Vogue and Harper's Bazaar Have Merged!

It's the end of the world as we know it. Vogue and Harper's Bazaar have joined forces in publishing's evil new innovation, Doorfront Direct. Instead of being sent to your mailbox, magazines are dropped off with your newspaper (if you get one) or the vicinity of your front door if you don't.

Earlier this month, Country Living hit the stoop on a rainy morning. Our front step is down the sidewalk and outside the locked front gate. Although I'm sure the aim was in the right direction, most of the time papers land in the grass, the bushes or even the street.  Despite being enclosed in plastic, Country Living, like the papers, was soaking wet.

This morning, blessedly dry, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar shared a pouch on the sidewalk.

Note slit in plastic waiting for rain

I don't like this idea at all. What's to stop someone from making off with my magazines? How early do I have to get up to make sure that doesn't happen? I have long understood publishers lose money having you as a subscriber. Magazines are heavy; postal rates are high. They are only trying to survive. Fetching it from the ground does seem to cheapen the experience.

I love the way the insert describes this new service:
Doorfront Direct is a convenient new way for you to receive magazines and catalogs on your doorstep! Doorstep Direct saves you time since you don't have to walk out to your mailbox.
Convenient for whom??? Saves time how???

Fashion and publishing go hand-in-hand to me. My mother's Vogue was the earliest introduction to this new land of the fantastic yet aspirational. Magazines were their own world, and I wanted in. It happened, yes, but y'all know that already.

Vogue and Harper's Bazaar have always been the Hedda Hopper and Elsa Maxwell of their industries. The Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden. The Hatfields and McCoys. They share the same DNA and are courteous to one another, but rivalry exists.

Diana at Bazaar

Diana at Vogue

When Diana Vreeland was passed over to become editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar in 1962, she decamped to Vogue, bring famed photographer Richard Avedon with her. He never shot for Bazaar again. Vogue's photographers still do not shoot for Bazaar and vice versa. It's highly unusual for writers, editors or production staff to switch titles.

Vogue is more successful financially, with a greater number of ad pages. But Harper's Bazaar has its loyal share of readers. Vogue is helmed by the ice queen, Anna Wintour. The genial Glenda Bailey heads Bazaar. Everyone knows who Anna is; Glenda keeps a lower profile.

Anna at Vogue

Glenda at Bazaar

Although Harper's Bazaar is haute couture all the way, the tone is sunny. Vogue comes across a little stiffer. While I've sometimes thought about dropping my Vogue subscription, it's worth getting for the blockbuster fall fashion issue alone.

When September comes along, they are going to have to make bigger bags.