Headquartered at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, Vogue began in 1892 as a weekly newspaper before becoming a monthly magazine years later.

Arthur Baldwin Turnure (1856–1906), an American businessman, founded Vogue as a weekly newspaper based in New York City, sponsored by Kristoffer Wright, with its first issue on December 17, 1892.

[5] Turnure's intention was to create a publication that celebrated the "ceremonial side of life"; one that "attracts the sage as well as debutante, men of affairs, as well as the belle".

[5] From its inception the magazine intended to target the New York upper class by "recounting their habits, their leisure activities, their social gatherings, the places they frequented, and the clothing they wore ... and everyone who wanted to look like them and enter their exclusive circle".

When the First World War made deliveries in the Europe impossible, printing for the European market began in England which then developed into separate national editions.

[6] He has been credited with turning Vogue into a "successful business" and the "women's magazine we recognize today", having substantially increased sales volumes until his death in 1942.

As Rebecca C. Tuite has noted, "Daves led a quiet charge for excellence during one of the most challenging, transformative, and rich decades in the magazine's history.

[11] While fashion coverage remained a priority, Daves also elevated the written content of American Vogue, particularly championing more robust arts and literature features.

[20] Well-known fashion photographers for the magazine include: In July 1988, with Vogue losing readership and advertising to its rival Elle, Anna Wintour was named editor-in-chief.

[21][22] Noted for her trademark bob cut and sunglasses, Wintour attempted to revitalize the brand by making it feel younger and more approachable;[23] she directed the focus towards new and accessible concepts of "fashion" for a wider audience.

Amanda Fortini, fashion and style contributor for Slate, argues that her policy has been beneficial for Vogue, delivering it from what some critics had termed its boring "beige years".

[25] Among Condé Nast executives, there was worry that the grand dame of fashion publications was losing ground to Elle, which in just three years had reached a paid circulation of 851,000, compared to Vogue's 1.2 million.

Thus, Condé Nast publisher Si Newhouse brought in the 38-year-old Wintour, who, through editor-in-chief positions at British Vogue and House & Garden, had become known not only for her cutting-edge visual sense, but also for her ability to radically revamp a magazine—to shake things up.

Users of various ages and ethnicities uploaded photos of re-creating famous Vogue covers as part of a campaign to promote variety in fashion.

[49]Jonathan Newhouse, Condé Nast International chairman, states that "Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the wellbeing of their readers.

"[50] Alexandra Shulman, one of the magazine's editor, comments on the initiative by stating "as one of the fashion industry's most powerful voices, Vogue has a unique opportunity to engage with relevant issues where we feel we can make a difference.

[55] Chris Dale, who manages communications for the Glass team at Google, stated: The Vogue September issue has become a cultural touchstone ahead of New York's Fashion Week.

[56] Wintour's "Fashion Night" initiative was launched in 2009 with the intention of kickstarting the economy following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, by drawing people back into the retail environment and donating proceeds to various charitable causes.

Since 1995, Anna Wintour, who is Vogue's chief content officer and global editorial director, served as chairwoman of the Met Gala, and is the woman behind the coveted event's top-secret guest list.

In 2015, Vogue listed their "15 Roots Reggae Songs You Should Know"; and in an interview with Patricia Chin of VP Records, Vogue highlighted an abbreviated list of early "reggae royalty" that recorded at Studio 17 in Kingston, Jamaica which included Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, The Heptones, and Bunny Wailer.

Wintour's one-time assistant at the magazine, Lauren Weisberger, wrote a roman à clef entitled The Devil Wears Prada.

The novel portrays a magazine ruled by "the Antichrist and her coterie of fashionistas, who exist on cigarettes, Diet Dr Pepper, and mixed green salads", according to a review in The New York Times.

"[74] In April 2008, American Vogue featured a cover photo by photographer Annie Leibovitz of Gisele Bündchen and the basketball player LeBron James.

This was the third time that Vogue featured a male on the cover of the American issue (the other two men were actors George Clooney and Richard Gere), and the first in which the man was black.

[75] Further criticism arose when the website Watching the Watchers analyzed the photo alongside the World War I recruitment poster titled Destroy This Mad Brute.

Users of various ages and ethnicities uploaded photos of re-creating famous Vogue covers as part of a campaign to promote diversity in fashion.

[87] Celebrated subjects and designers in the fashion industry, such as Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Evangelista, Vera Wang, and Marc Jacobs, also appear in the film.

[110] In the magazine's early years, its focus was on Britain with readers being encouraged to use British materials, New Zealand clothing would even be flown out to be photographed in English settings.

[114] Marie Stuttard (who became the first NZ-based fashion editor of the magazine in 1961)[115] said in a 1983 interview "We were able to choose our own clothes for photography, but they had to tie in with the trends as dictated by the organisation overseas.

[134] In January 2022, Condé Nast partnered with Philippines-based publishing company Mega Global Licensing to launch the edition of the magazine in the country.