Vogue Flashcards
(5 cards)
Product & Industry Context
Origins & Ownership: Vogue began in 1892 as a high-society journal; became a fashion magazine under Condé Nast from 1905. British Vogue launched in 1916.
Current Positioning: High-end, monthly women’s lifestyle and fashion magazine with ABC1 educated, affluent female readership.
Edward Enninful’s Impact (2017–): First Black and male editor of British Vogue. He’s widened Vogue’s cultural appeal and led the magazine into more inclusive, politically engaged, and digitally savvy territory.
Audience Shift: From women aged 30–45 to a more diverse, younger, globally aware audience, especially through social media and digital subscriptions.
Media Language
Masthead: Classic Didot font since the 1950s—tall, elegant, statuesque—symbolizing Vogue’s authority in fashion.
Colour Palette: Red (power, celebration, strength), silver-grey, white, and black (elegance and sophistication).
Layout & Composition: Rule of thirds and Z-pattern guide the reader’s eye. Use of direct gaze and hand gesture enhances Malala’s grace, power, and relatability.
Typography & Messaging:
“Survivor, Activist, Legend” anchors Malala’s status.
Alliteration (“Love after lockdown”) and confident tone convey Vogue’s authority in lifestyle.
Fashion content is balanced with political and cultural features, expanding the brand’s traditional remit.
Representation
Malala’s Presence: A bold, symbolic choice. She represents resistance, intelligence, tradition, and modernity.
Red dupatta symbolizes cultural celebration and power.
Soft elegance + direct gaze = confident blend of tradition and modernity.
Her identity challenges Western assumptions of Muslim women as passive or voiceless.
Wider Represental Shift
Historically low representation of Black and Asian women.
Enninful’s appointment is a watershed moment, signaling intentional inclusion.
Vogue covers post-2018 have featured a wider range of ethnicities, sizes, ages, and backgrounds.
Malala’s inclusion also subtly references the political crisis in Afghanistan (2021) without being overt.
Social, Cultural & Historical Context
Fashion Meets Politics: Malala’s image coincides with the final withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and Taliban resurgence.
Cultural Identity: Her quote (“you can have your voice within your culture”) underlines the possibility of empowerment without abandoning cultural or religious identity.
Enninful’s Editorial Vision: Seeks to redefine who is seen as beautiful, fashionable, and powerful in mainstream media.
Audience Reaction: While many applauded the move, not all were on board—some may have questioned fashion’s place in political discourse or found the blend too unconventional.
