Who was Vogue magazine’s first editor-in-chief, serving from its founding in 1892 until 1900?

Vogue magazine’s first editor-in-chief was Josephine Redding, who served from 1892 until 1900.

Redding helped shape Vogue during its earliest years, when it was a New York society and fashion publication rather than the globally recognized fashion authority it later became. The magazine was founded in 1892 by Arthur Baldwin Turnure as a weekly journal aimed at Manhattan’s social elite.

Redding’s tenure predates Condé Nast’s ownership and the magazine’s later emphasis on haute couture, celebrity photography, and international editions. She is sometimes confused with Edna Woolman Chase, who became editor-in-chief much later, in 1914, and held the role for decades.

Vogue’s early editors worked in a very different publishing environment from today’s editors, because the magazine initially focused heavily on etiquette, society events, and illustrations. Its transformation into a major fashion title accelerated after Condé Nast acquired it in 1909.