The Time I Critiqued Vogue

This magazine is Vogue, Australia edition. On the front cover, there is an enlarged image of Blake Lively, an actress and model. 

What strikes the audience initially is the maroon item of clothing as the rest of the colours are of a neutral palette. This soft colour scheme that it used connotes the season of autumn in Australia by using this natural palette consisting of brown, cream, maroon and black. The statement piece of clothing used creates a vintage looking front cover, which is positive as it is a magazine based on fashion. The background of what almost looks like mountains is blurred out by using the photography strategy of aperture, which changed the depth of field so the focus is purely on the model. The image ultimately emphasizes Blake's timeless beauty by using a hybrid of colours and clothing to create the vintage feel that high fashion magazines should create.   

The masthead "Vogue", is placed behind Blake's head. This method is used to create emphasis on the model herself. Vogue is an international company so covering the letter 'G' does not affect how recognizable the name is. This is due to the high popularity Vogue withholds, with issues being created all around the world such as Vogue India, Vogue Japan, Vogue UK and even Vogue Italia. The placement of the masthead does not take away the recognition of the magazine so therefore, the placement being known whilst being partially covered is a success itself. 

The lack of cover lines shows the simplistic styles which Vogue have used throughout their issues, which is consistent towards their target audience and remains as a positive aspect towards the uniqueness of Vogue's magazines. However, personally, as the main focus is on Blake Lively, the article on her should've been the main cover line instead of another article about couture of spring. This is because it reduces consistency of the overall look. In addition, if there is an article on spring couture, the colour scheme suggests the season of Autumn rather than Spring. This means that the colour scheme is not entirely accurate as the overall cover looks like an Autumn issue. 

Overall, the magazine represents high fashion, which is what Vogue's intended effect could be. The simplistic layout shows sophistication and maturity which could possibly link to Vogue's target audience of mature but fashionable women aged 21 onwards. The flaws of Blake's cover line not being the main cover line because of its font size could be overlooked at as the overall look of the front cover is of a high quality. Additionally, the fact that the colour scheme connotes the season of Autumn although it is a spring issue does bring down the consistency of the magazine.