Vogue: The Fashion Bible

Vogue reverently called and considered the Fashion Bible by fashionistas. For well over a century, people have turned to Vogue to keep up with the world of fashion. A globally recognized fashion and lifestyle magazine, Vogue is published monthly in more than 20 different national and regional editions by Condé Nast.

The incredible journey began when Arthur Turnure founded a weekly publication magazine in the year 1982. The first issue of Vogue was published on December 17^th, 1892 in America. He wanted to represent the lifestyle of the upper class. Vogue has to be, he quoted, “in the highest degree an aristocracy founded, in reason and developed in a natural order…The ceremonial side of life attracts the sage as well as the debutante, men of affairs as well as the belle.”

Arthur Turnure

The first editor of the Vogue magazine was woman named Josephine Redding whose first task was to come up with a name for Turnure’s publication. Flipping pages after pages, she came across a word which meant “mode or fashion prevalent at any particular time, popular reception, repute, generally used in the phrase ‘in vogue’: as, a particular style of dress was then ‘in vogue’, such opinions are now ‘in vogue.’” Hence, the magazine was moniker Vogue by Redding.

After a few years of Arthur Turnure’s death, the ownership of Vogue exchanged hands. After much negotiation in 1905, Vogue was bought by Condé Montrose Nast. The fact that the magazine dealt with fashion, society, and the ceremonial side of life, catering to the small circle of elite New Yorkers was the aspect that drew Nast towards the magazine. For Nast, Vogue was a bridge that connected the worlds of the social elite who desired to purchase luxury goods with those who produced and sold such commodities. Nast made some drastic changes, for example, from a weekly publication he turned it into a bi-weekly magazine. He established Vogue in Italy and France. The profits significantly went up and by 1911, Vogue became a prestigious brand. It garnered a kind of loyalty and veneration over the years, a position Vogue continues to enjoy.      

 

Vogue has gone through a lot of ups and downs, it has had a lot of notable editors and in the end, and it has always emerged as victorious. Vogue is not solely about the dressing of celebrities, it inspires to live, communicated, eat, drink and socialize. 

  

Today, getting on the cover of Vogue magazine is a dream of every celebrity. They set the trend and captured the world of fashion in its pages and therefore Vogue is considered as the fashion’s bible! 

Where Fashion Resides

Fashion and history are terms rarely used together. Well, everyone wants to look their best, no matter the era. Fashion has a wide and intriguing history, but that topic is for another time. Today is dedicated to the places where fashion is preserved, namely the Museums where history is stored. Over the years many fashion enthusiasts all over the world have built museums that pay a tribute to fashion in their own way.

Cristóbal Balenciaga

The list of museums is quite long, but at the moment The Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain caught our attention. The great Spanish Designer Cristóbal Balenciaga inspired this museum, which was launched in June, 2011. At the end of the nineteenth century Balenciaga was born in the Basque town of Getaria, Spain. Balenciaga’s father was the captain of a ferryboat and his mother was a seamstress. The presence of royalty in Spain during that time had made the area fashionable and Balenciaga’s mother was patronized by the local aristocrats.  

Cristóbal Balenciaga during his younger days

Balenciaga was expected to follow his uncle’s footsteps and become a priest, but it was his mother’s world that fascinated him. He would watch the beautiful women his mother would cater to, out of which Marquesa de Casa Torres was his favourite. At the age of thirteen he asked Marquesa if he could design an outfit for her. She indulged his request and was pleased with the result. This was his break and acquired his own patrons during his adolescence. Through Marquesa’s support he left grammar school to study tailoring and at 23 he opened his own house in San Sebastián. A little later he not only expanded his business, but even started to cater to the royals, like Queen Ena herself.

       

           

He staged his first runway show on August 1937, and Vogue called his show, “artfully cut little black dresses, their sobriety relieved by flattering twist of pearls at the neck.” He dramatically revolutionized the fashion scene when he altered the female silhouette by broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. This is reflected in his creations of the tunic dresses, chemise dresses, baby-doll and balloon skirts. 

The designer enjoyed an extensive and creative career and had his share of drama. He is still remembered as a couturier that had uncompromising standards and his signature style was the bubble skirts and feminine yet ultra-modern shapes. He was known to manipulate the relationship between his clothing and a woman’s body through the flexibility of his silhouettes. ‘The House of Balenciaga’ is where his legacy is still alive.

Balenciaga’s museum tells stories of beautiful Spanish landscapes, bullfighters, fishermen and the Catholicism of the country through his fabled designs. 

The Balenciaga Museum became the only Museum to be dedicated to a sole designer, which he deserves. The Museum houses some of his best works that include the wedding dress of Queen Fabiola of Belgium. 

A fashion aspirant should not miss the chance of visiting The Balenciaga Museum and should know about the designer who is considered the ‘Spanish Master’ by designers like Christian Dior and Chanel; he truly is the master of Couture!  

Clicking Fashion

In this day and age everyone has a camera at their disposal, but few have the skill to handle one. Photography has always held a special place in the fashion industry. There are many national and international names that have mastered the art and have captured myriad instances of fashion wonders.

Adolphe Braun

Fashion photography has been in existence since the 1800’s. Adolphe Braun is one of the first and probably the oldest to be associated with fashion photography. A French photographer, Braun influenced the 19^th century with his innovations. He published a book in 1856 that contained photos of Virginia Oldoini, who held the title of Countess di Castiglione and technically the first fashion model in known history. Towards the start of the 20^th century fashion magazines started hitting the stands, giving a boost to fashion photography. Magazines like La Mode Practique, a French magazine, and Vogue contributed to the start of this genre.

Edward Steichen

Edward Steichen, another founding member of this genre, was challenged by Lucien Vogel, a magazine publisher, to use photography to express fashion as an art. Steichen took up the challenge by taking photos of couturier Paul Poiret’s designed gowns which was published in Art et Décoration. This went on to becoming the first ever fashion shoot. And it was said that Steichen photographed the garments in such a way that they conveyed a sense of physical quality along with the formal appearance. Throughout the 1920’s and 30’s Vogue and its rival Harper’s Bazaar developed fashion photography and photographers such as Edward Steichen, George Hoyningen-Huene, Horst P, Horstand Cecil Beaton captured fashion while developing photography itself as an art form.

Richard Avedon

Post 1930’s, there was a change in the field of fashion photography. Martin Munkacsi clicked models at the beach with athletic poses, creating the first of its kind images. Irving Penn and Louise Dahl-Wolfe are some of the names that gained prominence. But it was Richard Avedon with his active imagination and portray of modern women, which redefined the art in the post world war ll era.

Craig McDean

Today fashion photography has touched new horizons by talents like Craig McDean, who is known for his hyperrealism, Patrick Demarchelier is known for his focus on fashion, Mario Testino who claims that his pictures are his eyes capturing what he sees and showing what he wants to show. Other names like Steven Meisel, Peter Lindbergh and Annie Leibovitz bring something unique through their cameras as well.  

Mario Testino                                      Patrick Demarchelier

Fashion photography is still in the growing phase in India. Atul Kasbekar is probably the biggest and the most familiar name and another name is Dabboo Ratnani that is well known to you, dear reader. Fashion photography is not just to show beautiful garments in a creative manner but it is an art that gives emotional quality to the garment, enhancing its beauty.   

Dabboo Ratnani (above), Atul Kasbekar (below)