Project Destroy Vogue

I always buy US Vogue. But I don't always like US Vogue. The September issue is such a bloody pain to read - it's way too heavy to hold and when you get to the middle it becomes hard to open the pages fully. I don't necessarily mind looking at the ads that make up most of September's 856 pages. They can be quite beautiful at times and many of the big design houses use top stylists and photographers. But Vogue could not be as fat as it is without allowing some really bleak ads to disgrace its pages. Former Vogue contributor André Leon Talley used to complain about a famine of beauty in fashion. Well, there is plenty of famine on the pages of Vogue. I am concerned about sullying the pages of my blog with examples but I will, to make the point, reluctantly.

A cheesy show on the telly (Mr Selfridge) and a glass of wine made Project Destroy Vogue a perfectly enjoyable activity. I ripped out all the ads I could without taking out the mastheads, the features, and the editorial pages. I made a pile of ads I didn't care for and a pile of ads I wanted to give a second look.

                                                            Project Destroy Vogue in progress

Lily Allen's dreamy cottage has competition from a  h i d e o u s  Caress ad

a story about scarves is dirtied by this pathetically bad Camel ad - where is Don Draper when you need him

this is what the story would have looked like if it hadn't been broken up to please the advertisers

And what you end up with is lightness - literally, it is no longer heavy, and there is also a lightness on the pages, the stories are easy to read and the pages are bright and inviting. In fact, you suddenly remember why Vogue is still Vogue. I have read this issue from destroyed cover to destroyed cover. I am telling you, join project Destroy Vogue, and you may actually love it again.