Vogue and The Big Issue

Vogue and The Big Issue represent two distinct poles of the magazine industry, contrasting a high-end commercial conglomerate against an independent social enterprise. Vogue, published by the global conglomerate Condé Nast, is built on an aspirational, luxury brand identity that has thrived since the early 20th century. In contrast, The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit publication founded to provide homeless individuals a legal means of earning income through a vendor model. While Vogue pays its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, a salary exceeding £2 million, The Big Issue reinvests its revenue into social initiatives like The Big Issue Foundation and Big Issue Invest.

Their approaches to representation are equally divergent. Historically, Vogue has offered conventional, often passive or sexualized depictions of women, reinforcing the "maternal and domestic" stereotype through adverts like Imperial Leather. However, it occasionally challenged norms, such as featuring financial expert Sheila Black in the 1960s to represent female financial independence. Conversely, The Big Issue focuses on representing the marginalized, specifically portraying homeless vendors in a sympathetic and "inspirational" light. While often male-dominated, it challenges gender stereotypes by featuring figures like David Bowie and Grayson Perry, who defy traditional masculinity.

Regarding ethnicity, Vogue's 1960s archives show a post-colonialist view, often marginalizing ethnic minorities to background "staff" roles while normalizing white models as high-status. The Big Issue maintains a left-wing political stance, frequently criticizing Conservative legislation and figures like Donald Trump. Despite these differences, both magazines target ABC1 socioeconomic groups. This allows The Big Issue to attract expensive advertising alongside charity campaigns, while Vogue readers "embrace" adverts as a guide to their desired lifestyle. Both have now transitioned into digital distribution to navigate the decline of print media