In the world of fashion, Vogue has always been the pinnacle of the industry, and this publication defines fashion itself. However, as influencers and alternative means go against mainstream fashion, is there still a need to listen to Vogue?
For context, Anna Wintour, the former editor-in-chief of U.S. Vogue, stepped down in 2025 with Chloe Malle taking over that September.
When Malle took over, I defended her as she was finding her footing. However, this recent cover of Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere disappointed me. The September issue of Vogue is typically the most important issue of the year and carries the most information about the industry, but this cover felt void of personality and felt like it could belong to another magazine.
Compared to other editions of the magazine like Vogue India, Vogue U.K., Vogue China, Vogue Japan, and Vogue Arabia, U.S. Vogue is lacking in terms of artistry and fashion’s core purpose: art. You can try to sell products while also selling a vision.
It feels like U.S. Vogue has lost its ways. What used to be location shoots turned into gray backgrounds and lack of artistic vision. Publications like Interview and i-D prove that there is still a market that values covers that are avant-garde.
After working in communications you learn that “never judge a book by its cover” doesn’t necessarily apply to magazines when you are supposed to allure your audience with an enticing image and headline, but the September issue falls short of that. You see a cool pose, cool outfit, and a beautiful homage to Kaia’s mother’s old, iconic shoot with the pub, but there’s something missing.
Ultimately, Vogue is still the mainstream publication for the world of fashion and will never be gone, but being void of color and personality is losing a large part of their audience.
