French Vogue v. American Vogue, Or Know Thy Audience

Carine Roitfeld's sudden departure from French Vogue has raised many questions over the past few days. Who will replace her at the magazine? Will she be collaborating with Tom Ford (Ford says no)? And- in not so many words- why can't American Vogue have editorials, articles, and content that are as provocative as those of French Vogue? Aren't Anna, Grace, Virginia, and the stylists and editors at American Vogue as talented and creative as their French counterparts? Yes, they are would be my answer. So why are American Vogue readers stuck with Jennifer Aniston and Anne Hathaway while French Vogue readers have access to Lara Stone and Freja? It's the audience, as one reader of The Cut pointed out. (S/he's right.) And here's why:

1) American Vogue, under the editorial leadership of Anna Wintour (so in the past 25 years), has developed too broad of content that most often has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with fashion (which is why you were drawn to Vogue in the first place, right?). There are interviews with politicians (*yawn*) like Condi Rice, Timothy Geithner, and Hilary Clinton; stories about trite celebrities (*double yawn*); and quips about everything happening in the life of LSD and other Vogue socialites, many of whom flee the magazine after only a few months (Claiborne Swanson, Sara Moonves, Devon Radziwill, Ricki de Sole- just give her a few more months). Anna has explained that she wants the magazine to be like a fabulous cocktail party, where there are conversations on everything from literature to the culinary arts. This is a great concept, but a magazine is not like a party, and the content must be specific to its audience. Unfocused, broad content equals too broad of an audience.

2) American Vogue readers are more interested in celebrities than models (or at least Anna thinks we are). Instead of covers like this:

and this:

we have covers like this:

and this:

Even when there is a model on the cover, the styling is dull and unimaginative. I know that Vogue has to sell copies to stay afloat, but if they started putting forth interesting covers, the folks with only a fleeting interest in fashion would move on to more appropriate choices like In Style and Glamour, leaving more avant-garde choices for the hardcore fashion addicts among us. And we would show our support and appreciation by subscribing again.

3) Lastly- and this is a big one- American Vogue readers are too conservative to allow the kind of editorials that French Vogue produces. And this is a crying shame. The broad readership that American Vogue attracts is easily offended and unusually conservative- something that has lately bewildered me. There isn't a single member of Anna's staff who conceals his or her liberal leanings, yet month after month, a conservative reader writes in complaining about an article on women's rights, an interview with a Democratic leader, or a progressive editorial. Again, know thy audience. There's a reason I do not read National Review. The magazine does not represent my values or beliefs. If you don't like the liberal content of American Vogue, look elsewhere. Maybe Rupert Murdoch will launch a conservative fashion magazine (which would be a misnomer because fashion is by definition forward-thinking and progressive- it has to be). When the magazine puts forth only culturally provocative content, things will get better. And fast. Fashion, like all art forms, has to be constantly changing and cutting-edge to stay relevant.

I think American Vogue has the opportunity to be as forward-thinking, progressive, visually stimulating, and culturally aware as it wants to be. Attracting readers who want the same is the only thing standing in its way.