The new cover of American Vogue spread across the internet at lightning speed. Not because it dazzles. Not because it redefines fashion. But because it shocks with its sheer banality. Lauren Sánchez, the newlywed wife of Jeff Bezos, poses in a white lace dress, with a forced smile against a lush green garden backdrop — and above her, the iconic VOGUE logo floats proudly. The caption? “Here comes the bride.” It doesn’t get more explicit: this is no longer a fashion magazine. It’s a wedding brochure for the ultra-wealthy.
But this cover signals more than just a temporary aesthetic lapse. It exposes the fact that American Vogue — once rightfully called the Fashion Bible — has been cheapened. It has lost its cultural leadership. The editorial vision has given way to celebrity PR. Once a trendsetter, Vogue now simply documents trends — and sells its cover to anyone with a famous name or a powerful partner.
It’s not that Lauren Sánchez has no place in the press. But there’s a difference between a wedding shoot in People Magazine or Hello!, and a Vogue cover — a publication that, for decades, wrote fashion history, launched visionary designers, and styled stars into icons, not products. This shoot has no styling. No narrative. It’s a ready-made image tailored for Instagram reposts — not for cultural analysis.
There was a time when a Vogue cover was an event. Kate Moss beneath a graphite sky. Rihanna pregnant in avant-pop armor. Michelle Obama redefining the image of a First Lady in a vibrant Jason Wu gown. These images lingered. They meant something. And now? We get white lace, a veil, and bridal banality straight from a Pronovias catalog.
This isn’t just an aesthetic letdown — it’s a sign that fashion is losing its role as a space for cultural commentary. Vogue used to be a place where style met substance. Now, “substance” is reduced to who wore what and sponsored quotes about love. Yes, there are still strong editorials, talented writers, thoughtful features — but they’re drowned out by commercial compromises. It’s getting harder to believe that anyone in the building is still fighting for quality over reach.
You could shrug it off. Say: That’s just the way it is now. But if even Vogue has surrendered its ambition — who’s left? Instagram stylists? TikTokers in brand partnerships? If fashion is reduced to a billionaire’s bridal backstage, we’ve lost more than a cover. We’ve lost a medium that was supposed to be the voice of style — not a PR echo chamber.
And maybe it’s finally time to shelve the Fashion Bible. In its current form, it barely has any chapters left worth reading.
Photos courtesy of Vogue
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