The Death of the Fashion Magazine

Having grown up with the influence of nineties and noughties rom-coms, many of us likely wanted to be a working girl in fashion journalism or marketing. From the likes of Andie Anderson, to Andy Sachs and Jenna Rink, we all adored the idea of frantically running errands through the streets of NYC in high-end couture. As a concept, it still doesn’t sound too bad, so why then has it lost its allure?

The fashion girl in the past wore effortlessly cute and cool work outfits, but never the same thing. She was good at her job, had a great social life and still worked for and wanted more. This still fits the general aspirations of the modern day working girl, but no longer within the same realms. 

Although this is largely due to the shift in the presentation of working women in the media nowadays, working a ‘silly fashion job’ being a dated stereotype. There is arguably another reason as to why the interest in this job has crumbled: the death of the fashion magazine.

We see online media more than ever before due to technological advancements, which of course has its benefits. The accessibility of the fashion industry for example, thanks to more interconnectivity, the industry is less exclusive than it was previously. 

How has the magazine changed from then to now?

The magazine now seems to fall flat in comparison to older editions: smaller in size, less gifts and discounts inside, and a general sense of it being an edition dedicated to a particular celebrity rather than a fashion magazine. Being more centred around an individual plays into the magazine’s need of being relevant and up to date, however, understanding cultural ongoings and interests.

We are now presented page-to-page images of celebrities doing a minimal pose, devoid of creative attempts to push boundaries, or sometimes even sell a product, as we once were. 

Although, the edition is never entirely centred around the individual, with other topics discussed within Vogue as an example: from economics to social issues. Despite this variety, the same diversity doesn’t always translate to its readers. 

As the perception of magazines has shifted from an efficient source of information to a leisure activity, its audience has mirrored this change. Where before fashion magazines would give tips on sewing and saving for the working woman, now replaced by the ‘top ten things you need’ masked as styling tips.

If you’re interested in a timeline of the fashion magazine from its birth to where it is now, I’d recommend watching Mina Le’s video ‘the life and death of the fashion magazine’ on YouTube. One of my favourite commentary channels, she produces videos covering a wide range of topics within fashion. I’d recommend her channel as a whole, and this video would be a good starting point.

But why have we swapped out print for pixels?

The same point of accessibility raised earlier, as well as following the nature of societal developments. As our attention spans have decreased, so has the media we intentionally consume. Meaning that industries can’t connect with their audience by the same lengths in which they did before. Fewer people are willing to sit and read a magazine front-to-back, or even a full article in one sitting anymore. 

Another point would be practicality. Although I love reading magazines, they can be a pain to carry around, and in this day and age: unnecessary. The decline of the magazine isn’t surprising, as its merely followed the same pattern as other industries. Literature as an example, has taken many technological forms causing a decline in physical sales, but not as noticeable as those for magazines: a smaller industry compared to literature initially anyway.

What can we do to slow down this process?

You can support your local magazine, or even contact them enquiring about contributing if you’re looking to work in journalism and print media. Increased interconnectivity online can also be a useful tool as there are plenty of people just as concerned about the future of print media. Use this to connect and collaborate with other creatives — as a starting point, edomalfashion is always looking for other creatives online to be inspired by and potentially work with!