Harper's Bazaar

Background

Harper's Bazaar is an American fashion magazine. The magazine was founded in 1867 by Harper & Brothers as Harper's Bazar (and has since been operating as Harper's Bazaar since 1929); it is the oldest fashion magazine still in operation and was based on and originally was the American version of the German publication Der Bazar.

According to the publication's current editor-in-chief, Samira Nasr, "Harper's BAZAAR uses fashion as a way to explore the forces shaping culture today and to tell the most urgent stories of the moment." While the publisher and owner, Hearst, describes it as "the style resource for women at every age, showcasing visionary stylists, photographers, and designers with authority and insider insight."

The magazine has achieved notability for its innovative art direction under art director Alexey Brodovitch (who worked with the publication from 1934 to 1958). Norman Norell called it "a photographer's magazine" in reference to its innovative photography. Along with this achievement, the reinvention of the magazine under editor-in-chief Liz Tilberis and art director Fabien Baron, who wanted to make it into "the most beautiful fashion magazine in the world," is regarded as turning it back into a fashion publishing industry powerhouse. The magazine is also considered the long-time rival to Vogue.

History

The beginnings of Bazar (1867–1913)

The journal had been inspired by the German Der Bazar (meaning "The Bazaar"), which was a weekly fashion journal published in Berlin, Germany. Fletcher Harper suggested the idea of an American edition of the publication, in partnership with the German original. However, his brothers (James and Joseph Harper) believed that they were already too busy with their other publications (Harper's Monthly and Harper's Weekly) and that they would not be able to launch a new publication. Fletcher then decided to publish the magazine himself; however, upon hearing this, the brothers changed their minds and decided to publish it together.The publication debuted on November 2, 1867, and was published by Harper & Brothers, based in New York City and edited by Mary Louise Booth. The magazine was published in a folio tabloid-size format and published weekly, with the subtitle of "A Repository of Fashion, Pleasure, and Instruction." During this time Harper's Bazar was able to stay ahead of other American publications like Godey's Lady's Book and Peterson's, which had to copy their illustrations from French magazines and re-engrave the printing plates of the latest fashions; however, due to the partnership with Der Bazar, the magazine would be sent the electrotypes of the original printing plates, which led to Harper's Bazar publishing the latest illustrations at the same time as the European journals which was months ahead of the other American publications. This gave Harper's Bazar an edge above the other American publications for many years.

Bazar's circulation was estimated at reaching between 70,000 and 100,000 within the first six weeks of circulation.

Bazar under Mary L. Booth (who stayed as the editor of the publication until her death in 1889) has been described as a "covert" voice for women's rights, with articles about women's suffrage and equal rights. However, Booth herself denied that the magazine had any political agenda or attempted influence. Booth was succeeded by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, who stayed as editor-in-chief until 1899; she left and was replaced by Elizabeth Jordan when the publication was reorganized.

Early contributors include George William Curtis (who authored Manners Upon the Road), Thomas Wentworth Higginson (who authored Women and Men), James Payn (writing articles under "Robert Kemble, of London"), Wilkie Collins, F. W. Robinson, Virginia Woolf, George Eliot, and Emmeline Raymond (the Paris correspondent).

Sale to Hearst and rebranding to Harper's Bazaar (1913–1934)

William Randolph Hearst purchased the magazine for Harper & Brothers in 1913; before Hearst's purchase, the magazine had steadily been losing money for many years. Under Hearst ownership, the magazine was turned into a thick glossy magazine and had a distinct editorial change from a Harper's publication to a Hearst publication.

Sell left the magazine in 1926, and Charles Hanson Towne became editor-in-chief; under his tenure, a second "a" was added to "Bazar," and the publication was renamed Harper's Bazaar with the November 1929 issue. Arthur Samuels then replaced Towne in 1929.

Under Snow, White, and Brady (1934–1972)

Carmel Snow became fashion editor in 1932, joining Harper's Bazaar from its rival Vogue, which caused a stir in the fashion industry. Snow felt like she was constrained at Vogue, with Edna Woolman Chase (editor-in-chief of Vogue) having no intentions to leave her position. Edna Woolman Chase and Condé Nast (publisher of Vogue) believed her exit was "the ultimate betrayal," and Nast never spoke to Snow again.

One of Snow's first influential editorials was published in 1933. Snow and the Hungarian photojournalist Martin Munkácsi went to a windswept and cold Long Island beach for a swimwear fashion shoot, which was Munkácsi's first fashion story. A photo was taken featuring model Lucile Brokaw, who ran towards the camera, which became part of fashion magazine history, with most fashion photoshoots previously featuring still, mannequin-like models shot in a studio; the photo became a turning point for fashion photography.

