WORDS OF WISDOM FOR NEW VOGUE
SO Alexandra Shulman chose the historic September issue of British Vogue to take her final bow as editor in chief of the worldfamous fashion magazine.
The stunning cover featured veteran models Kate Moss and Stella Tennant as well as newbies Nora Atall, Jean Campbell and Edie Campbell all shimmering in Alexander McQueen and photographed by Mario Testino.
Shulman included a two-page retrospective and heartfelt farewell, thanking those who had stood by her but also giving a fascinating insight of how the landscape of both fashion, and how we consume media, has dramatically changed during her tenure.
I felt nostalgic being taken on the journey from when Vogue was “just” a magazine. I grew up in an analogue world and, although I fully embrace the digital one, I do wonder in this era of swipe and tap – where imagery rules and words are squashed into hashtags and 140 character sentences – how will people consume actual facts?
Instagram is a revolution and the instantaneous way we now share news is the future. But what about words, opinions and facts?
In fashion, perhaps the current climate for narcissism is acceptable? After all a picture tells a thousand words. Some might say designers no longer want to give the back story to their collections. But this isn’t just about frocks. I’ve grown up reading features in magazines such as Vogue on travel, food, health and culture, accompanied by beautiful imagery of course. But isn’t knowledge too important to squash it into a hashtag? How can you review a 40-piece Chanel collection or a week on safari in South Africa in 140 characters?
So, as incoming editor Edward Enninful takes the reins at Vogue, I look forward to seeing how he values the written word.