Vogue on the shelves in Turkish

After generating a lot of speculation for months 
Turkish Vogue finally had its place among others.

It is just above the mediocrity…

I was completely biased because of our previous magazine experiences in the industry. Elle, Harper’s Bazaar or Cosmopolitan happened to be another soulless, unidentified carbon copies of their original editions by reducing its staff only a bunch of translators and simple implementers while disregarding the local talents.

And Vogue, even though it has a well-known tradition with the fashion industry and Condé Nast Publication has strict policies about the brand expansions, could possibly be a victim of the market in the same way.

It was a big question mark in my mind whether Vogue could manage to not to be another women magazine in this not-that-demanding market.

Along with that wonder, I was afraid of Turkish Vogue happen to be too commercial like its American counterpart due to the concern over circulation. It may be okay in the States but in Turkish edition, would be really repulsive to see too polished pictures all through the pages with big price tags.

Fortunately, probably since Mary Fellowes of British Vogue is at the head of fashion direction, Vogue Türkiye is mostly inspired by the British one. Not as arty as the Italian one or as glamorous as the French one… Just in the middle of all and above the mediocrity.

Although some say that there is a lack of a specific article on fashion in the magazine, i pretty like its relationship with ‘lifestyle’ topics.

There is an article on the painter Semiha Berksoy celabrating her 100. birthday; an article and shooting with director Ferzan Özpetek revealing his latest film and another shooting made in Italy with the leading actor and actresses of the newly relased movie, Ses.

There are seven fashion shootings i count, four of them styled by Mary Fellowes, three of them by Konca Aykan and the other one by Ece Sükan… These mostly are pretty shoots produced out of the studio and mostly using daily light instead of strong spots.

One of my favorite shootings in the mag is the one shot in Mardin. Even if i haven’t been in there i feel excitement about that little, eastern city. When it comes to culture it seems pretty promising. And the shooting reveals it pretty much by giving space to the local patterns. The costumes and the lighting do not cover anything they go along with everything surrounding them. 

‘The Randevouz in Bodrum’ which makes you feel the mag has something to do with art photography is my another favorite shoot. Oka, maybe, gathering now-retired-but-still-beautiful models together, instead of emerging hot models, is kind of depressing idea for the first issue but the concept looks pretty on the pages.

And here is my amazement… When it comes to costumes no other public persona dare to be daring as much as Zeki Müren. Zeki Müren was/is arguably one of the most famous singers in the city life. He expressed his publicly undeclared sexual preferance with his costumes in the very conservative and politically though times. His obsession with fashion to express his identity is a great example between culture-identity and fashion.     

The New York Magazine asks to his online readers (probably as the part of a PR work) that “Why is the cover of Turkish Vogue is so great?”

Is it really so?

Oka, being plain is appreciated but for what reason Jessica Stam is the face of the first issue of a magazine published for the local Turkish market? Why not a Turkish model on the cover? Is it because that Turkish models aren’t pretty enough? Or Is that just a fear of being excluded off the international fashion industry.

In both cases the insecurity is not appreciated.

After all ‘Vogue Türkiye’ is pretty to flip through. But that’s sure it is not enough to keep the wheels working. We all going to see how it will manage to survive in the new media landscape turning its face increasingly to online.

With the help of its traditional perception it’ll probably do well in its first year. The figures show that it has an ideal advertising-content percentage for the first issue. But it’s doubtful whether these figures are sustainable or not. 

Behind the scenes of the cover :

Why Vogue not in Arabic ? !

Even if the market in Arabic is mouth watering, Condé Nast has chosen Turkey to launch Vogue instead of the United Arab Emirates. The reasons sound reasonable  

Oka i’m not complaining about it but when i heard about the lunch of Turkish Vogue for the first time, i’d thought: Why on earth Condé Nast chose Turkey instead of an Arabic country such as the United Arab Emirates or Lebanon. Since the increasing Arab effect on western fashion retailing is so serious.

It’s so clear that Arabs are more enthusiastic about the luxury consumption than the Turkish. They have been barely affected by the recession and they already have strong influence on western fashion retailing.

The Arab market is so important that Louis Vuitton has launched its first global store in Dubai Mall. Tom Ford and Jil Sander designed special items for the Gulf countries.

Besides the market expands: It’s lately mentioned that Sheikh Hassan Bin Ali al-Nuaimi from the United Arab Emirates is likely to take over the French fashion house, Christian Lacroix.

Thinking all of these above and very naively seeing only the one side of the business, i made a quick search on google and realized that this discussion has already been out of fashion.

After reading Condé Nast International Chairman Jonathan Newhouse’s press release, below, on 'why Vogue cannot be published in Arabic', one of the most important side of business i forgot hit my face: The values!

      
Here are the reasons why not in Arabic:

“Within the Arab world, or to be more accurate, the Muslim world, there is an element which accepts Western values. There is also a powerful fundamentalist, religious element which rejects Western values,

This element rejects freedom of expression, equality for women and expression of sexuality, to name three values associated with our publication.

And this militant element is capable of aggressive opposition, even violence, to attain its goals. At its most extreme, this militant element is capable of murder.

In Indonesia recently, the editor of the local edition of Playboy was put on trial even though the local edition did not print nude photos.

Our company has no wish to impose its values on a society which does not fully share them. And we do not wish to provoke a strongly negative, even violent reaction. It isn't even worth it for a few million in licensing fees.

The Middle East has plenty of people who would love to read Vogue. But unfortunately they live in the same general region as some of the most militant and violent elements.

The UAE borders Saudi Arabia, home [country] of Bin Laden and most of the September 11 terrorists. And militant elements take offense at any Arabic-language magazine.

This isn't Israel/Palestine, Iraq or Iran. It isn't a thorny problem which has to be solved. It is a problem I don't have to have. So I will simply avoid it by never entering the market. And I will sleep better at night.”

                                                         Jonathan Newhouse

the press release has taken from: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/conde_nasty_IasvwQTyblLkQMoraHzx3H#