A century of Vogue and what it says about women
The British edition of the style bible marks its centenary this month. Here Maddy Searle looks at the most iconic covers and discovers what they tell us about womanhood, fashion, celebrity and society
THE fashion bible Vogue turns 100 years old this Thursday. The magazine was first published in the UK in September 1916 in the midst of the Great War, with Ireland in rebellion and women still to gain the vote.
Over the following century, it shaped ideas of style for women from Glasgow to London and Belfast to Cardiff. It has also helped shape the views and values of generations. It’s had more than a hand in influencing British culture – by introducing supermodels and challenging ideas of taste. In the 1920s, contributors included modernist writer Virginia Woolf and Brave New World author Aldous Huxley, while nowadays it’s the photographers and the fashion icons who hold sway.
Names such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are known across the world thanks to the magazine. The global stature of British music is also a key part of its legacy – with many rock stars gracing the cover. While Vogue has pushed boundaries, it can also be seen as reflecting the status quo, however – royals have frequently appeared, with Princess Diana and Kate Middleton featuring on some of the most talked-about Vogue covers of the past century. It has launched the careers of many a photographer who themselves have gone on to help shape fashion, with Mario Testino and Nick Knight two men who owe their fame to the magazine.
As UK Vogue began in 1916, here we look at 16 of the most iconic of its covers of the last century.
They tell the story not only of a changing nation, but of the changing nature of womanhood.
1 This rather quaint first issue of British Vogue was published in September 1916. It’s a far cry from the covers we’ve become accustomed to – featuring a marionette puppet theatre rather than a rock star or a supermodel. 2 This edition from 1932 feels a little more like the Vogue we’ve come to know, though its Art Deco feel is certainly of its time. This issue boasts the first photograph in the history of Vogue. Previously, only illustrations had been used. The vivid colours, youthful model and fashionable attire would set a precedent for future Vogue covers. 3 Again, we are in unusual territory here for Vogue readers today, but the cover image does reflect the magazine’s influence in the art world. This issue from 1944 has the first stilllife cover for Vogue. An article inside the magazine described the difficulties faced by Vogue’s Paris office during the German occupation. The art and the journalism reflect the political and artistic culture of the time. 4 It’s 1966 so you might be surprised to find that Donyale Luna, a model from Detroit, is the first woman of ethnic origin to grace the cover of Vogue. Luna never fully disclosed her heritage, but she was said to have roots in Mexico, Indonesia, Ireland and Africa. The bold patterns and chunky jewellery sum up the tastes of the time. 5 In 1967, Twiggy was at the height of her career and a global celebrity, making her first appearance here as Vogue’s cover star. Also mentioned on the cover are two fellow icons of the 1960s – Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. 6 In July 1970, Austrian actor Helmut Berger became the first man to feature on a Vogue cover. He was joined by his girlfriend, the actress, model and It Girl of the day Marisa Berenson. 7 It’s 1981, it’s Britain, so who else could be on the cover of Vogue than Lady Diana Spencer? It may seem a rather unremarkable image of the woman who went on to be the most photographed human being on Earth, but in this August edition (shot by royal favourite Lord Snowdon) she became Vogue’s cover girl for the first time, ahead of her wedding to Prince Charles. After her death in 1997 Vogue dedicated an issue to Princess Diana. 8 In December 1987, another famous face appears for the first time: Naomi Campbell. The supermodel would go on to be a cover star for Vogue eight times in her career. The most recent issue to feature Campbell was the August 2002 edition. 9 Bono, the lead singer of U2, makes an appearance on Vogue’s cover in December 1992 – as the first male musician to take the star cover spot. The shoot took place after the release of U2’s album Achtung Baby, when Bono and his band seemed invincible. 10 In January 1993, photographer Mario Testino made the cover of Vogue for the first time, with this shot of American supermodel Christy Turlington. Testino is one of Vogue’s most prolific contributors, with 51 covers to his name, including the famous January 2002 cover which featured ten British models wearing Union Flag garb. 11 Vogue creates another superstar. Kate Moss, one of the best known British models of all time, made her Vogue debut in March 1993. Check the cover line as well – London Style, London Girls. Vogue has frequently used Moss as a symbol of this theme over the years, trading on her status as the ultimate arbiter of UK style on the global stage. Get the London look, anyone? 12 Robbie Williams became the first male star to get naked on the cover of Vogue, in October 2000. He and Brazilian supermodel Gisele’s half-mast Union Flag undies caused quite a ruckus. Other male stars to have featured on Vogue’s cov- er include Elton John and the Spanish shoe designer Manolo Blahnik. 13 It’s January 2002, Tony Blair is in Downing Street and hasn’t yet invaded Iraq, so the only thing people are talking about is “Cool Britannia”. Vogue got in on the act by putting a cast of the hottest Brit models of the day clad in Union Jacks on the cover, including Stella Tennant, Erin O’Connor, Naomi Campbell, Rosemary Ferguson, Cecilia Chancellor, Jacquetta Wheeler, Liberty Ross, Elizabeth Jagger and Jade Parfitt. 14 This May 2003 edition has come to represent the classic Vogue cover – it’s got Moss, it’s got a Bowie reference, it’s UK Vogue. 15 One of current editor Alexandra Shulman’s favourites, this 2007 cover was the first to show women of different ages. Now an annual staple, these issues celebrate style across the generations. 16 Royal time again, and Kate Middleton’s tuen to grace the cover. And although they are a bit early for their own party, rather than fashionable late as one might have assumed, Vogue used the cover of their June 2016 edition to mark their 100th birthday “celebrating the faces and fashions of a century”.
Names such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are known across the world thanks to the magazine