Bonjour Vogue France
The recent editorial decision of rebranding the most iconic fashion publication in the French market has been applauded, but also frowned upon.
Recent changes at Conde Nast have shaken the status quo of fashion journalism. More specifically, by updated senior positions and they very way we understand hierarchy in large fashion publications. Today, the appointment of Eugénie Trouchu as Head of Editorial content at Vogue Paris France, alongside with Francesca Ragazzi in the same position at Vogue Italia, has been one of the boldest of the group.
With a decade of experience in the magazine, her tech-savvy understanding of the new ways of consuming content, sharp eye for trends and high-profile narratives and undeniable French style, grants her some solid credentials to step into this glamorous and key position.
France is one of the most established markets in the region, and changes are not taken lightly. After iconic figures at the head of the magazine, like Carine Roitfeld and Emmanuelle Alt, expectations were high. Particularly, on what strategy would the publication follow in order to align with these digital times while maintaining its heritage as a French fashion referent.
In the cover for this first Vogue France edition, and a start of a new era, is French-Malian singer and style icon Aya Nakamura wearing Balenciaga. Photographed by Carlijn Jacobs and styled by Gabriella Karena-Johnson, the star poses with a lavish allure that evokes an iconic Grace Jones.
Comments have been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in social platforms with a younger audience, such as Instagram and TikTok. However, Facebook demographics have been quick to discard this cover choice as distasteful, tacky, and overall not Parisian chic.
But what is the meaning of French elegance and style these days? Could the cliché of the white and slim Parisienne with messy hair and Jane-Birkin vibes co-exist with new figures that celebrate diversity and the various possibilities of living in the City of Lights in their own terms?
“Because creativity, culture, art and fashion are everywhere. They are the greatest vectors of inclusiveness and diversity. From Paris to Marseille, from Lille to Strasbourg, our identity is not born from a single place and Vogue represents the best of emerging talents and voices.We’ll build on a hundred years of defining cultural history, but meet the moment we’re in now and most importantly, reflect the France we live in today.” — Eugénie Trouchu
Feathers were certainly ruffled. What was it about this “Paris” for “France” move that annoyed so many people?
Was it the mere idea of change? Of making an update with the times? Vogue Paris has been around for a century, since its first publication came out on June 15, 1920. Change and updates are not words that sit very well in a city that looks almost the same than 50 years ago (except for the cars and the fashion, of course). Even today, Paris is the best-selling cultural asset France exports to the international scene, but it is not the only thing the country has to offer in terms of fashion narratives and young talents.
From the hills of Grasse, right-next to Cannes, where the most renowned perfumes in the world are created to the candid -boy-from-Provence narrative of designers like Jacquemus, the country holds a wide crop of potential that grows healthy far from Paris and it’s hegemonic positioning. Upcoming French designers like Marine Serre, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Charles de Vilmorin, Vincent Frederic-Colombo and Victor Weinsanto, hailing from diverse creative spaces, but also international creators that have made France their podium and contributed to the conversation as Thebe Magugu, Esteban Cortazar and the very famous Rick Owens.
Moreover, events like the Festival de Hyères, which promotes upcoming young fashion designers and photographers on the south-east of the country, or the acclaimed Cannes Film Festival, which brings the glitz and glam of the fashion scene to the film industry, are prove that there is way more happening outside of the French capital than what is shown – at least on the international scene.
Recent events are setting the pace for this new generation. Brexit on one side, which brings a new influx of talent to the French market and starts conversations of diversity and modernity. And Covid19 on the other, which makes us rethink the way we consume through digital platforms and perceive this new world around us in a society that has been a bit unwilling to take the the e- leap.
If there was ever a sign that the status quo in the French fashion industry is updating, this is a milestone for it. And not only in Paris, because Paris is not France. And this, any French person will gladly make sure you understand. Alongside their pride for good bread and fine wine, of course.
