Issue #1: VOGUE November 1988
An ode to Anna Wintour — Turning iconic fashion into wearable style, starting with the cover look.
Vogue, November 1988: Model Michaela Bercu on the cover, photographed by Peter Lindbergh.
Every legacy starts with a first...
As I begin this journey, flipping through one vintage fashion magazine a month, there’s no better place to start than Vogue, November 1988: Anna Wintour’s very first issue as Editor-in-Chief. It was the beginning of Wintour’s reign, and the moment Vogue declared itself unafraid of change, marking a cultural pivot.
The cover that changed everything was simply a model, Michaela Bercu wearing $50 Guess acid wash jeans and a bejeweled $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket, photographed outdoors with natural makeup and windswept hair, signaling a bold departure from the glossy perfection of decades past.
Wintour didn’t just introduce a new cover, she introduced a new era.
Michaela was wearing an haute couture Christian Lacroix jacket with a beaded cross, all very “Like a Prayer,” and stonewashed Guess jeans. The jacket was actually part of a suit, but the skirt didn’t fit Michaela; she had been on vacation back home in Israel and had gained a little weight. Not that that mattered. In fact, it only served to reinforce the idea to take couture’s haughty grandeur and playfully throw it headlong into real life and see what happened.
- Anna Wintour from the article Honoring the 120th Anniversary: Anna Wintour Shares Her Vogue Story
Last Thursday, Anna Wintour (and her iconic “bob”) announced that although she may be staying with the company, she’s stepping down as editor-in-chief of Vogue, marking the end of an extraordinary era for the magazine that helped define pop culture as we know it today.
And so, in the spirit of endings, new beginnings and transformation, I start here…
The way in which I RAN to my bookshelves when I heard the news - just to see if I had this issue, was like chasing a memory I didn’t even realize I had until that exact moment it entered my mind; equal parts adrenaline and archival obsession… as if Anna herself had called me and asked to borrow it.
AND… although THIS ISSUE has sold for over 2k in the last few days, making me very hesitant to touch it, let alone flip through it without wearing gloves, I am BEYOND excited to jump IN THIS ISSUE and share the pages of it with you.
AM I going to go through it with a fine tooth comb, page-by-page?
No, I am not, because you can do that via a digital subscription to VOGUE archives, if you like…
I AM going to chose my favorite stories, the best fashion editorials, the coolest ads and anything else that might inspire me and YOU… AND THEN I’m going to scour the internet to find a way to make them wearable and easily shoppale as well.
But first…
Let’s take a closer look at this iconic cover look, break it down -detail by detail, reimagine the pieces, and style it in fresh, wearable ways for today.
Note the styling: what looks like the earrings from the collection, are pinned or tucked into her front pocket (cropped out of the final photo on the cover) but a super cute little accessory… Also notice the way her sleeves are pushed up, which, along with her carefree hair, natural makeup, and (then-trendy) jeans, gives it a much more casual-cool-girl look compared to the runway version, which is far more formal, yet utterly chic. In this way, we can combine high and low, formal and informal, and create a fun and unique elevated-casual vibe, that is wearable today and one-of-a-kind. This also feels like something Carrie Bradshaw might “throw on” in a way that feels so effortless, yet ultimately fabulous.
Find a similar pair of gold earrings by the designer here: Vintage Massive CHRISTIAN LACROIX Mogul Baroque Hoop Earrings and another similar pair by Givenchy, here: Bold Givenchy hoop earrings Paris New York Large Hoop Dangle Earrings or these CHANEL - Vintage 28 Earrings Double Hoop Circle Swing Gold Plate Clip On
Shop similar, more wearable and affordable styles here, here, here and here.
Shop all vintage Christian Lacroix bold costume jewelry on Etsy as well as THIS amazing Etsy store for vintage designer finds.
Image Source: (above) Tatler // Fall '89 Haute Couture Christian Lacroix (also feels Madonna-inspired) and below, which I believe was on display at The Met
Of course, newer versions of this incredible little jacket have sold here and here, but the only even remotely similar item I could find now, feels more like a ready-to-wear version (below): 1988 Christian Lacroix Black Long Sleeve Byzantine Cross Top, which, while it IS from the same designer, lacks the beauty, detail and overall energy of the original couture jacket seen on the runway and on the cover.
However, recreating a similar “FEEL” of the cover look, doesn’t have to be interpreted so literally.
You could easily throw on a vintage cropped blazer with an open collar and a chunky cross necklace or a jacket with a smaller emblem, like this 1980's ANNE KLEIN navy wool jacket with jeweled Byzantine cross detail and a pair of your favorite jeans for a similar look today.
