Vogue Archive: the magazine’s history at a click

“In the collective imagination fashion remains a supplementary, functional skin; for the less interested it is good for protecting the body from the cold and hiding its nakedness. It doesn’t matter that the fashion object contains sweat, research, courage. It doesn’t matter that behind its façade, often inappropriately cloying, unfolds a substratum of inventions able to keep pace with the boldest imaginative acrobatics of a film director or a writer. It doesn’t matter. In the end the conclusion is always the same, irritating and scornful: beautiful or ugly, fashion shows in the shop window two shabby rags to put on, perhaps unjustifiably expensive if not out of reach.” (L’orizzonte degli eventi, Fabriano Fabbri)

This is the common thought of those who stop at the surface, of those who fail to grasp the essence of fashion in all its splendour. It is history, art, culture, beauty. A journey without a destination, where every stop is just a new beginning towards the next. And yet, a little research would be enough to demolish this superficial view of the fashion world. It would be enough to stop considering it “the younger sister among the muses of culture”. As proof of this, all those who have made fashion their life’s companion: stylists, photographers, editors, models, and many other figures in the industry. The atlas of fashion, the cradle of this boundless knowledge, is the most prestigious and authoritative magazine in the world, Vogue. Twenty-one national editions, 16 languages, an authority that over time has become the supreme expression of Fashion Journalism.

Vogue Archive: la storia della rivista a portata di click

The Vogue Italia archive free for three months

What if you were given the chance to retrace the history of Vogue Italia, from its origins to the present day? A unique experience and opportunity to learn visually how much the magazine has changed over the years, through the immense wealth of images that retrace the history of fashion and style. All this is currently possible, but only for a limited time. You heard right: Vogue is making its online Digital Archive available to users for three months. You can scroll through the list divided by year, select the issue, browse it, read it and even download the high-resolution PDF. Not only that. You can also create personal portfolios in which to gather inspiration, ideas, projects and curiosities. It will therefore be an excellent study tool for understanding style, fashion and times that reflect the social state across a cultural excursus of over 50 years. It sounds like a dream, I know, but it’s all true! A unique opportunity for students, designers, photographers and fashion enthusiasts. I will explain step by step how to register and access the archive, but only after this short journey through the history of Vogue Italia, in relation to the Editors who have succeeded one another.

Like a kind of treasure hunt, I will leave you a list of the most significant covers that go with the historical excursus below, which you can go and view once you have registered on the site.

Vogue Italia: a historical rewind of the magazine

It is 1962 when the American Condé Nast of Samuel Irving Newhouse acquires the Italian magazine Novità, a monthly by BebeKuster founded in 1950. The magazine keeps the same name until 1965, then is renamed Vogue&novità under the guidance of Consuelo Crespi until 1966, the year in which the name is definitively changed to Vogue Italia by the Editor-in-Chief Franco Sartori. The magazine grows and changes radically, reaching high standards of refinement and care for photographic imagery, modelled on the French and American editions. Sartori focused heavily on imagery, collaborating with important, internationally respected photographers and artists such as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton and Bob Krieger.

Franca Sozzani

A further revolution comes once Franca Sozzani takes over, signing her first issue in August 1988. A radical transformation, in which the refined style typical of the monthly is married to sharp graphics. Impossible then to forget the famous “All black issue”, published in July 2008, made entirely with Black models, a tribute created to bring attention back to the undeniable allure of black beauty. These are the years in which the magazine strengthens, with an exponential curve showing readership rising from 521,000 in 2006 to 1,091,000 in 2012 (Audipress\2012 data).

Emanuele Farneti

Finally, it is under the aegis of Emanuele Farneti, the current Editor of Vogue Italia, that a strong change of course is undertaken, focusing on fashion journalism that aims for a high-level tradition not only visually but also in writing. Changes also linked to graphics, colours, paper, format. The constant, instead, is the strength of the images, once again entrusted to international photographers, who have accompanied and supported the magazine over the years. But, the latest and most recent novelty, a first in history: an issue without photographs. It is the January 2020 one, in which established contemporary artists reinterpret collections and outfits through illustration. The aim? A greener way.

In this long excursus, we cannot fail to mention the companion of the print edition which has been online since 2001 with the aim of tearing down walls even further and getting closer to readers through greater sharing: Vogue.it. “In opening the doors of Vogue, in welcoming everyone into this different, extravagant, unique and creative world”, wrote Franca Sozzani in the first post published online.

Cover October 1964: first magazine on the site. The name is still that of the Italian magazine, namely Novità
Cover November 1965: first issue of the magazine to carry the name Vogue&Novità
Cover May 1966: first issue with the definitive name of Vogue Italia, under the Editor Franco Sartori
Cover July/August 1988: first issue signed by Franca Sozzani
Cover July 2008: “All black issue“, made entirely with Black models
Cover July 2017: first issue signed by Emanuele Farneti
Cover January 2020: first cover in history without photographs, but with illustrations

How to access the Vogue online Archive

The procedure is very simple: you will need to register, and by entering a discount code the subscription costs will be wiped out. So, visit the site Vogue.it and in the Fashion section you will find the article announcing the free three-month subscription to the Vogue Italia Archive.

Inside it, in turn, you will find the link that takes you to the subscriptions and the promotional code you will need to copy in at registration.

The subscription option to choose is the full one, which normally costs 990.00€ a year: “Full Archive Subscription”.

Now all that’s left is to fill in the form with the personal details requested.
N.B. Don’t forget to enter the PROMOTIONAL CODE to wipe out the cost.

All you have to do is confirm your registration by email and you’re done. You will appear as subscribed, with an expiry date attached. You will finally be ready to browse the immense Vogue Italia Digital Archive. Just type a name, an accessory, a keyword of any kind to find answers to your curiosities.

In your dedicated section you will find your profile with the bookmarks and portfolios you created yourself during your search. And now, what are you waiting for? Run to the site right away, Vogue is waiting for you!

I hope I have been of help and, if you would like to share advice, opinions, thoughts or curiosities you found while browsing the archive, leave a comment or write to me!