Harper's Bazaar (stylized as Harper's BAZAAR) is an American monthly womens fashion magazine. It has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled Harper's Bazar."Corporate Changes". The New York Times, December 31, 1930. Page 36. "Albany, Dec. 30.—These corporate changes were filed today: ... [under heading 'Name Changes'] Harper's Bazar, Manhattan, to Harper's Bazaar. ..." Hearst has owned and published the magazine since 1913, originally published by Harper & Brothers.
The magazine is the world's oldest operating women's fashion magazine and one of the first fashion magazines to be published in the United States. Its name change to Harper's Bazaar was filed on December 30, 1930. However, the first issue under the name was November 1929.
Harper's Bazaars corporate offices are located in the Hearst Tower, 300 West 57th Street or 959 Eighth Avenue, near Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Background Harper's Bazaar is an American fashion magazine. The magazine was founded in 1867 by Harper & Brothers as Harper's Bazar (and has since been operating as Harper's Bazaar since 1929); it is the oldest fashion magazine still in operation and was based on and originally was the American version of the German publication Der Bazar.
According to the publication's current editor-in-chief, Samira Nasr, "Harper's BAZAAR uses fashion as a way to explore the forces shaping culture today and to tell the most urgent stories of the moment." While the publisher and owner, Hearst, describes it as "the style resource for women at every age, showcasing visionary stylists, photographers, and designers with authority and insider insight."
The magazine has achieved notability for its innovative art direction under art director Alexey Brodovitch (who worked with the publication from 1934 to 1958). Norman Norell called it "a photographer's magazine" in reference to its innovative photography. Along with this achievement, the reinvention of the magazine under editor-in-chief Liz Tilberis and art director Fabien Baron, who wanted to make it into "the most beautiful fashion magazine in the world," is regarded as turning it back into a fashion publishing industry powerhouse. The magazine is also considered the long-time rival to Vogue.
Circulation +Total circulationYear201620172018201920202021202220232024Circulation767,297761,891768,121762,088739,338730,257741,653740,242740,613
Editors EditorStart yearEnd yearRef.Mary Louise Booth18671889Margaret Elizabeth Sangster18891899Elizabeth Jordan19001913William Martin Johnson19131914Hartford Powell19141916John Chapman Hilder19161920Henry Blackman Sell19201926Charles Hanson Towne19261929Arthur H. Samuels19291934Carmel Snow19341957Nancy White19581971James Brady19711972Anthony Mazzola19721992Liz Tilberis19921999Kate Betts19992001Glenda Bailey20012020Samira Nasr2020present
History
The beginnings of Bazar (1867–1913) The journal had been inspired by the German Der Bazar (meaning "The Bazaar"), which was a weekly fashion journal published in Berlin, Germany. Fletcher Harper suggested the idea of an American edition of the publication, in partnership with the German original. However, his brothers (James and Joseph Harper) believed that they were already too busy with their other publications (Harper's Monthly and Harper's Weekly) and that they would not be able to launch a new publication. Fletcher then decided to publish the magazine himself; however, upon hearing this, the brothers changed their minds and decided to publish it together.The publication debuted on November 2, 1867, and was published by Harper & Brothers, based in New York City and edited by Mary Louise Booth. The magazine was published in a folio tabloid-size format and published weekly, with the subtitle of "A Repository of Fashion, Pleasure, and Instruction." During this time Harper's Bazar was able to stay ahead of other American publications like Godey's Lady's Book and Peterson's, which had to copy their illustrations from French magazines and re-engrave the printing plates of the latest fashions; however, due to the partnership with Der Bazar, the magazine would be sent the electrotypes of the original printing plates, which led to Harper's Bazar publishing the latest illustrations at the same time as the European journals which was months ahead of the other American publications. This gave Harper's Bazar an edge above the other American publications for many years.
Bazars circulation was estimated at reaching between 70,000 and 100,000 within the first six weeks of circulation.
Bazar under Mary L. Booth (who stayed as the editor of the publication until her death in 1889) has been described as a "covert" voice for women's rights, with articles about women's suffrage and equal rights. However, Booth herself denied that the magazine had any political agenda or attempted influence. Booth was succeeded by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, who stayed as editor-in-chief until 1899; she left and was replaced by Elizabeth Jordan when the publication was reorganized.
Early contributors include George William Curtis (who authored Manners Upon the Road), Thomas Wentworth Higginson (who authored Women and Men), James Payn (writing articles under "Robert Kemble, of London"), Wilkie Collins, F. W. Robinson, Virginia Woolf, George Eliot, and Emmeline Raymond (the Paris correspondent).
In 1901 the magazine's format made the transition from a weekly to a monthly magazine and changed its format/size, partly because of the publisher's financial struggles.
Sale to Hearst and rebranding to Harper's Bazaar (1913–1934) William Randolph Hearst purchased the magazine for Harper & Brothers in 1913; before Hearst's purchase, the magazine had steadily been losing money for many years. Under Hearst ownership, the magazine was turned into a thick glossy magazine and had a distinct editorial change from a Harper's publication to a Hearst publication.
