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Visually, Bazaar has had an interesting transformation. In the 60's, the covers had grace with a certain quirkiness, such as a cover of a woman who appears to be wearing a space suit (shown left). The women were often dressed up like peacocks, which is I'd say a little daring. They were mocking their audience while at the same time seducing them with beauty and visual oddities unlike any other mainstream magazines on American markets at that time. They were unpredictable, one month being lady-like, and the next tomboyish. Basically, they pushed the market in a new direction. The early 70's brought lots of political change, and it was reflected on Bazaar's covers. More words with less dead space. It became more about selling issues, and as a result the covers became almost homogeneous from 1974 to 1988. Liz Tilberez attempted to change that in 1992, but eventually even she gave in to the need for multiple coverlines. The cover has become more about reading than looking and that hasn't changed for 30 years. I don't see it changing any time soon.
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Sizewise, Bazaar has changed multiple times, five in the last 27 years. Of course, like any magazine of the times, it was once quite small in the 1800's. The size of fashion magazines exploded around the 40's and Bazaar was no exception (Folio size). It kept that large format until 1977, in which it changed to American Standard. Within a year, it grew back to a more European size. Bazaar kept the European sizing until 1992. Liz Tilberez and Fabien Baron changed the size to the previously ill-fated American Standard. After Tilberez's death in 1999, Kate Bett's joined Bazaar and widened the magazine, ever so slightly. She also changed the typeface to a more urban style (shown right). Unfortunately, Bett's was ousted quickly, and Glenda Bailey replaced her in late 2001. Bailey returned the typeface and sizing back to American standard. That's a whole lot of change. Bailey's twist on covers has been to send different covers to subscribers, often with little text and imagery that might not go over so well on the stand due to it's unusual poses or colouring. In some way, it appears she is attempting to please the serious element of individuality for the first time since Diana Vreeland in Bazaar's history. |
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