Thursday, 1 November 2012

The power of the glossy

Last weekend I went home again and my Mum and I had a conversation about magazines and as she began to say a list of the names: Vogue, Elle, OK, Look, Marie Claire it struck me about the power of the glossy. Studying fashion journalism has opened my eyes to a whole new range of fashion and culture magazines some of which I never knew existed. This made me begin to realize the power of the glossy magazines and that we allow ourselves to be trapped in the naivety of the media and fashion. If you are not a fashion fanatic you get dragged into the reality that Vogue is the best magazine and that everything you read in Heat is true.

Vogue and Elle may be elite magazines; nonetheless this does not mean that the power of fashion lies in their hands. For many readers they simply cannot afford designer clothes and reading Vogue is just a fantasy. Vogue is filled with glossy ads and wannabe lifestyles so why is the mainstream audience so hooked on this glossy magazine? Is it because of its status that it has achieved over the years? Is it because it is mainstream? Or is it due to society’s nativity? Due to this we become emerged in an almost fashion bubble where we believe fashion only exists in the like of Elle, Vogue, Look, Glamour and so on, while niche fashion magazines remain unnoticed.

 Perhaps by these magazines remaining undetected it makes fashion appear more mysterious and creative and this is why it is seen as elite. The power of the media has made our buying habits pick up Vogue magazine instead of exploring the niche markets, so our knowledge of the fashion industry becomes naïve and mainstream.

What is your favourite magazine?

Do you tend to buy the first one you see on the supermarket magazine shelf?



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