As taste evolves and knowledge grows, my interests and approach towards fashion shifted. Foreign magazines have played an important role in my passion to fashion, I have my tab at the store, and money spent on the mags are counted by thousands, I guess that’s what fashion lovers pay for even before the actual clothes. At one point, almost each and every key fashion magazine has something to know and to keep, big title monthlies and cool avant garde ones were equally important. It lingered for about ten years. However, key editors come and go, fashion and magazine quality changes, and so have my mindset. I stopped buying UK Vogue last year, and US Bazaar the year before, and now decided to go through all the old issues and clip, trust me it’s a daunting job. My way of doing it is to filter through, keep only the important editorial accounted by quality, photographer and models, the special features and designer interviews, as well as some iconic campaigns.
During which confirmed my decision was a right one, because when reading the dated news, old teasers, seeing product shots, hard sell promotions… etc etc, things that no longer mean anything today bore me. Women magazines like UK Vogue and US Bazaar(under Glenda Bailey’s editorship) are just about pure commercialism, rather naff actually. The former tries hard to sell the local women by approaching real women in their 30s+ in features; but I give credit for their amazing editorial shoots that I’d clip; whereas Bazaar uses Hollywood stars and aged socialites to sell products. They just don’t speak to me as neither am I a woman nor look up to those people. Features like little black dress vs le Smonking has got nothing to do with me nor my aesthetic, I read it though because it was Amanda Lady Harlech vs Betty Catroux.
Vogue Paris, first issue published on June 15, 1920. Although not in order and not complete, it's a joy still to see the French oldies. FYI, not my collection.
Furthermore, I can now read them online anyway. Some nice people scan the key features and editorial and share with others. Now, my must-buy are US Vogue (which I grow up with), Vogue Paris (which I’m fond of in recently years) and the bi-annual Purple and Self Service – the magazines that sell fashion as STYLE.
