EDUQAS Media – GCSE Factsheet

Vogue
(July 2021)
Malala Yousafzai Front Cover
GCSE Component 1: Exploring the Media

Focus areas:
• Media language
• Representation
• Media contexts

Image by Nick Knight /

Vogue.co.uk / Fair Use

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 EDUQAS Media – GCSE Factsheet

Product context • Vogue is still hugely dependent on advertising

revenue. Most of its pages are adverts for
• Vogue was first issued in New York in 1892 as high-end consumer brands. To appeal to
a high society diary before it was bought by advertisers, Vogue emphasises the wealth and
American publisher Conde Nast in 1905. Conde status of its ABC1 readership who spend an
Nast made it into a women’s fashion magazine, average of £8k a year on fashion and over a
though still aimed at the upper classes. They thousand pounds a year on cosmetics.
also created different overseas versions: British
Vogue was launched in 1916. Media language
• Vogue is still produced by Conde Nast How media language creates and
and continues to be successful in the UK, communicates meaning:
despite dwindling print sales in the magazine
marketplace. Edward Enninful was appointed Vogue is a mainstream magazine, so it uses the
editor in December 2017. A former model, typical codes and conventions of print to construct
he brought with him a strong social media the front cover. Over a long period of time, Vogue
following. He has made some important changes has also acquired its own unique house style so that
to the content and representations featured in the its brand identity is instantly recognisable.
magazine, which have not only increased digital • The same classic Didot font has been used
subscriptions and stabilised print sales of the for the VOGUE masthead since the 1950s;
magazine but have also influenced significant perhaps it is now better known as the Vogue
changes in the wider magazine marketplace. In font. The all-uppercase serif font gives it a
2021, British Vogue had an average circulation classic, architectural look, an aesthetic that
figure of 191,000 issues of the print magazine commands respect. Tall, slim and sculpted, the
each month. Vogue claims to have 5.3 million letters proclaim their own statuesque style. The
digital subscriptions and a social media word vogue means something that is trendy or
following of 14.3 million. popular.
• Vogue is classed as a glossy, monthly, women’s • The VOGUE masthead is always capitalised
lifestyle consumer magazine. “British Vogue is and centrally placed, like a banner across the top
the authority on fashion, beauty and lifestyle, of the magazine. In this edition, the masthead
and is a destination for women to learn, be is laid over the forehead of the cover model,
challenged, inspired and empowered. Under Malala Yousafzai. Perhaps she is an unlikely
Edward Enninful’s unmatched global editorial cover model for a fashion magazine, but this
status, British Vogue has become the undisputed effect immediately anchors her as a Vogue star,
Fashion Bible in the United Kingdom and in combination with her caption: ‘Survivor,
is leading the cultural zeitgeist worldwide, Activist, Legend’. The use of the same silver-
powered by purpose.” grey colour for this caption and the Vogue
(SOURCE: MEDIA PACK https://cnda. masthead links and reinforces that message:
condenast.co.uk/static/mediapack/vg_media_ Malala is a Vogue role model.
pack_latest.pdf)
• On the cover you can see the limited colour
• Vogue is aimed at ABC1 fashion and palette of red, silver-grey, black and white,
style conscious women who are educated, which suggests the confidence of a sophisticated
sophisticated and wealthy. Whilst it traditionally design that is associated with a high-end
targeted an older female audience of 30–45-year- magazine. The use of the dominant colour red
olds, you could say that this audience has now in this context suggests celebration, joy, luxury,
broadened to appeal to, inspire and empower power and strength, a call to action to identify
younger readers too, as well as a much more with Malala, the survivor/activist/legend. The
culturally diverse audience, under the influence understated silver-grey and gentle glint of gold
of the new editor. from her jewellery give a sense of elegance and
glamour.
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 EDUQAS Media – GCSE Factsheet

