Tell Anna Wintour How To Improve / Revamp US Vogue

[iconemod]

Ok, being an editor in chief is a tough job. It demands not only an over-developped sense of style but also a competent editorial work.

I've realized that Vogue America has lost a bit of editorial quality. It isn't that interesting anymore, the "star-system" with celebrities on the covers and even on editorials is getting monotonous and boring, the editorials featured are like a "do's and don'ts" for style-dummies... but Anna Wintour thinks this might be a killer weapon against her international competitors.

What would you tell her to change/ to improve at Vogue America? (suppose you've been hired as her coach)

And if you're satisfied with the (editorial) quality of Vogue America or even subscribed, tell us WHY??

 

[morgan38]

no more actresses/singers/publicitywhores on the cover

 

[lady grey]

astrology

since athena starwoman's death, there is no astrology page.
bazaar maintains an astrology page.
us vogue needs a horoscope & it should be sally brompton.

 

[sashatheelf]

i think we should all mail in letters. oh, and i should be on the cover, something like this:

 

[lady grey]

UK Vogue

us vogue shouold be printed on heavy glossy stock like UK vogue.

it should be the correct large size that uk, paris & italian vogue are.

ever notice how cheap the paper is on us vogue? how tiny the mag is in comparison to euro vogue? we are getting ripped off in every way by inferior paper & pages.

 

[PussyLee]

Put Supermodels on the cover, Please!!!

Gisele, Natalia, Karolina, Daria, Kate, even Linda......

let the actresses do Us weekly, People, Star....

In the long run it will pay off. Sure people will pick up Vogue if they got Jlo or Nicole in the cover but in the long run....it'll turn off the true-blue fashionista, who's the main core of Vogue Magazine.

ok, ok, maybe Nicole because she's model-esque, but Who wants to buy Renee Zellweger and Gwen Stefani? I feel really un-Vogue everytime they're in the cover at my doorsteps! ugh!

 

[bun-bun]

I would tell her to stop it with the model monopoly. In the beginning, I enjoy each new model used, but later, when it has been eight months + of the same model in the same type of editorial, I just want to barf. It used to be Carmen always. Then Karolina always. Then Natalia always. Then Liya always. Now Daria always. And this has been going on for years! Give us a break and use other models. Use a great variety of models. Suprise us. Leave us smiling or even repulsed at a new model being used. But please, don't leave us BORED!!

 

[venezuelanflavor]

i´d change one thing only:

Anna Wintour hehehe

i just don like the mag anymore, at all... used to be good... now i can find better ones def

 

[CitraBenzoet]

more on the models
more variety of models
less on actresses like J'lo sandra bullock drew berrymore... im not interested in them sorry
larger print would be a plus

 

[blingbling]

us vogue shouold be printed on heavy glossy stock like UK vogue.

it should be the correct large size that uk, paris & italian vogue are.

ever notice how cheap the paper is on us vogue? how tiny the mag is in comparison to euro vogue? we are getting ripped off in every way by inferior paper & pages.

I totally agree lady grey!!!

Every other Vogue is much better than crappy US Vogue!

All the other vogues have more variety, more adventurous editorials, really cool models, better glossy paper and print quality etc etc...

All this means that sadly US Vogue and Anna Wintour have really gone to the dogs!!!

 

[morgan38]

I also don't like too much text on the covers...it's quite ugly.

 

[iconemod]

Letter

i think we should all mail in letters. oh, and i should be on the cover, something like this:

YEAH!!!! Absolutely fabolous idea, sashatheelf rock-chic(k)

WHY DON'T WE JUST WRITE A LETTER (or each of us sends one), A TRUE SNAIL MAIL, WITH OUR SIGNATURES ON IT TO ANNA WINTOUR??!!!
So far, all of your propositions are great, not even a market research institute can beat it.

or better: During the next Fashion Week in Paris, let's start a campaign

"VOGUE AMERICA RESURRECTION"

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!

 

[Nueva]

Vogue is in dire need of some elegance...
they should...
- Use better paperstock for cover and inside pages, ie: Vogue Paris, Vogue Nippon
- Hire a new creative director, ie: Fabien Baron... or maybe even Doug Lloyd, to give the magazine a distinct "look" and point of view...
- Revamp typographical strategy... more interesting type design/layout, a la Harper's Bazaar in the nineties, or like the current Vogue Paris
- Revamp photographic strategy... Keep fashion veterans like Steven Meisel and Craig McDean (maybe push them a bit) on board, but should also consider and diversify the look of their editorial by using fresh, innovative photographic talent, like Solve Sundsbo, David Sims, Laurie Bartley, and Paolo Roversi, to mix up the look a bit... keep us excited and eager in anticpation as we turn each page. And sprinkle in some great still life by Guido Mocafico.
- and last but not least, revamp their model strategy. Daria is cool here and there, but she doesn't have to dominate the entire magazine. They should do a mix of fashion and beauty, using different faces, looks, ethnicities... ie: Daria, Julia, Hana, Tiiu, Ujjwala, Cameron, Raquel, Gemma, Jaunel, Mona, etc...
- Editorial should have more life and personality... more energy, more storytelling...

