS a market for luxury in South Africa. Nobody is saying that poverty doesn't exist. All I'm saying is that there are many people who live an abundantly luxurious lifestyle in South Africa, sometimes to the point where it becomes ostentatious, and whether or not they should be donating their money rather than buying Gucci has nothing to do with the fact that a Vogue South Africa would work. As I said, I do think a Vogue Africa would probably be too vast.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

The time for an african Vogue hasn`t come yet. ****Edited****​

Africa lacks two things that are essential for Vogue; on own high fashion & lifestyle industry and a wide interest in (& ability to afford) luxury goods.​

Vogue lives from its advertising and would advertise his luxury jewellery in a magazine who`s readers *Edtied to say: ..... may not be able to buy the advertised goods.

i live in Africa where am a designer ***Edited to remove response to edited post.*** Google websites like bellanaija.com or eLLE south Africa or shadders​

 

[BetteT]

Moderators Note:

Careful everyone! You may not discuss "politics" and that includes taking about a country's or region's impoverished people and what anyone should do about it ... whether it be Conde Nast, the govenment or the citizens. Stats from relieable sources without posting your judgement are OK as long as they support the topic ... which is whether or not Conde Nast will create a Vogue Africa.

Secondly ... this is a two year old topic, so it's old news ... they already said no.