Snow became the magazine's editor-in-chief in 1934, and Samuels joined House Beautiful. Snow's approach was more hands-on than Samuels', who was more distant to his employees, preferring a "closed-door" approach. Following a design exhibition at the Art Directors Club, Snow was introduced to the work of Russian artist Alexey Brodovitch, to whom she offered the art director role that evening. Brodovitch revolutionized magazine design and became "virtually the model for the modern magazine art director." He also introduced the Didot typeface to the magazine, which then became the logo font and would be copied by notable publications including Vogue, L'Officiel, and Elle using Didot as their logo typeface. Brodovitch is also remembered for his use of white space and cropped layouts. Truman Capote said about Brodovitch, "What Dom Pérignon was to champagne ... so [Brodovitch] has been to ... photographic design and editorial layout."

One of his assistants at Bazaar was Tony Lane, who later became the art director of Rolling Stone.

Brodovitch also introduced photographers. Richard Avedon, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Irving Penn, and more were at the magazine along with the artists Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, and Andy Warhol. Avedon had fourteen interviews with the magazine before being hired.In late 1935, Snow saw a young Diana Vreeland dancing at the St. Regis Hotel bar in a lace dress by Chanel, and the day after, commissioned her to write a column called "Why Don't You... ?" for the magazine. A typical suggestion: "Why don't you... wear, like the Duchess of Kent, three enormous diamond stars arranged in your hair in front?" She was immortalized in Funny Face, where she inspired the character Maggie Prescott (played by Kay Thompson). Richard Avedon was also immortalized in the film, inspiring the character Dick Avery (played by Fred Astaire). Avedon shot many iconic photographs for the magazine (working from 1945 as a staff photographer), including models roller skating in the Place de la Concorde, Dovima with circus elephants, and more glamorous editorials with large sets.

Under Anthony Mazzola (1972–1992)

Nonnie Moore was hired as fashion editor in 1980, having served in the same post at Mademoiselle. The New York Times noticed the changes she made at Harper's Bazaar, highlighting how the magazine had been "looking a little dowdy" but that Moore had "noticeably sharpened the magazine's fashion [perspective]" by showing "brighter, younger, and more stylish" looks, complimenting her use of "young and exciting fashion photographers," such as Oliviero Toscani.

Era of elegance (1992–2001)

Liz Tilberis was appointed editor-in-chief in 1992; she was previously the editor-in-chief of British Vogue, replacing Anna Wintour in 1987.

Under Samira Nasr (2020–present)

In December 2025, Harper's Bazaar's parent company, Hearst Magazines, announced a company-wide ban on the promotion of fur in all its editorial content and advertising. This policy applies to Harper's Bazaar and its international editions, aligning with a growing industry shift toward sustainability and animal welfare.

Harper's Bazaar worldwide

Harper's Bazaar operates 33 editions around the world, as of 2026:

Harper's Bazaar Arabia (in Arabic and English, since 2007 | Edited by Olivia Philips)

Harper's Bazaar Australia/New Zealand (in English, from 1984 to 1990 and then from 1998 to 2020, since 2021)

Harper's Bazaar Brasil (in Portuguese, since 2011 | Edited by Patricia Carta)

时尚芭莎 Harper's Bazaar China (in Simplified Chinese, since 2002 | Edited by Simona Sha)

Harper's Bazaar Česká Republika (in Czech, since 1997 | Edited by Nora Grundová)

Harper's Bazaar Colombia (in Spanish, since 2026 | Edited by Helena Fadul)

Harper's Bazaar Ecuador (in Spanish, since 2025 | Edited by Daniela Segovia Velasteguí)

Harper's Bazaar en Español (in Spanish, from 1967 to 1967; since 1980 | Edited by María José Guzmán)

Harper's Bazaar France (in French, from 1983 to 1991; since 2023 | Edited by Olivier Lalanne)

Harper's Bazaar Germany (in Germany, from 1963 to 1970 and then from 1985 to 1992; since 2013 | Edited by Kerstin Schneider)

Harper's Bazaar Greece (in Greek, since 1996 | Edited by Eleni Pateraki)

Harper's Bazaar Hong Kong (in Traditional Chinese, since 1988 | Edited by Vincent Choi)

Defunct

Harper's Bazaar Argentina (in Spanish, from 2011 to 2017 and from 2018 to 2019)

Harper's Bazaar Bulgaria (in Bulgarian, from 2008)

Harper's Bazaar Chile (in Spanish, from 2015 to 2019)

Harper's Bazaar Romania (in Romanian, from 2007 to 2021)

Harper's Bazaar Russia (in Russian, from 1996 to 2022)

Harper's Bazaar UK

The Harper's Bazaar UK edition was first published in London in 1929. In November 1970, New York City-based Hearst Communications amalgamated it with Queen magazine (which dated from 1862) to form Harpers & Queen. The magazine was widely perceived to be focused on British "high society" and the lives of socialites and the British aristocracy. In March 2006, it was renamed Harper's Bazaar, bringing it in line with its international sister titles, and repositioning it as a more celebrity-oriented fashion magazine. Harper's Bazaar UK has a long history of literary contributions from leading writers, including Evelyn Waugh, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, and Virginia Woolf. It maintains that connection today, with recent articles written by Ali Smith, Jeanette Winterson, and Margaret Atwood, and runs its own Literary Salon.