Hillary Clinton Just Got Trendier

For the first time ever, Vogue endorsed a presidential candidate: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While it might not have come as a surprise, a fashion magazine endorsing a presidential candidate is definitely considered a surprise. Many consider Vogue the nation’s leading fashion magazine and Vogue rarely steps into the political schema, but for this election, they decided it was too important to sit by the wayside.

Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, has been a prominent backer of Hillary Clinton for awhile. Back in 2013, Wintour touted her support for a Hillary Clinton presidency when at the Oscar de la Renta Retrospective opening at the Clinton Library she said, “I can only hope that all of you here in Little Rock will be celebrating her come November 2016.” Ever since that moment, Wintour has been an intense fighter for the Clinton campaign. Throughout their friendship, Wintour has profiled Clinton a total of six times in the magazine’s print issues, has been a fashion advisor for Clinton throughout her entire campaign, and has shown up to various events wearing a Hillary Clinton t-shirt (Yes, Anna Wintour actually wore a t-shirt). The biggest form of support, though, has been Wintour’s fundraising capabilities. Wintour hosted a pre-New York Fashion Week fundraiser to support the candidate and has also maxed out on personal donations.

Therefore, it seems that Vogue’s endorsement of Clinton should not come as a monumental surprise between the multiple times Clinton has been featured in the magazine and Wintour’s blatant support. But, here’s the catch: An entire fashion publication has never come together to support a single candidate. Never. As a whole, the magazine states that, “Editors-in-Chief have made their opinions known from time to time, but the magazine has never spoken in an election with a single voice. Given the profound stakes of this one, and the history that stands to be made, we feel that should change.” Vogue found this election so important, that they found the need to endorse a candidate, a candidate who they said has “fierce intelligence” and “considerable experience.” They even found a need to make the theme of their November issue the election, emphasizing how important this election is.

Fashion and politics have always had an ever important relationship, and just like most art forms, many times fashion has influenced politics and politics have influenced fashion. But now, fashion publications, designers, and critics  are using fashion in a whole new way, to truly influence and comment on the political climate in the United States (see STITCH's The Force of Politics in Fashion). Moreover, fashion and politics have never been related this closely before, as Hillary Clinton is the first female running for president. She frankly has more options for her outfits, and therefore she often is criticized or praised for her outfits. Ralph Lauren became a major player in this election, often designing Clinton’s trademark pant suits. Anna Wintour became a fashion advisor for Clinton and other designers have found their place in her campaign.

Yes, a fashion publication is normally politically unbiased. But for this election, Vogue couldn’t just stand on the sidelines. They felt the need to take a stance on this race, because fashion and politics have never been more closely tied together. This change is imminent and clear. Moreover, a fashion magazine normally so focused on pointing out what is in and what is out took time out of their magazine to point out why people need to vote for Hillary Clinton. That’s substantial.

So clearly, Vogue endorsing Hillary Clinton is a big deal. It is important. And in the words of Vogue, “Let’s head to the polls on Tuesday, November 8, and vote.”