Vogue 100: A Century of Style

To celebrate 100 years of one of the world’s most famous and influential magazines, VOGUE, the National Portrait Gallery is now home to a sizeable exhibition of the publication’s British edition and all of its glamorous and fascinating history since the first pages were printed in 1916.

British Vogue was born during the chaos and upheaval of the First World War and the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition showcases the incredible range of photography that’s been commissioned by British Vogue since these early days right up until the present day. Featuring almost 300 prints from the Condé Nast archive, it’s an absolute must see for any fan of fashion, art, culture, history and photography.

Since being a teenager, I’ve always been fascinated with magazines and Vogue was of course a must-have monthly read. I remember pouring over the pages of a new issue, ripping out and sticking my favourite photography or shoots or advertising campaigns on my bedroom walls. To this day I have continued to be inspired by Vogue’s ability to be inspiring to women without being alienating – it seems to highlight the beauty, possibility and excitement of life.

I was blown away by the exhibit – it’s not huge but it’s concentrated and if you love anything to do with the above, you’ll easily spend a good hour just ooh-ing and aah-ing over some of the breathtaking images the magazine has produced over the years. It is curated in a handily chronological order so you can explore your way around in parallel to the historical timings of the magazine, like taking a little history lesson along the way. You’ll also learn how the brand is now so much more than just a magazine – they encourage young writers and start actual careers with their Young Writer of The Year competition and the Fashion Night Out and Vogue Festival events are hugely popular year on year.

The exhibition also highlights the genuine talent and vision of some of the world’s most imminent fashion photographers, who use their images not to just take pictures of models but to tell real stories, to make political messages, to capture a particular moment or feeling in a decade’s culture and to create truly timeless images of some of the most incredible clothes that have ever been designed.

My personal favourite fashion photographers, if you’re interested in looking up some of their work, are Juergen Teller, Patrick Demarchelier, Norman Parkinson, Tim Walker and of course, the King of fashion photography himself Mario Testino.

As part of the ticket price (£19), you’ll also end up in the Vogue 100 shop, featuring everything from prints (framed and unframed), branded clothing, limited edition cookies from Biscuiteers and exclusive make-up products (lusting after the Charlotte Tilbury X Norman Parkinson collection!).

One thing I’d highly recommend – and also a great buy online if you can’t make the exhibition – is the Vogue 100 coffee table book. Filled with all of the history, it’s a stunning read and a great present for any fashion, culture or photography lover; you can buy easily on Amazon here (sneak peek below for you)…

You can buy tickets to the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery online here – you can turn up on the day I think but they recommend you book in advance. The exhibition runs until the 22nd May so let me know if you’ve been / are heading down!

LMNH x