Vogue: Set Text Front Cover - Media Language and Representation

Question 1

Sophia Loren

Answer 1

A very famous actress in the 60s. The front cover is a close-up of her thatmakes her seem important, powerful, exotic, and like a role model.Theexotic nature of her image may reflect Stuart Hall’s ideas about the use of Middle Eastern stereo­types, repres­enting ethnic minorities as “­other”.

Question 2

Main Image

Answer 2

Medium close-up with a slightly lower camera angle, positioning the audience to look up at Sophia Loren.
Sophia Loren is an extremely famous actress, so it is likely that the audience of the 1960s would recognise her, potentially even admire her.

Question 3

Iconography

Answer 3

• The Burqa & Jewellery - The Burqa which is commonly associated with cultures in the Middle East creates an exotic impression of beauty to the readership, demonstrating perhaps Vogue’s tendency to take risks; the diversion for Western standards of beauty demonstrating this.
• Additionally, the pearls and diamonds of the jewellery consolidate the impression of wealth, both diamonds and pearls being extremely expensive items.

Question 4

Typography

Answer 4

Iconic Vogue font combined with the cursive font of the cover lines, connoting the higher-class content of the Magazine and its reliability as an opinion leader.

Question 5

Layout

Answer 5

• Simplistic, Masthead at the top in front of Sophia Loren.
• The simplistic nature of the layout reflects the notability of the Magazine; it is aware of its position as an opinion leader. The reflects the of Vogue in the 1960s.

Question 6

Masthead

Answer 6

• Bottle green, Iconic Vogue font which is immediately recognisable to a general readership. The masthead blends with the overall mise-en-scene and colour palette of the magazine highlights Sophia Loren as the focus. This attracts an inherited fandom of Sophia Loren and readers who are enticed by the illustration of meticulous beauty.

Question 7

Colour Palette

Answer 7

• Blues and Greens – Connotations of royalty & wealth as the colours have been historically reserved for members of the aristocracy due to the price of dyed fabric.
• The make-up matches the clothing, the shape of the eyeshadow resembling a cat-eye which is timelessly idealised.

Question 8

Other features

Answer 8

• The most important page as it is the first that the potential reader/ consumer will see.
• Vogue’s cover here very much reflects the context within which it was produced.
• Minimalistic when compared to today’s fashion magazines (Grazia, Elle, etc.) emblazoned with multiple cover-line and jump-lines.
• Contains one very striking image of a famous (yet non-English/ America) film star/ model.
• Also cover lines feature an unconventional list of highlights inside, intentionally breaking the rules of grammar (no commas to separate Sand Swim and Sun).
• Text creates strong enigmas – what is the link to sheiks?