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VoguE

America’s Fashion Bible

August 1954 cover featuring Young
By Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher Americana Fashions for 1954 during
the “Decade of [Jennifer] Daves”
n December 17, 1892, American spread” to Vogue pages, and replacing the magazine’s illustrated covers
businessman and socialite Arthur with photographic images.
OBaldwin Turnure published the Today, Vogue is a monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine covering
inaugural issue of Vogue, a weekly high- the novelties of fashion and beauty with curated editorial topics focused
society journal whose editorial mission was on haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Vogue’s
to chronicle the fashion, society, and influence in the fashion world is unmatched, as is the magazine’s ability
culture of America’s Gilded Age elite, to turn models into household names and launch the careers of new
known as “The 400” for the number of designers. Here in the U.S. and around the world with 26 international
society guests that could presumably be editions and a massive international social media following, Vogue is the
accommodated in Mrs. Astor’s ballroom. fashion industry’s bible and the inspiration behind past and future
Turnure conceived Vogue as “a dignified generations of designers, fashionistas, and young girls who imagine
authentic journal of society, fashion, and themselves on the cover of Vogue.
Arthur Baldwin Turnure,
founder and publisher the ceremonial side of life,” targeted at “the
of Vogue sage as well as the debutante; men of affairs The Cover of Vogue
as well as the belle.” In fact, the inaugural Few media opportunities are more desired by models, celebrities,
cover featured a black-and-white drawing of a debutante by A. B. actresses, and anyone who loves fashion than being on the cover of
Wenzel. This same artist would Vogue. It sky-rockets careers, defines moments in time, and
later illustrate Edith Wharton’s makes fashion history.
House of Mirth, a Gilded Age In the early years, Vogue featured the best illustrators
tragedy about the New York elite, of the day on its covers, including A. B. Wenzel,
who formed the core of Vogue’s Edouard Garcia Benito, and Frank Xavier Leyendecker.
earliest audience. Today, these early illustration Vogue covers by now
Turnure’s Vogue cost 10 cents iconic illustrators of the early 20th century command
and covered news of the local the greatest resale value. Vogue abandoned illustration
social scene, traditions of high for fashion photography when it was recognized as an
society, and social etiquette; it also art form in the mid-1930s, leading to a decline in the
reviewed books, plays, and music. use of working illustrators among publications across
It quickly became de rigueur the board.
reading among the elite and the The July 1932 Vogue
aspirational. cover became one of the
Condé Montrose Nast, the first magazines to print a
founder of Condé Nast Public- color photo on its cover.
ations, purchased Vogue in 1909, The photograph was
three years after Turnure’s death, taken by renowned photo-
changing everything about the grapher Edward Jean
magazine except its name, which Steichen and portrayed a
means fashion in French. woman swimmer holding
Condé Nast’s vision for Vogue a beach ball in the air.
was a publication focused almost Over the decades, the edi-
entirely on women and fashion. In tors at Vogue collaborated
a few short years, he transformed The cover of the first issue of Vogue, with the best, most vision-
Vogue from a social gazette with a released on December 17, 1892 ary photographers from
limited audience into a more pop- around the world to
ulace women’s fashion magazine focused on beauty, composure, and produce award-winning
etiquette. Nast also turned Vogue into a biweekly publication (Vogue covers and photo spreads
turned monthly in 1973), and looked to his covers to create traction for for the magazine that is
the magazine’s editorial and fashion point of view. The new Vogue consistently sophisticated,
quickly became known for its distinctive covers, relevant editorial, and aspirational, buzz-worthy,
award-winning fashion images. and occasionally revolu-
Nast died in 1942 having realized his vision, turning Vogue into a The first Vogue cover using a photograph tionary. Over the decades,
for the entire image taken by Edward
successful business and the women’s magazine we recognize today. Nast Steichen just as photography was being photographers such as
was also credited with introducing color printing and the “two-page Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton,
recognized as an art form.
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