Vogue Covers 1920-2009 (Paris, France)

Banner advertising the exhibit (left) and overview of the posters on display (right).

It's no secret that Vogue is pretty much the world's most influential fashion magazine and even though Vogue Paris may not be the oldest of the Vogues, it's old enough for a little anniversary celebration. Starting October 1st and running through to November 1st, 80 covers blown up to poster-size can be found along Avenue des Champs-Élysées, spanning almost 90 years. I found this little exhibit by accident upon my return to France (although let's face it, the location is pretty hard to miss).

Covers of magazines, tend to sum up its contents, seasonal trends or hottest celebrity/model of the moment, which is why seeing all of these not only gave a sense of fashion history, but also reflected on the French society, pop culture and general atmosphere at the time, whether it was the 20s flapper look, the rise in popularity of surrealist art or the sense of freedom post-WWII. Carine Roitfeld and the Vogue team picked the most striking covers for this exhibit, including the one from the first ever edition and others showcasing collaborations with legends such as Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, David Hockney, Salvador Dali or Mario Testino to name a few. Interestingly enough, the covers were not displayed in chronological order, which might bother some, but I thought it made for a nice contrast.

March 1923 cover by Pierre Brissaud & Georges Lepape (left) and May/June 1947 cover by Coltelacci (right).

First ever edition: June 1920 depicting tennis as the most glamorous sport of the moment (left). September 1947 edition focused on the dilemma of Paris not finding it's footing as the capital of fashion in the post-war era.

April 1928 cover designed by Georges Lepape, the premier illustrator of his time, who designed over 100 covers for Vogue Paris, U.S. and UK (left). December 1938 was the first issue Salvador Dali collaborated on as editor-in-chief. His design featured Marilyn Monroe as Chairman Mao (right).

December 1947 cover designed by Tom Keogh, Ted Roosevelt's son-in-law and a famed costumer (left). May 1967 cover featured Twiggy, who was 16 at the time (right).

February 1927 was marked by opulence and oriental accents inspired by Russian ballet and Asia (left). June 1924 captured the optimism and enchantment Vogue wanted to portray of post-war France (right).

The November 1930 cover reflected the femininity and independence influenced by Chanel (left). July 1934: Chanel was the first to make tanned skin a trend. Before that, only paler skin was considered noble and classy (right).

January 1935: Surrealism reaches the height of popularity (left). April 1930: Pure lines, inaccessible beauty, Hollywood glamour and haute couture reflect the style of the 30s (right).

April 1962: Helmut Newton photographs Catherine Deneuve, 18 at the time, for her first Vogue cover. To this day she has graced the cover of Vogue 16 times - more than any other woman (left). December 1983: Andy Warhol depicts Princess Caroline of Monaco (right).

February 1973 cover featuring Brigitte Bardot who just retired from her acting career (left). March 1994: Kate Moss' first Vogue cover. She was 20 at the time and already had 5 successful modeling years behind her (right).

May 1963 featuring Audrey Hepburn and her husband (left). February 1990: Linda Evangelista embodies the success and phenomenon of the late 80s top models with her fierce looks and her infamous '10 000 dollars' quote (right).

I did take pics of every single cover on display (I'm nutty that way), but posting 80 shots individually would have been a bit too much, even for this blog, so the remaining images can be found in the collage below (click to enlarge). If you happen to be in town, you're bound to come across this and I would definitely recommend strolling by as this is one of the more interesting ways to experience a bit of history. For those who won't be able to see this, Vogue Paris is releasing a book under the same name and theme with even more magazine covers included, which is now on sale in France and according to Amazon will be available in the U.S. next year, so check it out. After seeing this, I'm quite tempted to get a copy myself...

The remaining covers that were displayed on the streets of Paris. Click to enlarge.