vogue

context

published by conde nast & owned by advance publications

is a monthly 'glossy' magazine with high production values

primary focus = fashion & style, but set edition features travel & finance (broader appeal)

conde nast also publishes gq & glamour

1960s = fashion photography emerged, replacing illustrations

c&c's of 1960s women's magazines = coverlines related to cooking & looking good & main image as a close-up of a glamorous woman's face

  • a decade of significant change in the industry - traditional publishers were swallowed up by new conglomerates, most notably international publishing corporation (ipc) but also conde nast
  • conde nast = still a big magazine publisher in the uk industry
  • there was also a rise of consumerism & cultural revolution with new trends emerging

audience

demographics

  • 18-35 = adverts about motherhood & makeup
  • women = female editors, ads
  • white = white models
  • abc1 = idea of travel, money article

psychographics

  • mainstreamers = well-known actress, trusted brands
  • aspirers = aspiring to be the women represented
  • succeeders = those with money can show that

representations

gender reps

ethnic reps

front cover

sophia loren

italian film star, beauty queen & pageant winner

  • sophia is not entirely central, rejecting rule of thirds & is non-conforming
  • the masthead is still the top layer on the cover, but blends & fades into sophia showing her power but is also a strong brand that doesn't need to be extremely clear
  • lack of cover lines = vogue speaks for itself & can focus entirely on loren
  • image is a close-up, slightly low-angle connoting her domination
  • her blue costume is a stereotypically masculine colour, challenging stereotypes
  • gold jewellery connotes wealth & success
  • heavy makeup breaks conventions of 1960s housewives & therefore female identity

contents page

codes & conventions

  • language eg alliteration ('heatwave holiday')
  • features on fashion, style & culture

social, cultural & historical context

  • focus on 'exclusive' places, eg dubai & nile
  • fashion reflects culture & trends

target audience

  • assumed to have high disposable income, due to consumerist focus
  • cultural competence, eg assumes understanding of 'dolce vita'

heatwave holiday article

  • shows progressive femininity as article is about female independence & travel
  • clear confidence in women's own sexuality, with direct gaze & open body positioning, empowering them

money article

  • women becoming financially independent to men
  • written by a woman for women, acknowledging the aspiring readership

nile image

  • progressive view of femininity, as women are able to travel, tapping into growing sense of female liberation in 1960s
  • however gender roles are maintained as man is in suit doing work, showing women as an accessory

adverts

  • imperial leather = infantilisation of women's beauty ("skin as soft as a child's") & image shows her in stereotypical maternal role
  • cutex = stereotypically feminine colour palette & naked woman = perhaps invitational & sexualised
  • revlon = instructions on how to apply makeup is like a guide to be beautiful, & image shows blue eyeshadow to stand out, suggesting this is what defines her

ethnic reps in 60s

  • mainstream women's mags often criticised for lack of racial & ethnic diversity
  • few black celebs are sometimes whitewashed
  • female beauty defined in relation to a white ideal
  • other cultures & ethnic groups defined as the 'exotic' other, especially as travel wasn't accessible to everyone

nile image

  • white model in centre third, with non-white companions at the edges, focusing on the model
  • model having fun whilst others are working, reinforcing white power
  • model's costume reflects egyptian culture, empowering it

industry

regulator of the magazine industry = independent press standards organisation - vogue is an ipso member, but tbi is not

the editor's code of practice = outlines areas under which editors need to be regulated, including:

  • reporting of crime
  • reporting suicide
  • financial journalism

theorists

livingstone & lunt

  • while the magazine industry is largely self-regulated, there are sometimes concerns over monopolies & oligopolies
  • this role was performed by the monopolies commission, ensuring fairness & no domination

curran & seaton

  • major publishers like conde nast build power by merging with other rival publishing companies to reduce competition, as the power is concentrated in the hands of fewer companies
  • this concentration of ownership limits creativity but also reduces choice to audiences
  • control of magazine market by a small group of companies are driven by profit & concentration of ownership

gerbner

  • repeated exposure to glamorous models & luxury beauty products may cultivate the idea that women should always look glamorous
  • repetitive adverts for luxury products persuade the aspirational reader to purchase these to achieve the luxurious lifestyle they aim to live

gilroy = use of traditional clothing defines egypt/africa with the colonial vision & represents ethnicity as 'other'

bell hooks = vogue actively represents empowered & independent women in articles & front cover, however adverts show its still a struggle

butler = adverts present & reinforce ideals of 'how to be a woman' & how to perform in this way

gauntlett = vogue allows women to pick & mix ways to construct their identity

levi-strauss

  • liberation vs repression = bold eye makeup & serious facial expression, vs other mags like woman's realm
  • feminine vs masculine = makeup & jewellery vs facial expression & no visible hair