So Natalia Vodianova, the magnificent slip of a supermodel is nude on the cover of Vogue UK's June edition. What gives? I thought Vogue was about clothes that I could never afford but covet fiercely, as if I never read those commandments that beardy guy wrote/read.
Whenever the editors of super 'spensive mags are asked why people but them, they say "it's aspirational, inspiring." There's nothing aspirational about being nude. I'm nude a lot of the time, I've already achieved nudity many times over. I aspire to other things, like being on a tropical isalnd wearing a Marni kaftan and LV tribal stack heels while a cabana boy called Lazarus Ben Whatever fetches me another mai tai - just like in one of your glorious Moroccan photo shoots.
Does the nude cover mean Vogue UK are desperately trying to claw money out of a broader audience? Nude birds on the cover effectively doubles your audience. It means blokes can essentially buy the fashion rag for a perv rather than Nuts/FHM/Ralph. It's also more socially acceptable to carry Vogue than Jugs. You can read it on the train without offending anyone, and at least you can say you bought it for your girlfriend/sister/aunt.
Buying UK, Italian or Paris Vogue is of course a different story when you're paying the airfreight fee. I expect much more from it than my airfreight magazines than a subscriber from the mag's home country might. I except astounding advertisements shot by the world's best photographers and fashion shoots in exotic locations with massive budgets superb models and the world's best styling.
Vogue Italia
Maybe Vogue UK feel they need more sex in their mag because they have a peculiar national reputation as being frigid. They could learn from Carine Roitfeld at Paris Vogue. She knows how to mix sex and fashion. She got in all sorts of trouble from staid subsrcibers to Paris Vogue for her nipply calendar, her shoots are often hyper sexual, but she knows how to mix skin and clothing to maximum effect. Afterall, the mystery of what lies beneath is part of the beauty of clothng oneself at all.
Carine Roitfeld's calendar for Paris Vogue
Nudity is lovely, there's no doubt, but bring back clothes please, Vogue UK.
Natalia, cover, Pop September 2008
Natalia, cover, French Elle