After researching the media pack for Vogue, I discovered that the average age of their target audience is 34. Obviously, there are older people of whom feel loyal towards the magazine, as it was first published in 1892. And also younger people, who aspire to be the person that the magazine convey. The primary target audience (87%) is women, which I believe is easy to see by observing the cover. Laura Mulvey stated in 'The Male Gaze', that females were only put into the media for the viewing pleasure of males. Vogue's cover says otherwise by portraying a strong, young, independent woman. Sure she has a little bit of skin showing, but that is due to the fact that it is a Spring issue, allowing the readers to feel as though they have escaped from winter. This is to satisfy women, not to pleasure men. The secondary target audience (13%) is homosexual males, conforming to the stereotype that homosexual men are extremely interested in fashion, though the magazine itself features female fashion as a majority.
A mid shot has been used for the cover image, a generic convention of most magazines. This could convey how, perhaps, Vogue started this sort of 'trend', as it does the most crazes in fashion. Or perhaps they are conforming to other magazines, recognising that it is a cover shot that attracts the particular target audience that they have chosen. To my surprise, the masthead has overlapped the model, which is not something that is very common on a cover, especially when a star vehicle has been used. Cara Delevingne is the star vehicle in this case, as the Model of the Year, so it is quite unusual to cover part of the model with a masthead. Though, because Vogue is such a large magazine and prestigious in the fashion industry, the producers could be trying to portray how the name of Vogue is actually more important than any star that is merely on their cover. As it is a Spring issue, I thought the colour palette would have been full of greens and yellows, but they have actually chosen royal blue and scarlet red. These colours are bold and would probably stand out against any other magazine, almost threatening any others, showing them how strong and successful Vogue is. To anyone but the readers of this magazine, the model on the cover would be seen as unrealistic and have standards that are unattainable, therefore intimidating people who are not part of Vogue's target audience. The audience, however, believe that if they purchase Vogue, they will have a chance of adopting the appearance of Cara, or at least improve themselves aesthetically. Cara gazes into the camera almost seductively (though does not conform to Mulvey's theory 'The Male Gaze', which I mentioned earlier), in a way that is able to force the target audience into aspirations of looking like this famous woman, being able to have her sophistication and seduction.
'Vogue', the masthead, is in a white, sophisticated font. This allows it to stand out against anything else on the cover, as well as attracting the female target audience through the use of a sophisticated font. This is the sort of typeface that the vast majority of fashion magazines adopt, also as though it is now a convention that is necessary amongst this genre of magazine. White is pure, and although I mentioned Cara Delevingne having a somewhat seductive aesthetic, it is dulled down to an innocent sort of look with the white masthead. Usually, a masthead takes up the top 1/8 of the cover, due to the fact that this is the amount of the cover that you are able to see on a shelf if the magazine is stacked behind others, but in this case, it is 1/5. The reasoning for it being much larger than the usual masthead you would find in shops is because Vogue would already be at the front of the stack, down to its success and high respect.
Concerning the layout, the masthead is, as a common convention, located directly at the top of the cover, with the issue month and price to the left of it. The price has not really been hidden from the audience, as the majority of people who purchase it have a disposable income and do not care about spending money on a magazine, especially when it is Vogue, something that will enable them to keep up with the latest fashion trends. It almost flaunts in anyone else's face that they cannot afford to purchase the magazine. Underneath this, in scarlet red, is 'International collections', lexis that will appeal to the 'rich', as a collection is seen to be something of which only people with a disposable income should be interested in, as they would be able to afford it. Another piece of lexis that is in scarlet red is 'Red-carpet style guide', directly saying red in red, making the red carpet seem far more realistic and easier for the target audience to picture. Underneath the hand of the model, avoiding interfering with her chosen posture, is 'Your style checklist for the new season', allowing the audience to take in the direct address of 'Your', and feel as though they are being directly spoken to by Vogue. It just makes if feel personal. Below this, is 'Go GRAPHIC /Plastic FANTASTIC /Sixties REMIX /The FALT is BACK' all on separate lines, having the capitals in bold. As there is an abundance of text on the cover, it just ensures that the reader will be attracted to this part, even if it is smaller. Underneath that is 'SPRING FASHION SPECIAL', in capitals and far larger than the rest of the text, conveying to the audience that this is one of the major focal points in this issue of the magazine, emphasising the fact that it is Spring, convincing them that a new wardrobe is required in order to stay in fashion for the season. Directly underneath 'VOGUE' to the right is 'Model of the year CARA DELEVINGNE', this is smaller than 'Spring Fashion Special', but that is acceptable sue to the fact that the model is actually on the cover of the magazine, so it is okay for them to focus on something other than her. 'CARA' is in red, whilst the other text is white, allowing it to stand out, and because red is a colour that symbolises lust and seduction (linking to my earlier point), Cara is conveyed to the audience as a seductive woman, precisely what they want to be. 'What your handbag says about you', in white at the bottom right of the page, seems relatively unimportant in comparison to the other text on the page, almost as though it is a topic to fill up the page. Underneath is the barcode.
To conclude, I believe that Vogue is probably the most likely to be the style model whence thinking about the production for my own magazine, as I know that it is the most successful fashion magazine in the world. So I shall take on board my analysis and adopt common conventions I have found on the cover in my own work. Of course, I will still need to convey my magazine as a regional magazine, so it will be quite different to this is ways.
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