Due to my dissertation being based on GQ magazine, I’ve
taken to reading it on a regular basis and I must admit – I absolutely love it.
GQ magazine has been labelled the leading men’s magazine in Britain with an
impressive 40 awards to their name so far, including Columnist, Cover, Writer
and Editor of the Year, and 19 editions published worldwide. Launched in 1988,
GQ has continued to shape the world of the men’s magazine market.
GQ was originally named ‘Vogue for Men’ and I can definitely
see why. The style of the magazine is very similar to Vogue, just with less
fashion talk and more cars! The articles are formal yet witty and writing a
series of articles for them for my dissertation is something I’m very much
looking forward to.
The men’s magazine section isn’t somewhere I usually find
myself but wanting to take a different route with my work, doing a fashion course
means Elle, Vogue and Cosmo are popular choices, I decided that choosing a
high-end men’s magazine wouldn’t be so expected. The features vary in length;
this gives me the opportunity to explore different subjects. Being a men’s
magazine, I like that it differs from the audience I would usually write for,
pushing me to work outside of my comfort zone. Although it has taken a little
getting used to, especially as I’m not the biggest Vogue fan either, I am now
familiar with the writing style and hope that it shows in my writing.
GQ has kept its appeal by sticking to either women or successful
men on the cover, for example, Lana Del Rey and Daniel Craig were October and
November 2012’s cover stars. This suits the house style and readership of the
magazine as it features the men the readers want to be and the women they want
to date.
For anyone who hasn’t read GQ before, especially those who
are fans of Vogue, I highly recommend it. It mixes humour with politics, agony
aunts and top hotel destinations so there is something for everyone. The
fashion section is really interesting and a great way to keep up with the world
of men’s fashion, the political features have added wit to make them more
appealing and the real-life stories focus on people that have had real
experiences that are far more serious than their girlfriend having an affair. I
wonder if it’ll have the same effect on you.
