Two years ago publisher Condé Nast decided against a Dutch version of Vogue because of the financial crisis. Now, with another recession looming, it has decided the time is ripe nevertheless. By 2012 or 2013 at the latest, Dutch Vogue will have arrived, says editor in chief Karin Swerink in nrc.

Swerink, who studied fashion at art college in Enschedé, became a stylist at Yes magazine and graduated to the post of managing editor at Libelle before going on to launch the successful Glamour magazine, also a Condé Nast title.
Chips and champaign
With a 150,000 copy circulation, Glamour became the most popular fashion magazine in the Netherlands. It is a far cry from the sleek sophistication of Vogue, more of a ‘chips and champaign’ magazine as Swerink has it, so what made the company decide that the Netherlands was ready for Vogue?
Swerink says it’s the advertising budgets of the large companies and the type of shops. The Bijenkorf’s decision to dedicate the ground floor to luxury label shop in shops may also have influenced the decision.
Character
According to Swerink, another factor is the changing attitude of the Dutch towards fashion. ‘It’s no longer a taboo to show that you’ve made an effort’, she says. The problem Swerink is faced with is to give Dutch Vogue it’s own particular character. ‘German Vogue is very thorough, Italian Vogue exuberant, and British Vogue is geared towards the latest trends.’, she says.
Dutch Vogue will combine ‘Dutch minimalism and a down to the ground attitude with an element of underground culture. That will make for a productive spark which I want to capture. There’s a particular energy here. Our stylists rush around on bikes. That will show in the magazine even if the hairdresser is from Paris, the model from New York and the dress from Milan.’
Beauty
What distinguishes Vogue from magazines like Glamour and Elle, says Swerink is it’s emphasis on beauty. We know that terrible things are happening in the world but that’s not why you buy Vogue. You want to be inspired by this beauty, not read about ‘men who don’t clean up after themselves’. We leave that to other magazines.’
Swerink admits that the fashion industry in the Netherlands is not going through its finest hour at the moment. ‘It’s a pity we can’t draw on Dutch design. It hasn’t the allure we need for Vogue. But perhaps it will develop, along with the magazine. And of course we would be very pleased if Viktor & Rolf’s next collection turns out to be a smash.’