Fashion Magazines Are Doing It Wrong
Fashion magazines may never again reach the obsessive heights of the 1990s and early 2000s — the landscape has changed. But that doesn’t mean their time is over. Right now might be the perfect moment for them to wake up and thrive again.
As social media evolves into a more interest-based space in the second half of 2025, print media has a unique opportunity to reclaim its place. Magazines can attract a dedicated audience — if they stop chasing the same outdated formula. The first step is simple: drop the ad game.
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Advertising overload has been one of the biggest reasons behind the decline of print readership, whether publishers want to admit it or not. People are tired — tired of endless consumerism and being sold something on every page. Capitalism no longer feeds a fantasy because the illusion has worn off. No one wants to pay for paper ads disguised as content.
Take Vogue Philippines for example. Despite earlier challenges, their April 2023 issue featuring traditional tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od — at 106 years old, the oldest person ever to appear on a Vogue cover — drew massive attention and praise. Copies reportedly sold out quickly, as mentioned by readers and online communities. That moment wasn’t about trends or luxury brands. It was about authenticity, culture, and storytelling. It reminded people that magazines can still create something timeless and meaningful.
If fashion publications want to bring back their magic, they need to focus on that — creating experiences that feel personal, tangible, and inspiring. Bring back the small joys: the scratch-off perfume samples, the freebies, the pen for circling favorite looks, the cutouts and collages that made magazines feel like treasures. Not digital, but real — something to keep on your coffee table, in your purse, or tucked inside a phone case.
Magazines don’t need millions of followers. They need the passion of a devoted few. Now is the time for a fresh start — without toxic gossip, unrealistic diets, or suffocating ads. Make magazines iconic again — one-of-a-kind cultural gems that people cherish like books, filled with creativity, knowledge, and a touch of magic.
