Vogue

Question 1

1960s magazine industry

Answer 1

• less crowded market place
• dominated by a small number of major publishers

Question 2

Modern magazine industry

Answer 2

• dominant by major publishers (e.g. Hearst)
• much wider range of titles available
• greater competition for readers

Question 3

Print to online magazines

Answer 3

• print circulation is falling
• rise in digital sales
• magazines now need a strong online and social media presence
• magazines now need a clear, unique brand identity to compete with

Question 4

Niche vs mainstream magazines popularity

Answer 4

• mainstream lifestyle magazines have struggled to survive
• wider range of niche/specialised magazines available
• unique selling point & loyal audience = successful

Question 5

Regulation within the magazine industry

Answer 5

• self-regulated
• IPSO set the industry standards

Question 6

Who publishes Vogue?

Answer 6

Conde Naste - a large American mainstream conglomerate that is owned by Vance publications which produces other magazines such as The New Yorker and Vanity Fair

Question 7

When was Vogue first published?

Answer 7

1916

Question 8

When was the set edition of vogue published?

Answer 8

July 1965

Question 9

How much did the set text of Vogue cost?

Answer 9

3 shillings (36 old pennies) which is between £3-4 now.

Question 10

When did women’s magazines become popular?

Answer 10

Post-war period

Question 11

Women’s magazines in post war period stats

Answer 11

12 million copies a week

Question 12

What was Vogue like when it first began?

Answer 12

• linked to the theme of art
• used for morale during the war (British government supported it)
• committed to championing bold fearless women

Question 13

Vogue target audience

Answer 13

Affluent, fashion and style conscious females aged 30-45

Question 14

What are cover lines?

Answer 14

Used on the front cover of a magazine to give readers an insight into the content and main articles of the magazine

Question 15

(Vogue) Who is on the set text front cover?

Answer 15

Sophia Loren - Oscar wringing Italian actress who was at the height of her fame in the mid 1960s

Question 16

(Vogue) What is the front cover layout like?

Answer 16

• dominant central image to
• lack of cover-lines (breaks conventions) to focus on image

Question 17

(Vogue) What is the masthead like?

Answer 17

• over the top of Loren’s image
• not very clear but clearly recognisable
• iconic fashion brand
• ‘Vogue’ means fashion/fashionable in French (connotations of style and sophistication)
• sans serif font (targets a more upper class audience)

Question 18

(Vogue) Front cover language

Answer 18

• list of words relating to the content (linguistic technique to capture attention)
• ‘mad midsummer’ (connotes breaking free of conventions/restraints - hinting at emerging freedoms of the 1960s especially for women)
• ‘sheiks Sophia’ (connotations of ‘otherness’/exoticism)
• ‘scintillate’ (stereotypical norms of femininity/beauty, women must be scintillating in every environment)
• ‘even at a picnic’ (readers may not have glamorous/exotic holidays but it is relevant for all summer occasions)

Question 19

(Vogue) Elements of narrative on the front cover

Answer 19

Enigma - why is there a link to sheiks?

Sheiks = leader of religious community (sometimes specifically Muslim)

Question 20

(Vogue) What are the cover lines like on the front cover?

Answer 20

• unconventional (list, lower case)
• more contemporary but unusual for 1965
• gives the sense that Vogue breaks conventions, it is individual and stands out (would appeal to more independent women)

Question 21

(Vogue) What is the main image like on the front cover?

Answer 21

It is a photo of Sophie Loren - a still by David Bailey from her latest film Lady L.

She is dressed as a Turkish dancer.

She is a ‘mythic’ notion of femininity that is aspirational - potential a sense of the ‘desired self’ that a reader wishes to become

Question 22

(Vogue) Mise-en-scene on front cover

Answer 22

• iridescent turquoise colour palette connotes glamour, luxury and wealth
• emphasised by the feathers, pearls and jewels
• her make-up clearly emphasises her dark brown eyes (stereotypical notion of female beauty)

Question 23

(Vogue) How does the front cover reflect the social/cultural context?

Answer 23

• there is a sense of economic prosperity (luxury/glamour)
• Sophia Loren is an iconic film star of the 1960s