For the girls, the fashion magazine they pick out at a young age, is the equivalent of boys choosing a football team. You fall in love at first sight and carry on with it for the rest of your life. Every other girl and woman in the 00s has been heavily influenced by Vogue. 

Back to the beginning

The Vogue USA roots trace back to the year 1892, when it was founded as a weekly society magazine in New York City by Arthur Baldwin Turnure. It initially was focused on the social scene, fashion and etiquette of the city’s elite. 

Over time and with the help of technological progress, Vogue has become a standard for fashion imagery. The magazine kept growing and with the Conde Nast acquisition in 1909, it has expanded outside of the US with editions in the UK and France. Not even the wars were able to stop the strong pull Vogue had on the society. 

Under Grace Mirabella’s leadership, the empire started to change direction and ventured into more practical fashion and women’s issues. Other magazines such as Elle and Harper’s Bazaar also gained popularity during this time and presented a threat to Vogue. 

The Anna Wintour era

With previous experience for publications such as Harper’s Bazaar and Queen in the UK, in 1988 Anna Wintour was appointed as Editor in Chief of Vogue USA. The first issue under her lead was the November one of that same year featuring Israeli model Michaela Bercu in a Christian Lacroix jacket and jeans, a blend of high fashion and street style. This clearly indicated the radical change that was to come with Anna Wintour in the top spot, shining light on broader cultural trends and transforming Vogue in a fashion authority. 

With her guidance, the magazine became synonymous with luxury, exclusivity and trendsetting. Not only that, but combining her influence in the editorial world with her expertise, she launched the supermodel phenomenon with stars like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, marking the start of a generation that little girls were constantly looking up to. 

Anna Wintour managed to reinvent the Met Gala. A tradition in place since 1946, she became lead chairperson in 1995 and started including A-list celebrities on an ever-growing guest list. This association helped raise millions for the Costume Institute with tickets to the event amounting to even 6 figures. 

Diversity focus

Eventually, Vogue USA started facing major criticism in recent years for the lack of diversity for both content and covers. It’s then when Anna Wintour started her effort of emphasizing inclusivity and the social change. 

The September 2020 cover was one of the most unique ones under Wintour’s leadership, as it was an homage to the industry and to the people that stayed strong during the desperate times of the pandemic. The Covid outburst also forced Vogue to adapt and strongly invest in its digital presence. A change that was overseen by Anna as well.

The December 2024 issue

The history of Vogue USA is most of the times synonymous for Anna Wintour. As the longest-serving editor of the magazine, the last 26 years have seen the girl that once dreamed of being where she is today, become a fashion icon. Every cover, every event, every press release, every thing that Vogue has stand for in this time span was overseen by none other than Anna Wintour. 

But for the first time, for the December issue of this year, we see Marc Jacobs, one of her protégés as guest-editor during her reign. He has welcomed Pakistani designer’s, Sundus Shaheryar, footwear part of the Marc Jacobs Fall 2024 runway on the cover, worn by supermodel Kaia Gerber. Such important achievements for both Jacobs and Shaheryar will go down the history of Vogue. 

The retro looks that were styled for the photoshoot and the overall vibe of the cover are the perfect blend of history and modernity. The traditional view and homage of Anna Wintour, but also the more alternative approach of the younger generation. It can’t help but beg the question, is this the future of Vogue? Will we continue to see guest editors more often? Is this a goodbye to Anna Wintour’s tenure? 

One thing is for certain, despite the evolving fashion industry and trends, Vogue will always stay relevant. The magazine is a pillar in our society and whatever its future holds, it will forever be the most iconic publication. 

_{Featured image: Vogue}