Vogue Sees Nearly 10% Boost in Ad Space and Hints at Plans for New Website

Yesterday Vogue magazine announced a 9.3 percent increase in the amount of add space purchased in their September 2011 issue as compared to September 2010. Proving once again that while there may be a whole world of fashion mags out there, there is only one Vogue. The September issue will feature 584 ad pages, a 50 page increase over 2010. While Vogue has yet to fully recover their pre-recession glory (September 2007 featured 727 ad pages) the numbers point to the mag as being the fastest growing in the market. InStyle followed with a 5.8 percent increase, Harper’s Bazaar and W both posted moderate 1 to 2 percent gains; Elle on the other hand posted a substantial 6.8 percent decrease in ad space.

The September issue of Vogue which went on sale this week features ex-Halston exec Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover and includes a brilliant photo shoot and interview with sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning in which the girls dish on everything from their workout routines to a love for Hello Kitty. Publisher Susan Plagemann pointed out that the increase in ad space for the notoriously popular September issue was a sign things were improving throughout the fashion industry, with designers from all nations increasing their advertising commitment. None more so then the French fashion houses who have reportedly purchased 28 percent more advertising space then they did a year ago. Italian houses were up 19 percent with American houses following closely behind at 14.

However the most intriguing part of yesterday’s announcement was when Plagemann told reporters that Vogue would be launching a new website alongside the already popular Vouge.com. When pressed for more details as to how the site would be different and what Vogue readers could expect Ms. Plagemann was tight lipped saying only that the site would be up and ready by December and that more information would be made available as the year progressed. It’s no surprise that Vogue can remain on top in the world of fashion mags, considering how good they are at building public interest through suspense.