When looking only at the cover of the magazine, I originally thought the jacket was velvet, based not only on the era, but on the way the fabric draped on the model. It’s clear on the runway and in the museum display, that it looks more like a satin textile, but I think when searching for something similar, velvet might be the best option, especially if you’re looking for a vintage piece.
For instance, this Vintage Laura Ashley Black Velvet Puff Sleeve Prairie Cropped Blazer is the closest I found to a similar fit, minus the high collar and cross detail, of course.
And although this (above) isn’t ‘80s, this is a close second based on the high neckline, 00s Vintage Black Silk Velvet Blazer | Ladies Light Smart Crop Jacket w Mandarin Collar
My search words included: Vintage 80s cropped velvet blazer or jacket, high collar or high neck or Victorian collar or Baroque also helped as well as Mandarin collar - in discovering similar items from the era, but this inexpensive satin cropped jacket, might be a perfect option if you’re thinking about a possible DIY project.
Below are a few faves I’ve found from the ‘80s, which are available to buy now.
Vintage 90s Black Purple Vampy Velvet Bolero Cropped Jacket $50 on Etsy
80s Black Velvet Jacket Rhinestone Cropped Blazer Puff Sleeve Avant Garde Structured Vintage Top Blazer S M $38 on Etsy
80s velvet jacket scalloped blazer elegant black blazer $70 on Etsy
Vintage 1980s jacket // size medium // 80s black velvet puff sleeve blazer $44 on Etsy
Vintage 80s baroque velvet cropped black blazer, romantic folk cocktail jacket $137 on Etsy
80s Black 100% Wool Puff Sleeve Cinched Waist Tailored Blazer $45 on Etsy
Cropped Tailored High Neck Jacket $52 new! at Karen Miller
Gothic Black Velvet Cropped Bolero Jacket Vintage $57 on Etsy
Early Nanette Lepore Slinky Little Black Jacket $42 on Etsy - different but similar
80s velvet jacket pop-art fancy jacket floral velvet jacket puffy sleeve multicolor cropped blazer $96 on Etsy
And finally, this one, above, Vintage Austrian Velvet Jacket with Puff Sleeves Style black Jacket | Rare 80s , which has almost ALL the elements of the original, with the cropped waist, high collar and puff sleeves, it’s a clear winner, although slightly more expensive at $185
However, pairing any of the lower collar options with a large vintage gold Baroque cross necklace, or other chunky gold bejeweled accessories, would create a similar look without reading so literal.
Oversized Jeweled Cross Pendant Necklace $340 on 1stDibs and below: by Kenneth J Lane $360 tell a similar story… but you can find similar options in your local thrift stores and vintage shops.
Last but not least, the jeans…
GUESS jeans were THE COOL GIRL JEANS in the late ‘80s, and if you weren’t wearing them, you weren’t cool, obviously… which at twelve years old, is what I truly believed. They were the gold standard and came with a hefty price tag, and I had to wait for Christmas or a birthday to get my legs into a pair.
Vtg 80s Georges Marciano Guess Jeans Women’s 29 Acid Wash High Waist Ankle Zip $70 on ebay
VINTAGE Guess Jeans Mens 31 Acid Wash Blue Denim Georges Marciano USA 80s $63 on ebay
VTG Guess Jeans Womens 26x26 Blue Georges Marciano USA Acid Wash Taper 90s Pants $43
GAP Stonewash 90s jeans NOW(new) in multiple modern sizes & plus size for $39
After this phase of GUESS jeans in the ‘80s, Levi’s were the only option for cool-girls in the ‘90s. Then there was a time in the late ‘90s when jeans were seemingly obsolete; no one was wearing them. We opted for chinos and cargos and other, more masculine cuts and looser fits, and while I do see this trend resurfacing now, I think jeans will always have a place in fashion now and moving forward. We’re in a fun time where almost any style of denim, color, shape, rise and length are an option, an anything goes, time, if you will, as long as you style them right, you can’t go wrong.
I’ve only just cracked the cover, and already this issue is packed with promise. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be flipping through every page, pulling out the style, stories, ads, and moments that defined a shift in fashion history. From iconic editorials to hidden gems, there's so much more to uncover. This is just the beginning.
Stay tuned — we’re just getting started.
IF you’d like a chance to own a copy of this issue, there’s one available on ebay right now, with about 5 days left and almost a dozen bids, already at $1775 (US), check it out here: RARE Vogue November 1988 Anna Wintour's First Issue
OK @Maegan, I SEE you! I see past present and future you in this project and I'm looking forward to diving into the next issue. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVED this post! Your enthusiasm for this project is contagious and I'd love to see you recreate that cover!