What Should Condé Nast/Vogue Do To Still Be THE Fashion Bible Moving Forward?

[FelipeV]

Fire Anna Wintour.

 

[LoveFashion25]

Fire Anna Wintour.

This is a start.

 

[mepps]

Vogue hasn't been a "fashion" anything in years.
It's just pr for actresses, and singers. They play dress up for a day, and hopefully get some mild buzz for a week. Rinse repeat.
Absolutely no one talks about a Vogue cover more than a few days, and that's a stretch. Also, the focus on "wokeness" and politics has absolutely killed Vogue,
and the only person to blame for that is Anna Wintour. For better or worse, the other Vogues have followed her lead, and it's to their own ruin.Edward is extra ridiculous,
with his bizarre obsession with American social issues. Vogue Italia has been a joke since Franca died, and now Alt might be getting pushed out.

Life is difficult and challenging in so many ways, great and small.
Fashion is about beauty, fantasy, and joy, or at least it was.
So much of what is currently described as "fashion" is joyless, ugly, and dull.
Sadly Vogue has forsaken it's roots, for social media likes. Unfortunately emojis don't pay the bills.

 

[LoveFashion25]

Vogue hasn't been a "fashion" anything in years.
It's just pr for actresses, and singers. They play dress up for a day, and hopefully get some mild buzz for a week. Rinse repeat.
Absolutely no one talks about a Vogue cover more than a few days, and that's a stretch. Also, the focus on "wokeness" and politics has absolutely killed Vogue,
and the only person to blame for that is Anna Wintour. For better or worse, the other Vogues have followed her lead, and it's to their own ruin.Edward is extra ridiculous,
with his bizarre obsession with American social issues. Vogue Italia has been a joke since Franca died, and now Alt might be getting pushed out.

Life is difficult and challenging in so many ways, great and small.
Fashion is about beauty, fantasy, and joy, or at least it was.
So much of what is currently described as "fashion" is joyless, ugly, and dull.
Sadly Vogue has forsaken it's roots, for social media likes. Unfortunately emojis don't pay the bills.

Yup! If they keep this up there won’t be a future for Vogue. No one really talks about it. Also now fashion houses uses influencers to get their advertisements.

 

[farshogar]

Especially because the new industry “icons” being shoved down our throats for political and social reasons are so transparently egomaniacs wearing sheep’s clothing.

If I have to hear ONE more person’s monologue about how they, themselves, personally, are so “humbled” to be representing X, Y or Z group, I’m going to barf.

The thinly veiled narcissism of these people is so nauseating. It’s like, b*tch, quit acting like a sainted martyr for your cause…we all know what you’re all really here for is to be gloating about yourselves for Vogue and plugging your vanity Instagram account of “curated” “sl*tty, yet ironic” selfies.

Exactly! They're out here chasing likes and shares as if it's as valuable a quantifier of success as magazine sales. They need to align on their priorities, whether they want to run as a blog on social media or as the premier publication on fashion. And then act like that.

 

[farshogar]

Vogue hasn't been a "fashion" anything in years.
It's just pr for actresses, and singers. They play dress up for a day, and hopefully get some mild buzz for a week. Rinse repeat.
Absolutely no one talks about a Vogue cover more than a few days, and that's a stretch. Also, the focus on "wokeness" and politics has absolutely killed Vogue,
and the only person to blame for that is Anna Wintour. For better or worse, the other Vogues have followed her lead, and it's to their own ruin.Edward is extra ridiculous,
with his bizarre obsession with American social issues. Vogue Italia has been a joke since Franca died, and now Alt might be getting pushed out.

Life is difficult and challenging in so many ways, great and small.
Fashion is about beauty, fantasy, and joy, or at least it was.
So much of what is currently described as "fashion" is joyless, ugly, and dull.
Sadly Vogue has forsaken it's roots, for social media likes. Unfortunately emojis don't pay the bills.

It's funny how the very thing Anna did that made Vogue revolutionary for its time – putting stars on its covers – is the thing that eventually led to its downfall

 

[LoveFashion25]

It's funny how the very thing Anna did that made Vogue revolutionary for its time – putting stars on its covers – is the thing that eventually led to its downfall

She lost her touch.

 

[dsamg]

While I agree with everything in this thread, is there even a substantial portion of the population who loves snd respects fashion and its history anymore? Using this forum as a sample size the answer is probably no. I want Vogue to cater to us again but I just don't see many of us our there anymore or at least enough to make up a financially significant market. Unfortunately it is possible there is just no use for Vogue anymore.

 

[farshogar]

While I agree with everything in this thread, is there even a substantial portion of the population who loves snd respects fashion and its history anymore? Using this forum as a sample size the answer is probably no. I want Vogue to cater to us again but I just don't see many of us our there anymore or at least enough to make up a financially significant market. Unfortunately it is possible there is just no use for Vogue anymore.

