We’re Entering Into A Fashion Magazine Renaissance

In the wake of physical magazine’s steady decline in popularity, the encroachment of social media’s domination over the daily news cycle and the announcement of Vogue’s latest leadership shift, a new era of print media is officially underway with changes that not only align better with modern consumer’s current buying habits in an age of constant content, but gives reason, purpose and power back to the fashion magazine—reinventing it as an object worth purchasing despite no longer needing to.

Although Chloe Malle’s appointment as the Head of Editorial Content at American Vogue did not mark the beginning of this shift in magazine culture—in fact many smaller, more niche style publications have made similar moves with the development of their own physical media—it works as a great example for the kinds of changes being implemented into both the traditional magazine format and industry at large.

While not yet put into place, Malle has hinted at a few of the changes she will be making to American Vogue’s print editions beginning next year, including higher quality and fewer magazines, thematic issues centralized around one topic and less “fluff” content from the publication’s print and digital platforms—proposed alterations that not only tackle the question of why would someone purchase a print magazine when they can get everything they need both online and for free, but reflect a shift in consumer culture even larger than publication: the desire for luxury.

The New Age of Luxury

The next wave of future magazine purchasers is made up from a demographic that collects items of high quality, makes intentional purchases and craves refined luxury experiences—even for the everyday.

In a case study by Camille Moore, a branding expert who shares her thoughts about brand strategy and marketing on her social media accounts and “The Art of The Brand” podcast, the creator compares the tween accessory brand and ear piercing venue Claire’s to its now increasingly popular competitor Studs. The study argues that it was Claire’s lack of aging up with their audience, up-scaling their merchandise and modernizing their interior design that caused them to fall out of favor with consumers and conversely allow Studs to dominate within the space—overtaking the once beloved mall staple because of an unmet consumer desire for luxury in both products and experience.

In addition to the elevated Sephora-like shopping environment consumers crave—the rise in popularity of antiquated technology such as wired headphones, record players and film cameras not only emphasize shopper’s desire for practical, quality goods—but possessions that are specifically owned instead of borrowed. This is the ultimate luxury of the next generation. With most media existing in a constant state of temporarily being borrowed, streaming platforms that can change selections at any time, access to Spotify music that can be altered at a whim or online media that can be removed with the click of a button—even with a slightly higher cost upfront, owning real, quality physical media has become heavily desired amongst digitally-saturated younger generations.

This is also why American Vogue’s move towards higher quality print editions that resemble something closer to a collectible coffee table book than a cheaply made disposable magazine—just might be exactly what consumers are looking for.

The Pros and Cons

While there’s definitely some negatives that come along with a higher quality product, such as the obviously less accessible higher price point, in an interview with Jay Choyce Tibbitts, a fashion creator, critic and strategist who regularly posts style news content across multiple social media platforms under the username @jaytibbitts, the creative argues that because of Vogue’s abundance of free-to-access online content and its selection of highly priced offerings with events like Vogue World, a more elevated magazine set at a higher price actually allows American Vogue to expand it’s offerings into a new middle tier for those who are willing to spend more than nothing, but less than luxury prices.

“The current cost is really accessible, but that partially could be a barrier, because it’s so accessible when they already have all of these other accessible areas of information, sharing through social media, through their digital app and Vogue.com,” he said. “So I think actually, by making it feel a bit more like special collectible, even if the price does go up, it becomes like that special treat that people are able to are willing to invest in because the quality is better, the stories are better. It feels it’s like a physical connection to the brand in a way that they’re not getting from the very accessible, free social media, content, online content, etc.

“I feel like it’s a similar model to how the big luxury conglomerates work. So you have the the beauty products, sunglasses and the small SLGs, or small leather goods like wallets and things like that. Those are really the entry ways, the ways in so that a mass market can engage with the brand. They also have the super inaccessible $10,000 handbags. But this is a way for them to touch every single market, and so everybody is able to get kind of a taste of the brand at whatever price point allows.”

When reviewing the behavioral differences regarding the collection of physical media across unique age and financial demographics, James Burroughs, a professor at the University of Virginia with expertise in marketing, consumer behavior and product development, raised the question of practicality for young collectors in an interview, saying, “By definition, younger people are limited in their ability to collect things, partly because they don’t have the space for it, and partly because things that are collectible are more expensive. And so, that limits your market. I don’t think younger people who live in apartments that are 800 square feet really have a lot of room to be racking up a lot of magazines unless it’s a real priority for them,”

Because of this, Burroughs went on to predict that while American Vogue may feel inclined to target a more general market of Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers, the magazine can expect to see the highest growth in sales post-Malle from a niche demographic of young readers either heavily interested in style news or already loyal to the publication.

“It really depends on how well they can tap into a collectibles market and sell this to really die hard fashion folks that are very, very interested and have high involvement in this space,” he said. “And if they can succeed in that, I think they may have a chance.”

While, again, smaller and more niche magazines have been operating under similar models for years, American Vogue’s mainstream shift in content, price point and layout may act as the catalyst that propels the entire industry towards a new normal—changing the way print fashion media is shared, produced and consumed for decades to come.

“I think it validates a larger industry trend. So before it may have been seen as this small industry trend, but when someone like Vogue which has the credibility and the scale and the prestige within media does it, it signals that this is maybe, officially the new model,” Tibbitts said.