Harper's Bazaar
The style resource for women at every age, showcasing visionary stylists, photographers, and designers with authority and insider insight.
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Harper's Bazaar (stylized as Harper's BAZAAR) is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled Harper's Bazar. 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. 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.
Lore & Background
The magazine was founded in 1867 by Harper & Brothers as Harper's Bazar, inspired by the German publication Der Bazar. It debuted on November 2, 1867, edited by Mary Louise Booth. The magazine was published weekly in a folio tabloid-size format. In 1901 it transitioned to a monthly magazine.
William Randolph Hearst purchased the magazine in 1913. Carmel Snow became editor-in-chief in 1934. Art director Alexey Brodovitch worked with the publication from 1934 to 1958. The magazine is considered the long-time rival to Vogue.
Reader's Guide
Harper's Bazaar is described by its current editor-in-chief, Samira Nasr, as using 'fashion as a way to explore the forces shaping culture today and to tell the most urgent stories of the moment.' 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 is noted for its innovative art direction under Alexey Brodovitch and for its photography, with Norman Norell calling it 'a photographer's magazine.' The reinvention under editor-in-chief Liz Tilberis and art director Fabien Baron is regarded as turning it back into a fashion publishing industry powerhouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Harper's Bazaar most famous for?
Beyond being the oldest continuously published women's fashion magazine, it is celebrated for its groundbreaking art direction, particularly under Alexey Brodovitch, who pushed the publication into a more modern, visually bold era.
How does Harper's Bazaar relate to Vogue?
Harper's Bazaar has long been considered Vogue's primary rival in the American fashion magazine space. The two titles have competed for decades, each establishing its own distinct editorial identity and readership.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Harper's Bazaar (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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