It was a brilliant experience at
Ravensbourne when Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, gave us two hours
of her time to talk all things fashion and Vogue. In what felt like an incredibly intimate and
private discussion, Shulman was incredibly open and down to earth, giving us
the lowdown on British Vogue, a different perspective of the fashion industry
and answering any questions thrown at her.
She even invited us to offer our own comments and criticisms of Vogue –
a reminder that it’s important to seek and use genuine feedback at every
opportunity.
Shulman took over as Editor of British Vogue
in 1992 (that’s 21 years ago) and is now the second longest serving Editor. Interestingly, she started out trying to
crack the music industry but that didn't work out: ‘I just wanted to live the
rock and roll lifestyle with a boyfriend in a band’. There followed a period in journalism working
for The Tatler, The Sunday Telegraph and GQ before Shulman joined Vogue. When asked where she feels the magazine sits
in the marketplace, Shulman replied that ‘Vogue is something people have come
to trust in, not just as a book of fashion but as a magazine which records
culture, art and fashion through the years.
People trust it to be relevant’. I
couldn’t agree more.
Shulman told us that the cover is the most
commercially important part of any magazine as this is what draws new people
in. She described them as ‘an imperfect
art’ and said that one of her favourites was Vogue’s ‘millennium cover’, when
both the front and back of the magazine was a silver reflector, making each
reader the face of Vogue. During her
editorship, British Vogue has gone from producing 12 magazines a year to adding
6 supplements, Miss Vogue, Vogue Festival and app, Vogue website and now Vogue
books featuring selected designers with a history of working with the
magazine. That’s one shed-load of
deadlines.
It was amazing to meet such an influential
and respected woman. Her talk was
insightful and inspiring and the discussions were really useful for the
magazine projects we are all working on.
Shulman was very in control and obviously works hard to stay on top of her
game and keep pushing boundaries, so it was brilliant that she gave so freely
of herself and was completely down to earth and straight talking. It gave us all hope and inspiration. And she gave us what will probably become a
favourite quote ‘it’s my idea and that’s why I love it’. Brilliant.
Thank you Alexandra Shulman.
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