The In Vogue documentary on Hulu offers a compelling look at how Vogue Magazine remains relevant in America by embracing the present trends and following the money.
What I took away from this documentary is that many happy coincidences seem to drive the fashion world. The brands and designers featured don't explicitly focus on how fashion transcends language, but rather highlight how Black culture and LGBTQ+ individuals have always led the charge. Big companies merely take advantage, because that's where the money resides. Rarely was it mentioned as a collaboration of respect. Each episode was a shouting of how Black people infiltrated the fashion world, leaving them no choice but to follow. At the end of the day, it's all about taking every American Dollar.
And the co-op of culture is hilarious, hearing everyone use terms like "cultural change," "cultural shift," "cultural impact," instead of addressing the truth behind these moments of embrace and scandal.
6 one hour episodes and I'm left asking,
Key Questions:
Who are they passing the keys to?
Why is no one under the age of 30 in positions of importance?
Where are the Black and IPOC now?
Why are today's runways so minimal and unlived?
What changed the dynamic between fashion and celebrity. We no longer have big fashion moments outside of social media. So has vogue truly stayed in frame?
We move the needle, control the language, rewrite the script, yet are often reduced to outsiders begging to be let in, rather than celebrated in our own style and grace. At the end of the day, this speaks to larger societal dynamics at play.
