Editors of British Vogue
Ten Women Have Held The Illustrious Title
There is one fashion magazine that has dominated the genre since it was first published in 1892 - Vogue.
Vogue Magazine
Originally starting as an American publication, there are now 19 international editions. American, Italian, French and British Vogue each have their own distinctive style, and each is a trailblazer within the fashion industry.
Even in today’s highly saturated sartorial magazine market, Vogue still stands out from its competitors and retains its position at the top of the metaphorical ladder. Its mix of new and established designers, exquisite photo shoots and interesting fashion editorial have ensured this.
The Legacy of British Vogue
The first international edition of Vogue to be published was British Vogue, in 1916. There have only been 10 editors in the nearly 100-year period of its creation. British Vogue began under the editorship of Elspeth Champcommunal, who held the position until 1922. In its embryotic stage, British Vogue very much followed the format of its American predecessor, it wasn’t until Dorothy Todd took over in 1923 that it started to carve its own identity, bringing a more literary edge to the content.
The first 20 years of British Vogue’s existence saw four different editors:
- Elspeth Champcommunal – 1916 to 1922
- Dorothy Todd – 1923 to 1925
- Alison Settle – 1926 to 1935
- Elizabeth Penrose – 1936 to1939
This is a stark contrast to the subsequent years, which saw three of the editors, Audrey Withers, Beatrix Miller and Alexandra Shulman, reign for about 20-years each:
- Audrey Withers – 1940 to 1960
- Ailsa Garland – 1961 to 1964
- Beatrix Miller – 1965 to1983
- Anna Wintour – 1984 to 1987
- Elizabeth Tilberis – 1988 to 1991
- Alexandra Shulman - 1992 to present
British Vogue's Longest Serving Editors
Audrey Withers started her editorship during World War II, a difficult time, where fashion would not have been on the forefront of people’s minds. Despite this, she successfully steered the magazine through these times and remained editor until the '60s.
Beatrix Miller was pushed from, rather than choosing to end, her 18-year career as editor of Vogue, when a very determined and ambitious Anna Wintour set her sights on the position. In fact, it was actually the position of editor of American Vogue that Wintour wanted and which she did, in 1988, achieve. Her British Vogue tenure was a mere stepping stone in her quest for what she perceived as the top. In the process, Wintour turned herself into one of the most notorious editors in publishing history. The inspiration for the lead character in the film The Devil Wears Prada (2006) allegedly comes from her.
Current editor, Alexandra Shulman is from a publishing family. Her father Milton Shulman was a critic for the Evening Standard and her mother Drusilla Beyfus, a writer. Taking the helm of British Vogue in 1992, she went onto greatly increase the readership of the magazine and continues to use innovative ideas and clever celebrity covers to keep British Vogue at the top of the game.
Kate Moss on British Vogue
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