• The main coverline, the caption of Malala’s Vogue asserts its authority here to show you how to
own name, is the brightest text on the page. The get back into the dating game, with ‘LOVE AFTER
white clearly contrasts with the red background LOCKDOWN’, and to tell you what is in fashion in
celebrating her name and her status. Malala’s ‘THE SHAPE OF NOW: how to keep up, what to
name and her importance is highlighted and do and what to buy’. The use of alliterative language
framed by the italicised text: “The extraordinary (with Ls) is a rhetorical device that tells us that
life of” in white and “Survivor, activist, legend” Vogue is an authority on the subject.
in silver. This offers a measured sense of
symmetry with the masthead at the top. The important coverline on the right-hand side,
‘Vogue’s Guide to Summer Beauty’, affirms Vogue’s
The composition of the front cover follows the authority as the fashion bible. Sitting on a red
principles of traditional design. Applying the rule background, just above Malala’s shoulder, it doesn’t
of thirds, the masthead at the top and the centred need to say any more. It balances the layout with the
Malala captions at the bottom frame the main image design of the left-hand side coverlines.
of Malala symmetrically, enhancing her status.
While the focus on the eyes seems slightly high for The coverline ‘FIGHTING TALK’ broadens the
the rule of thirds, the graceful hand gesture leads reader’s appeal from fashion fans of the model
the viewer back to look Malala in the eye, making Jourdan Dunn to sporting fans of the champion
her centre of attention. This format, together with boxer Anthony Joshua. This is another unlikely
the flow of text at the top and bottom, follows the feature for the magazine but shows how Vogue is
traditional Z-rule. widening the scope of its more traditional readers,
whilst possibly appealing to new readers who
Malala is shown in a medium close-up shot that wouldn’t expect a heavyweight boxing champion in
draws attention to both her facial expression as well the pages of Vogue. It demonstrates how Enninful is
as her body language and attire. The headscarf she taking his readers by surprise and leading the way.
wears indicates her culture and her religion and is
Possible areas for further investigation:
an essential part of her identity: Malala is a survivor
because she was shot in the face by the Taliban for • High production values are part of Vogue’s
being a 15-year-old Muslim girl who was seeking an branding, and using Nick Knight as star
education. (She has since graduated from Oxford.) photographer emphasises this. You could
She engages the reader with direct eye contact and a research his other work as a photographer and
slight smile – a mode of address that is personal and the recognition and accolades he has achieved.
welcoming but confident and self-assured. She is at
a level angle with us: we are invited to get closer to • Explore the selection of Jourdan Dunn and
her, to identify with her, but also admire her and look Anthony Joshua. What do they represent? Why
up to her as a role model, a legend even. have they been paired together in an interview?
Who do you think this article would appeal to?
On the cover, you can see how the captions used
to anchor the cover model elevate her status and Representation and contexts
importance. “Survivor” suggests she has overcome
Social, cultural and historical contexts:
being a victim and is now a powerful “activist”,
taking a political stance to drive her own • To show a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf
“extraordinary” narrative forwards. At the age of on the cover is highly unusual, even today.
just 23, she has achieved the accolade of a “legend” Historically, the editors of mainstream women’s
in less than 10 years. magazines claimed that featuring models of
colour on their front covers badly affected sales
The coverlines on the left-hand side all follow the of the magazine. Black and Asian models were
same chic minimalist design, a black uppercase underrepresented to such an extent that there
headline with an italicised subheading in white to was little evidence to support their claim: it
draw the reader into what is more familiar territory was simply accepted as fact. Naomi Campbell
for women’s lifestyle magazines: fashion, romance, has famously challenged the industry for
celebrities.
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 EDUQAS Media – GCSE Factsheet

