Anna Wintour may have though she was tapping into uncharted waters when she released Men's Vogue, but from the very first issue over three years ago it was obvious that the magazine would never be able to reach Ms. Wintour's target demographics and sink. Yesterday it was reported that the magazine would scale back to two issues a year and be "absorbed into Vogue." If it didn't fold completely, it is probably for what my friend Matthew mentioned in one of our emails yesterday: Anna does not want to look like she failed after pushing the magazine so hard. And while I am thrilled to see that her no male models, no exposed male flesh, no gay content, suits and ties only policy failed to thrive as a concept, I am really upset that all my talented friends working at the fashion department of Men's Vogue were laid off. As a matter of fact, from what I heard yesterday, the entire staff was laid off except for the chief intern and Jay Fielden. Condé Nast should have easily seen it coming: how many 55-year-old insanely wealthy straight man do you know? And how many of them would purchase a magazine with Vogue stamped on its cover?
Comments
The comments to this entry are closed.
She should have gradually changed the target market of the magazine, and begun to show beautiful half-naked models.
Posted by: Lucius Vorenus | 10/31/2008 at 09:51 AM
Is anyone surprised? Compared to European male Vogue editions [Vogue Hommes / L'Uomo etc] it was god awful [I realise they have different demographics - but still!] I think it's the same with most American magazines ... If you compare say British GQ / Esquire etc.. with the American versions ... it's like night & day ... Whereas the British versions have an edge [even though aimed squarely at the mass market] the American versions are just so safe ... The content, fashion editorials, fashion etc... The only successful U.S mens fashion magazine is VMan - the rest are horrendous compared to their British/French/Italian counterparts ...
Posted by: Andrea | 10/31/2008 at 11:34 AM
I bought the first issue and never bought another. It should have had a different name to start with. Second, it was boring! I don't expect to see "exposed male flesh" or "gay models". But, I DO expect to see fashion that covers the whole range of men's tastes be they young, middle-age or older, and I expect the fashion layouts to fire my imagination. This mag was a dud. THUD!
Posted by: mike | 11/01/2008 at 11:14 AM
Wintour has been almost as much as a detriment to men's fashion as she has been a blessing to women's fashion. It's true that U.S. mens mags are dull. I wish that weren't true. I did think that Jay Fielden was a very attractive, talented man, but got irritated with his constant comments about his wife, as if to prove a point.
Posted by: Leigh | 11/01/2008 at 12:00 PM
The European mens' magazines focus on the beauty of the male so much more than the American ones do. In every editorial spread, the European's have at least one photo that focuses on the guy's hair/hairline, or buttery smooth skin and exquisite cheekbones, or muscles. The American magazines do not focus on the beauty or sensuality of the man or the clothes, and that's what I buy men's fashion magazines for. I still buy GQ/Esquire, etc., just to know what's going on in my country, but I prefer the European's so much more. Actually, I never did buy any issues of Men's Vogue because it pissed me off how it was so much lesser than European versions, and yet dared to have the same name.
Posted by: Tom | 11/01/2008 at 01:19 PM
Anna is sadly getting boring. I am suprised crappy Men's Vogue lasted so much...no macho guy buys a fashion magazine let's be honest.I think Wintour is getting tired I mean I remeber how great Vogue was in the 90's and how dull it's now...especially in the photography dept. with guys making bad copies of amazing Steven Meisel
Posted by: Loura Biscate | 11/01/2008 at 03:17 PM
As An American I have to agree with the other comments. I bought a few copies but never really was motivated to even finish them. Sad, Conde Nast usually puts together a decent publication. Now they are offering me a freebie of a new publication. Hope it was not as dreadful as Men's Vogue. No question that it is worth the trouble of getting the Euro versions. I think Esquire sucks!
Posted by: David | 11/01/2008 at 09:58 PM