MA_STERS

Vogue! India?
Why did Vogue decide to launch its Indian Edition in October 2007?

Vogue’s launch in India symbolizes India’s arrival onto the global fashion scene. India is ready for a magazine that is intelligent, sophisticated, edgy and fun and that understands the stylish, modern woman,” Priya Tanna, (The New York Times, 2008).

Vogue is an internationally esteemed high-fashion magazine and its launch in India in October 2007, not only symbolized the growth of its global enterprise, but it also symbolized India’s status as an economic giant, who has matured immensely in the world of haute-couture fashion, finally allowing India to exploit its innovative and ground-breaking designers and high society. The same may be applicable for other international Vogue editions that have been launched in recent years; yet what makes India so special are the remarkable and swift changes it has witnessed economically, as well as culturally. This has been achieved through the process of globalisation, that has in turn has given companies and designers the financial stability and cultural influences necessary to create many innovative and unique designs that consistently prove to parallel India’s cultural status. This essentially is; a hybrid between tradition and modernity and east meets west. My motivation for this choice of subject not only derives from India’s accomplishments, which prove too vital to avoid but also through my own personal tastes and experience within the various internships I have worked for; delegated towards companies that are a part of the contemporary Indian fashion scene. As a firm reader of Vogue India myself; the articles and editorials particularly attracted me. Even as a British born Indian woman, Vogue India caters for the modern and western elements of today’s Indian culture, whilst retaining elements of traditional Indian aesthetics; today’s generation of Indian women, such as myself, find more appealing to read. It allows its reader to relate to an international system, whilst retaining its primarily Indian background.

Understanding why Vogue India launched therefore is revealing, as it allows us to recognise the greater depth behind its establishment. In my thesis, I think it is consequently necessary to address some clear issues that have affected Vogue India’s new founding and so dividing and tackling these within my many chapters proves essential.