The History of Vogue: The Fashion Bible
Vogue Timeline
1892
First Published Issue of Vogue (1892)
Photo: Richard Magazine
Vogue was founded in 1892 by creator Arthur Baldwin Turnure. The magazine began as a weekly high-society journal for the social elite in New York City. Vogue covered news of social etiquette, the local social scene, the traditions of high society, along with reviews for books, plays, and music.
1909
Cover of Vogue July 15, 1909
Photo: Vogue
In 1909, Vogue was bought by Condé Montrose Nast, the founder of Condé Nast Publications. Vogue was reconstructed into a women’s fashion magazine that highlighted beauty, composure, and etiquette. Shortly after Nast took over, Vogue became recognized for its high quality photographs and editorial quality. According to Britannica, Nast hired the best illustrators and photographers of the time, and they consistently created sophisticated covers.
1932
Cover of Vogue March 1, 1932
Photo: Vogue
Vogue became one of the first magazines of the time to produce a colored photo on its cover.
1960s
Cover of Vogue June 3, 1965
Photo: Vogue
The magazine changed the look of their models to highlight thin gender-neutral physiques rather than ‘shapely’ figures.
1974
Cover of Vogue August 1974
Photo: Vogue
Vogue’s August issue in 1974 featured their first African American model on its cover.
1988
Anna Wintour’s first Vogue Cover, November 1988
Photo: Vogue
In 1988, Anna Wintour became the editor of Vogue. Immediately she made changes to the magazine by centering the focus on the woman’s body rather than just the face. Frequently, Vogue featured Hollywood actresses to gain more attention to the magazine, and as a result, Vogue had spiked in popularity.
2003
Beyonce Teen Vogue Cover, February 2004
Photo: Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue was created by Anna Wintour in 2003. The magazine features fashion, hair, and makeup trends as well as celebrity interviews, and music and film reviews. The magazine was targeted towards a teen audience ages 13-19. Teen Vogue was created to help teen girls find their sense of identity and develop their morals and values.
2005-2008
Will Smith Cover of Men’s Vogue 2008
Photo: Ebay
Anna Wintour created Men’s Vogue in 2005. By 2008, the last issue of Men’s Vogue was published and has not been continued. According to Intelligencer, Condé Nast, the global media company that produces Vogue, announced that Men’s Vogue would be ‘absorbed into Vogue’ but not be a specific section within the magazine.
2009
Photo: IMDb
2009 had been a successful year for Vogue magazine. The year began with the release of the documentary The September Issue, an inside look at the production of the magazine’s record-breaking 840 page September 2007 issue. The documentary also contains interviews with Anna Wintour and other employees of Vogue as they strived for perfection for their September issue.
Also in the year 2009, The New York Times had given Vogue the label, “The Fashion Bible”, which has since then stuck to the high reputation of the fashion magazine.