I never thought of it that way, but now I completely agree with you. I feel that there's an entire generation of people who are used to reading images on a screen instead of a magazine (not that that's a bad thing), and that Vogue cannot survive unless they shift to more digital-first approach. Which I do think they are doing. The preview for Vogue Scandinavia seemed to feature a lot of video interviews, and that might really be the best route for the magazine. And while the MET gala isn't a signifier for what Vogue is doing, I do believe the level of involvement Instagram has for the one in Sept is very telling of what could possibly be in the works for Vogue US in the future.

 

[LoveFashion25]

I never thought of it that way, but now I completely agree with you. I feel that there's an entire generation of people who are used to reading images on a screen instead of a magazine (not that that's a bad thing), and that Vogue cannot survive unless they shift to more digital-first approach. Which I do think they are doing. The preview for Vogue Scandinavia seemed to feature a lot of video interviews, and that might really be the best route for the magazine. And while the MET gala isn't a signifier for what Vogue is doing, I do believe the level of involvement Instagram has for the one in Sept is very telling of what could possibly be in the works for Vogue US in the future.

You think they will try to tag Met Gala with Vogue?

 

[farshogar]

You think they will try to tag Met Gala with Vogue?

I'm not sure exactly what role instagram will play in the gala. Will they be livestreaming it on the app in some massive way? Will they be featuring the images? Will IG influencers be making an appearance at the Gala? It's all vague to me and I haven't really read anything about it so far. But I personally feel this is Anna bringing IG into her world and using it as a tool for... something? Idk its all speculative from me.

 

[LoveFashion25]

I'm not sure exactly what role instagram will play in the gala. Will they be livestreaming it on the app in some massive way? Will they be featuring the images? Will IG influencers be making an appearance at the Gala? It's all vague to me and I haven't really read anything about it so far. But I personally feel this is Anna bringing IG into her world and using it as a tool for... something? Idk its all speculative from me.

Oh she needs these IG influencers since thats the world we live in

 

[LoveFashion25]

While I agree with everything in this thread, is there even a substantial portion of the population who loves snd respects fashion and its history anymore? Using this forum as a sample size the answer is probably no. I want Vogue to cater to us again but I just don't see many of us our there anymore or at least enough to make up a financially significant market. Unfortunately it is possible there is just no use for Vogue anymore.

They could have found a way. I don't believe we are the minority.

 

[Bertrando3]

@dior_couture1245 literally took all the words out of my mouth on this case.
Conde Nast was a force that created models, fashion trends, and ruled fashion discussion. Now, in the age of Instathots, CN is not at the top, being at the bottom off the chain. They followed the slightest pressure of political quakes and social discussion and try to cater to whatever thing is hot. Instead of creative diversity, fashion and intellectual discussion, they shove "models" to us that people put on a pedestal due to quite questionable standards (e.g. Paloma Elsesser, Hailey Bieber or Adwoa Aboah).

They don't understand that niche is the new mainstream, and true fashion and luxury consumers and enthusiasts are being pressured out and suffocated by all the diversion from actual fashion. I don't care about nearly any magazine anymore at all. These days I literally just either read fashion books, or order and read Vestoj. Sometimes I do purchase an occasional Visionaire due to the art value it has. Vogue, on the other hand, is not a collectible anymore, it is a glossy toilet paper now. I do not remember a single collectible issue in the past 5 years. Actually, the last collectible issue simply out of my mind would be Carine's Lara boobs anniversary issue.

All of this is additionally ruined by the lack of any thought anywhere. Fashion is not smart anymore, the last one standing, Prada, was recently destroyed by Raf Simons. McQueen, bless his soul... Highland R*pe, VOSS, Plato, each one was, first of all, smart and inspired. We all know what it is now - Gucci has the brand, the look, but no substance, it is all just visual gimmicks with a logo, and same comes for the vast majority - fashion, just as the majority go humanity, became shallow and fast-consume culture-infused. Photographers no longer have research, built sets, stories, or etc., there is also no substance - it is literally some SJW pandering with an arrogant face, and, unfortunately, even the new very promising ones, like Leslie Zhang or Carlijn Jacobs, lack story telling and dream, although they nail the aesthetics and technical ability.

Going onto 99% of fashion resources makes me irritated and tired, I do not anticipate it. The idea is dead. Even on Instagram, if someone has an idea, it is all about ego - a MUA, a stylist, a photographer, everybody, it is them first and the rest comes after, don't even start about bloggers. Before, in Vogue, what worked is:

It was about the reputation. Steven Meisel became iconic because of his work, not that his work became iconic immediately because he was simple Steven Meisel and paid $$$ to Facebook Ads to promote his Insta page.

Content was regulated. Cr*p stuff wouldn't just cut it and would be buried by the editor, there was strict quality control.

Pandering was not existent and wouldn't work. There was no shortcut for sales, you couldn't just splash a random pseudo-activist on a cover and write promising cover lines, because social media was not so present. It had to be someone who earned it, good or bad means, but still earned it.

I myself don't know of any good media channel for quality fashion and quality content, for a mature consumer and enthusiast.