 

[lady grey]

bikinis!

why no swim edits?

what was the last one, angie lindvall 18 months ago?

whats up with anna, why the frigid asexual policy?

look at italian vogue with nudity & julia in hot hot bikinis

look at paris vogue with gemma as lolita tons of nudity lingerie & bikinis monthly.

wht do we have a sexless antiseptic frigid grandmother's vogue for usa??

we used to have georgina & carmen on the cover in hot swimsuits.
what happened to anna??

 

[Fabulyss]

^Very true. There is a definate lack in sexuality. ^




Besides the over abundance of actresses on the covers, I think there is a real lack of creativity. For instance, the editorials are usually quite dull and boring (with blank backgrounds, the same models in the same poses wearing outfits the EXACT same way we already saw them on the runway). It simply isn't innovative. In French and Italian Vogue, the photography is always bursting with creativity, fresh ideas, and fervent energy...American Vogue seems to lack this passionate quality.

 

[iconemod]

What Anna said 2 years ago...

^Besides the over abundance of actresses on the covers, I think there is a real lack of creativity. For instance, the editorials are usually quite dull and boring (with blank backgrounds, the same models in the same poses wearing outfits the EXACT same way we already saw them on the runway). It simply isn't innovative. In French and Italian Vogue, the photography is always bursting with creativity, fresh ideas, and fervent energy...American Vogue seems to lack this passionate quality.

Did someone mentione OVERRATED?????
(taken from an interview with La Wintour)

WSJ: You have a magazine that you have to edit. But what do you think your role is beyond that in terms of the industry?

MS. WINTOUR: I think Vogue is a lightning rod for the industry. Not only do we report on fashion, and show fashion, and help women to shop, but we are provocative, we are journalistic. We always try and have some surprise in an issue just so that people will say 'Oh my God, did you see that in Vogue?' You need that fantasy and insanity that makes this world as special as it is.

 

[MTRLBY]

im begging to god that pendulum will swing the other way.
they need to get those boring actresses off the covers NOW.
anna and the other heads of fashion need to start pumping out supermodels.
and im sick of these waify alien-esque models like gemma.
we need SEX

 

[purplelucrezia]

^Very true. There is a definate lack in sexuality.

I hadn't even realized they were allowed show breasts until I actually found myself the foreign Vogue section.
Agreed to all of the other comments too, I must admit, this is an excellent idea for a topic. We always seem to complain about its dreadful quality here, but never actually do anything about it.

So far:
- actual models on the cover
- better quality paper
- I'd rather pay more money for a half-decent magazine
- this is supposed to last me a month... make it worthwhile!
- no more identical poses, editorials inside for the celebs (tattered couch, what a friendly, down-to-earth person they are, upcoming promotions, etc. etc.)
- proper, creative editorials
- as was said, enough with the ladylike, chic look
(I love it as much as the next person- but for how many seasons?)
- enough with Daria, Liya, Gemma
- don't be the last to find the new models... funny how US Vogue only started using Gemma when she'd finally been over the major runways.
>How about actually beating the trend for a change?
- Liya Kebede is not the only black model out there!
- no more constant articles on plastic surgery, botox and liposuction
(We get it, Anna, but the rest of us aren't all too interested in that...)
- And oh, yes, put Sasha on the cover

Fin. We need to be listened to, so I can actually buy that magazine again.

 

[Spike413]

I can't say I have much to add to this list because many people have made great points.

I'd say my top priorities are:

-Editorial content, more art, less catalogue.
-Covergirl
-Print on the cover, it could be much more stylish AND not take away from the picture itself
-More risque content, showing a breast is hardly wrong, it's beautiful and par for the course with fashion and art thesedays.
-Infuse a certain exclusivity back into it, as many said, the paper quality would be a great way to do this.
-And as purple mentioned, enough with the ladylike already, I don't think I've evver seen a magazine concentrate so much on one trend.

 

[iluvjeisa]

Photographers: Well, there are some fine photographers at work at US Vogue for sure - Meisel and McDean for instance. And it is nice that they once in a while bring Elgort and Demarchelier back into the game. Plus they have Leibowitz and Testino for some great covers (despite not using models, which would be prefereable if they did). But they need someone a little less predictable, a little newer, I would suggest Nataniel Goldberg. He has shot some of the most amazing editorials I've seen. I'd like to see some editorials by him in US Vogue - I think it could be a great combination.

Models: I think they are on the right path when they use Hana, Lisa Cant, Gemma and Lily Donaldson. I hope that they will use models who can add that element of fantasy and insanity Anna Wintour was talking about. Girls like Daria, Natalia, Eugenia and Liya are all very beautiful girls but they are too preppy and too polished, they just don't add that element of fantasy so they cannot be used exclusively. Quirkier, yet undoubtedly beautiful girls are needed for that.

In general: A little less classy and predictable, a little more elegant and wild.