Nina-Sophia Miralles on her debut book Glossy, the inside story of Vogue
| This interview was first published in April 2021 in my newsletter Slow Fashion Weekly.
I read Glossy, cover to cover, in 48 hours last weekend. I can write this confidently here because there are witnesses who read this newsletter and can confirm this bold statement. Even I was surprised at how much I could take in. After all, the topic of the book is Vogue magazine: its world of unattainable glamour, decadent opulence and less than sustainable values, which is light years away from Slow Fashion Weekly.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have bothered if Vogue's story hadn't been told by Nina-Sophia Miralles, brilliant journalist, managing editor and founder of the excellent Londnr magazine. I found out Vogue’s history spans the 20th century, crosses and absorbs other histories: art, cinema, Paris, London, photography, journalism, the world, fashion of course... Every chapter is populated with fascinating characters and colourful anecdotes beautifully described by the author. A fascinating read I definitely recommend.
What in Vogue piqued your interest? Why did you choose this magazine over other glossies?
"I guess I think of Vogue as the ultimate glossy, though I'm sure some people will contest that! It's certainly been around the longest, and I do think in most people's minds it is the ultimate fashion mag. I enjoyed Vogue a lot as a teenager - for the outlandish clothes which I never saw in malls - but my interest grew to obsession only when I started writing about the Vogue editors. I find them so colourful, so inspiring, so bizarre and so fundamental to the fashion sector."
Glossy, the inside story of Vogue is packed with stories. Which one did you find the most surprising?
"There was a lot that surprised me! I had no idea the Nazis tried to appropriate Vogue and the staff in France had to come up with mad schemes to save it from German clutches during WWII. I had no idea a Vogue editor invented the catwalk. I had no idea Vogue once spent $7 million on a photoshoot. I had no idea Anna Wintour was fired so many times before landing at Vogue."
Who’s your favourite character in Vogue’s history and why?
"This is a tough one! There were so many personalities that really captured me. One of the editors I wrote about least was Beatrix Miller, who edited British Vogue (1964 - 1985), so I'll give her some space here. She discovered photographers like David Bailey and everybody who remembers her focuses on how supportive she was. She ran the Vogue office a bit like a headmistress and was called Miss Miller by everyone, but although she was strict, she helped people build their life. It was a habit of hers to hire talented young graduates. Dame Marina Warner (first female president of the Royal Society of Literature) remembers being given a job with barely any experience and no connections when she was 20. When she told Beatrix Miller she had started writing her first novel, Miller gave her Fridays off at full pay. That kind of generosity is pretty unheard of. Imagine a boss who believed in you so much they paid you to pursue your dreams. She gave people chances, and almost everyone she sponsored became a star."