Why I Cancelled My American Vogue Subscription

For a century Vogue has been considered the bible for fashion lovers, but in recent years American Vogue has lost its luster. I believe some of it has to do with Grace Coddington retiring from being Vogue’s creative director, which isn’t saying David Sebbah isn’t doing the magazine justice, but it’s simply not the same.

Condé Nast’s competitor Hearst has been creating editorials people simply can’t stop talking about, such as Harper’s Bazzar’s March Issue with Cardi B giving us fairy tale vibes. Even Vogue’s March issue with Justin and Hailey Bieber was subpar compared to W Magazine’s digital cover featuring Dylan Sprouse and Barabra Palvin. W Magazine’s editorial shoot was everything Vogue’s should’ve been.

What bothers me the most is how each issue feels like a recycled version of the previous one. And it’s a fashion magazine with articles that don’t reflect that at all, if anything it’s turning into a lifestyle, culture, or celebrity magazine. Fashion content is found in the advertisements and editorials, which isn’t enough. The last good thing American Vogue did was letting Beyonce have creative control over the September issue. This allowed Tyler Mitchell, the first black photographer ever, to shoot the front cover of Vogue.

But Vogue isn’t dead! International Vogue is creating wonderful content I can’t get enough of. I distinctly remember the first issue of British Vogue under Edward Enninful’s helm. It was a luxurious vintage creation with Adwoa Aboah being the star of it all. Also, when I went to Poland over the summer I bought my first copy of Polish Vogue and even though this extension of the Vogue brand has only been producing content for a year, it’s extraordinary. I truly suggest that if you speak another language to invest in your countries Vogue because they’re busting their ass to compete with American Vogue when they’re clearly the winners.

Until American Vogue starts including new designers, new models, and better fashion stories I will not renew my subscription, but I will try to get my hands on any international copy I can.