this systemic racism throughout her career, rights and work for peace and democracy in
advocating wider diversity for all, from the Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries.
1990s through to the 21st century. She was the In a Newsnight interview (August 2021), she
first Black cover model on Vogue in many of its expressed her concerns for the physical safety of
international editions, and she first featured on women and girls in Afghanistan, their access to
the cover of British Vogue in December 1987. education and their freedom to work. Although
Black models on the covers of Vogue UK were there is no direct reference to this on the cover,
few and far between. According to The Guardian Malala is recognised as an education activist
newspaper, between the August 2002 edition opposed to the Taliban, and the news media were
of British Vogue (with Naomi Campbell as the full of stories discussing concerns about the
cover star) and 2014, a period of 12 years, “146 plight of ordinary Afghan people following the
covers have been shot, edited and distributed evacuation at this time. The activist caption on
to newsstands and not one has featured an the cover anchors this.
individual black model.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable- Listen to this interview with Malala on her fears
business/black-model-british-vogue-naomi- for the rights of Afghan women and girls:
campbell-racism https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09sfp7d.
Conde Nast would have deliberately addressed Representations of ethnicity and gender:
this when they appointed Edward Enninful as
editor in 2017, not only the first man to edit the • As a female education activist of Pakistani
magazine but also the first Black person. Since origin, Malala seems like an unlikely cover
then, Vogue covers have celebrated diversity model for the fashion bible. The editor explains
not just through race and ethnicity but also age, their choice: she is an inspirational figure who
gender and size. Naomi Campbell has joined Ed has achieved so much, against all odds, at such
Enninful’s board of directors at Vogue. a young age. In the introduction to the issue,
Enninful writes “When it comes to people I
• In April 2018, British Vogue’s cover featured a admire, Malala Yousafzai is right at the top. At
group of models of all colours, ages and sizes, 23, the world’s most famous university graduate
and included the first model to wear a hijab as a has already lived so many lives. Activist,
symbol of her religion. It got everyone talking author, tireless campaigner for girls’ education,
about it, prompting wider cultural awareness daughter, sister, student and survivor. It’s hard
of issues of representation. “You might not to believe it was only a decade ago that she was
care about fashion but having women of colour a young teenager with a passion for learning,
represented on the UK cover of the fashion bible living in Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled Swat
is a big deal. This is how true diversity happens” Valley, blogging about her experience for the
wrote Chitra Ramaswamy. BBC and giving a voice to girls denied the right
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/ to learn. A near-fatal attempt on her life in 2012
apr/03/halima-aden-why-a-model-wearing-a- – or what she calls “the incident” – brought her
hijab-on-the-cover-of-vogue-matters to Britain for specialist surgery. But she didn’t
stop there.”
• In terms of its political historical context, this (SOURCE: Editor’s letter, Vogue issue July 2021
issue was published at a time when British https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/malala-
and American troops were preparing to leave vogue-cover)
Afghanistan for good, in August 2021, after
a twenty-year battle to combat al-Qaeda and • The construction of Malala’s representation
extremist terrorist following the attacks of includes the choice of the colour red for her
11 September 2001. The Taliban were taking outfit, headscarf and lipstick all merging with
control of the country and there were concerns the warm red background. You could explore
for the safety of people left behind. Malala was various cultural codes for what the colour red
making her voice heard on an international stage, symbolises. In this context, the red is joyous,
calling for world leaders to protect humanitarian strong and powerful. One important connotation

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 EDUQAS Media – GCSE Factsheet

for Malala’s religion and culture is that red is a Areas for further investigation:
colour of celebration, often the colour used for
marriage. • Look at the awards Edward Enninful has
received since becoming a trailblazing editor at
• The headscarf Malala wears, a dupatta rather Vogue.
than a hijab, is an important part of her cultural
identity. In the interview inside the magazine, • Compare how British magazine covers have
she explains that the headscarf is a “cultural celebrated cultural diversity on their covers in
symbol for us Pashtuns” and represents her roots response to Ed Enninful’s lead.
as a Sunni Muslim of Pashtun ethnicity. She • Research Malala’s achievements since “the
continues, “And Muslim girls or Pashtun girls or incident”.
Pakistani girls, when we follow our traditional
dress, we’re considered to be oppressed, or • You could research how different audiences
voiceless, or living under patriarchy. I want responded to this Malala Vogue cover. Once
to tell everyone that you can have your voice again, Ed Enninful got everyone talking about it,
within your culture, and you can have equality in but not everyone liked it.
your culture.” The way the soft fabric is gently
folded over her neck and shoulders creates a
classic elegant look that is iconic and even gives
it a mythic status, which links with the caption
“legend”. In contrast, her lipstick, nail polish and
gold jewellery suggest that she is also at home
in her new culture, living as a confident young
woman in Britain today.
(SOURCE https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/
article/malala-vogue-interview)

• The graceful positioning of her hands, following

the flow of the fabric of the scarf, could be seen
as an expression of femininity and as a gesture
of both thoughtfulness and modesty. It could
also suggest the importance of hand gestures in
traditional Indian dance.

• The light catching her eyes as she looks out

towards the reader to meet our gaze suggests a
personal, direct and honest connection: that she
is a figure to be trusted. This encourages us to
aspire to be like her, an extraordinary and iconic
young woman.