THISSSSSS THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS AMEN ahaahahha I agree on every word OMG !!! ''Pandering was not existent and wouldn't work. There was no shortcut for sales, you couldn't just splash a random pseudo-activist on a cover and write promising cover lines, because social media was not so present. It had to be someone who earned it, good or bad means, but still earned it.'' Nowadays it's all that we have lol + ''they shove "models" to us that people put on a pedestal due to quite questionable standards (e.g. Paloma Elsesser, Hailey Bieber or Adwoa Aboah).'' EXACTLY

 

[Norden]

dontbeadrag great points!
I think vogue is suffering from a complete malaise across the whole fashion industry. Fashion is so centred around merchandise and devoid of ideas that its very hard to build any fantasy around it. I also think to run vogue in the way that we loved it is impossible now. Its simply too expensive. I actually don't get this diversification and localisation. I think it takes away the focus and challenge of creating an interesting global report on fashion. maybe its just a dead idea? like the mall.

 

[JohannesL]

Nowadays corporate brands are more powerful than Vogue in many ways. Back in the days, I kind of love the way mainstream newspapers covering fashion. If celebrites have helped pushing fashion to the mass, for better or worse, it's time to dump them and return to the old VI/VP business model. Of course, CN would trade money for anything for sure. LOL!

 

[Lola701]

They could have found a way. I don't believe we are the minority.

We are a minority…

Our reactions or decisions are drive by emotion, everything that is going on in the industry today is drive by pragmatism.

If we were a majority, everything would be different.
To even go further, I’m a minority in my appreciation of fashion as a woman. I don’t care seeing athletic bodies in magazines. I’m not even a subscriber in that whole social and political movement. For me it was important to have all races represented..That’s it. I don’t want to see landscape on the cover of a fashion magazine because when I buy a fashion magazine, i want to see fashion.

We are in a era where consumerism is at an all time high. We consumer images, food, fashion, informations, music in a insane way. I don’t know sometimes if we realize the insane number of images creatives have to deliver in order to feed their platforms. They have to create faster, cheaper and more. How to deal with that when Databases are What drive more and more businesses.

The challenges today are different than they were 15 years ago. Having celebrities today don’t have the same meaning than 15 years ago. No celebrity is selling like 15 years ago…But celebrities assure engagement.

In a world where things get bigger and bigger, there are still things that are incredibly lower in scales. Rihanna might be one the biggest celebrity in the world and maybe one of the biggest influencer in fashion today. She can sell out make up but can’t sell an album at 10millions of copies.

Do you think her appearing on the cover of Vogue helps the sales? Not that much…But the level of engagement it creates is perfect for the advertisers.

Back in the days, editors received letters and except them and the suits, nobody had access to those « complains » from readers. Some maybe terminated their subscriptions but as long as sales were good and revenues were booming, it didn’t matter. Today, at a time when sales are not good , revenues are still fine but harder to maintain at a certain standard, editors have to take in consideration those millions of letters that are comments on social media. In return, it influences your product, no matter how hard you try.

Pragmatism is the word that define the industry today.

Vogue will be different. It will remain Vogue but it won’t be what it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. It’s a new era and it means new standards.

 

[LoveFashion25]

Nowadays corporate brands are more powerful than Vogue in many ways. Back in the days, I kind of love the way mainstream newspapers covering fashion. If celebrites have helped pushing fashion to the mass, for better or worse, it's time to dump them and return to the old VI/VP business model. Of course, CN would trade money for anything for sure. LOL!

Yep their influence is dwindling and now corporations like LVMH and influencers have more influence and power(sadly).

 

[Caffeine]

Throw out their current strategy. Entirely. They're like dumb dogs. Everything they're doing is failing and they're going full speed ahead in the same direction, creatively, artistically, everything....it's like...obviously what you're doing is NOT working. At all. Maybe think about what made you great when you were at the top of your game, and think about how to translate that for now. Pandering to millenial and zoomer activists isn't working. Those people don't buy Vogue. They've alienated their core fashion consumer because those of us who care about fashion, care about fashion. I don't care about all the other junk they're pushing now. I don't like the photographers they're using, I don't like the "models," I don't like the celebrities, and I don't like the content. And someone like me IS who their clientele should be. They should be thinking about ME when they're making their magazine. I'm not saying that selfishly - I'm saying that because I am someone who is interested and involved in fashion. That's who their true base IS. But they don't care about us anymore.

They sold out thinking they'd hit the jackpot catering to this new demographic, but now they're left in the cold and penniless and they're too embarrassed to come back inside and apologize to those of us who are still here and ready to buy the magazine again when it's actually what it should be again.

100%
I love fashion. I cancelled Vogue when they started spending pages upon pages to promote political or cultural agenda rather than fashion. I want to read about lasage tweeds and Dior couture making process, not virtue signaling articles showing off how woke the editors are. I'm paying money for pleasure, not to be lectured on or to feel pain. I'll buy Vogue again when they make people feel good, showing truly beautiful models, and gorgeous clothes I can actually purchase and wear.

 

[Caffeine]

I remember there were articles on Harpers on how to style a blouse, for instance, and they would show many options from the inexpensive to Chanel. We all need that kind of professional advice rather than instagram pictures that push for ONE look/product. Well, I guess I must be a dinosaur!