A Century of Style at VOGUE 100

It took me a while but I finally went to the Vogue 100 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition, which opened all the way back in February and finishes on Sunday, marks a milestone 100 years for British Vogue. Charting the magazines history from its first ever issue in 1916, right in the middle of World War 1, up to the present centenary issue featuring the radiant Duchess of Cambridge on the cover, the exhibition proved why Vogue is such a respected and admired fashion magazine.

No photos were allowed inside the exhibition, which seemed a bit silly as all the photos on display were images we could easily access online or in past issues of Vogue. But nevertheless, it was nice that you didn't see visitors walking around glued to the phones or taking selfies next to a portrait of Alexander McQueen. Each room was dedicated to a certain decade with images and prints most famously associated with that period. I loved the 2010's room, which consisted of beautiful Mario Testino shots, editorials styled by Lucinda Chambers and classic moments which I could relate to as that was the decade which I first started reading Vogue. It was great to see the changes of style throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s with supermodels, politicians and actresses alike all payed homage to. If anything, seeing these images on a large scale on an even larger wall made me fall in love with them more. The precision of the camera lens and the beautiful locations in which these fashion photos were taken looked even more impressive than just a photo in a magazine.

I also liked the way Vogue really focused on the magazines conception, all the way back in 1916. While Britain was suffering both at home and abroad during the war, the pages of British Vogue instantly brightened many women's lives as Paris as a style capital was completely cut off. Even through WW2, Vogue didn't stop publishing their magazine, but instead produced beautiful photos conveying the latest fashions and sent Lee Miller, a former Vogue model, across to Europe to work as the magazines war correspondent. It was very heartening to see Miller's photos in the exhibition 100 years later. The final room of the exhibition was a great ending to what was really a fantastic exhibition. Under glass cases, 100 issues of Vogue lay shining, one for each year the magazine has been published. From Cara Delevingne on the September cover in 2013, to the famous millennial cover of Robbie Williams and Gisele Bundchen to the supermodels in the 90s, Jerry Hall in the Soviet Union circa 1972 and of course, the classic covers marking the Queen's royal anniversaries, Vogue really has covered it all through history.

If you haven't yet been to the Vogue 100 exhibition, you still have a couple of days left until the final day of May 22nd. If you love fashion, enjoy reading Vogue and have a passion for British history, I strongly recommend you visit as you will walk around and spot things which will re-awaken your memory and take you back to a period of time that hasn't been forgotten. British Vogue isn't my favourite issue of Vogue (I do like Vogue Italia and Japan) but it's fair to say their history and stunning photographs really do set them apart for being one of the biggest, and best fashion magazines in the world.