Sell left the magazine in 1926, and Charles Hanson Towne became editor-in-chief; under his tenure, a second "a" was added to "Bazar," and the publication was renamed Harper's Bazaar with the November 1929 issue. Arthur Samuels then replaced Towne in 1929.
Under Snow, White, and Brady (1934–1972) Carmel Snow became fashion editor in 1932, joining Harper's Bazaar from its rival Vogue, which caused a stir in the fashion industry. Snow felt like she was constrained at Vogue, with Edna Woolman Chase (editor-in-chief of Vogue) having no intentions to leave her position. Edna Woolman Chase and Condé Nast (publisher of Vogue) believed her exit was "the ultimate betrayal," and Nast never spoke to Snow again.
One of Snow's first influential editorials was published in 1933. Snow and the Hungarian photojournalist Martin Munkácsi went to a windswept and cold Long Island beach for a swimwear fashion shoot, which was Munkácsi's first fashion story. A photo was taken featuring model Lucile Brokaw, who ran towards the camera, which became part of fashion magazine history, with most fashion photoshoots previously featuring still, mannequin-like models shot in a studio; the photo became a turning point for fashion photography.
Snow became the magazine's editor-in-chief in 1934, and Samuels joined House Beautiful. Snow's approach was more hands-on than Samuels', who was more distant to his employees, preferring a "closed-door" approach. Following a design exhibition at the Art Directors Club, Snow was introduced to the work of Russian artist Alexey Brodovitch, to whom she offered the art director role that evening. Brodovitch revolutionized magazine design and became "virtually the model for the modern magazine art director." He also introduced the Didot typeface to the magazine, which then became the logo font and would be copied by notable publications including Vogue, L'Officiel, and Elle using Didot as their logo typeface. Brodovitch is also remembered for his use of white space and cropped layouts. Truman Capote said about Brodovitch, "What Dom Pérignon was to champagne ... so [Brodovitch] has been to ... photographic design and editorial layout."
One of his assistants at Bazaar was Tony Lane, who later became the art director of Rolling Stone.
Brodovitch also introduced photographers. Richard Avedon, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Irving Penn, and more were at the magazine along with the artists Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, and Andy Warhol. Avedon had fourteen interviews with the magazine before being hired.In late 1935, Snow saw a young Diana Vreeland dancing at the St. Regis Hotel bar in a lace dress by Chanel, and the day after, commissioned her to write a column called "Why Don't You... ?" for the magazine. A typical suggestion: "Why don't you... wear, like the Duchess of Kent, three enormous diamond stars arranged in your hair in front?" She was immortalized in Funny Face, where she inspired the character Maggie Prescott (played by Kay Thompson). Richard Avedon was also immortalized in the film, inspiring the character Dick Avery (played by Fred Astaire). Avedon shot many iconic photographs for the magazine (working from 1945 as a staff photographer), including models roller skating in the Place de la Concorde, Dovima with circus elephants, and more glamorous editorials with large sets.
Guadeloupean model and dancer Ady Fidelin became the first Black model to be featured in a major American fashion magazine when she was featured in Harper's Bazaar in September 1937.
Following the Second World War, Junior Bazaar was launched, aiming to be a competitor to Mademoiselle and Seventeen. However, in 1948 it was merged into Harper's Bazaar, with Snow believing that she was diverting too much of her energy to the publication.
Gleb Derujinsky joined the magazine in 1950 (working with the magazine until 1968) and produced some of the magazine's most iconic images. Derujinsky was a pioneer juxtaposing haute couture dresses with deserts, junkyards, fairgrounds, and airports, with the comparison between Avedon and Derujinsky being "Avedon shot dresses and clothes; Gleb shot women living in them."
In 1957 Derujinsky traveled across the world with Nena von Schlebrügge and Ruth Neumann in cooperation with Pan Am for the inauguration of the Boeing 707. They shot in eleven countries in 28 days.
Brodovitch (who struggled with alcoholism) was fired in 1958, and his wife died the following year, all of which led to a severe depression, and following a 1967 hip injury, he moved to the south of France, where he died in 1971.
The February 1959 issue featured an editorial with Chinese-American model China Machado (often erroneously reported as the cover, which is actually the December 1959 issue with Dovima); she was one of the first people of color to be featured in a major American fashion magazine. The publisher (Hearst) was against the inclusion of Machado, believing that Southern subscribers would quit their subscriptions. She later became the magazine's senior fashion editor and then fashion director.
The Nancy White era circulation peaked in 1969 with 442,220 copies circulated.
Under Anthony Mazzola (1972–1992) Nonnie Moore was hired as fashion editor in 1980, having served in the same post at Mademoiselle. The New York Times noticed the changes she made at Harper's Bazaar, highlighting how the magazine had been "looking a little dowdy" but that Moore had "noticeably sharpened the magazine's fashion [perspective]" by showing "brighter, younger, and more stylish" looks, complimenting her use of "young and exciting fashion photographers," such as Oliviero Toscani.
Era of elegance (1992–2001) Liz Tilberis was appointed editor-in-chief in 1992; she was previously the editor-in-chief of British Vogue, replacing Anna Wintour in 1987.
Under Samira Nasr (2020–present)