Although Vogue rolled out its stylist tool for iPhone last year, the high-profile fashion glossy had avoided the App Store for anything related to its editorial content, until now. The magazine has debuted Vogue, based solely on its monthly cover subject and includes exclusive content for iPad only. The first incarnation centers on March cover girl Lady Gaga — a smart choice as the singer’s army of Little Monsters should be flocking to the store to snag a download.
Vogue’s interface is seamless, integrating text, photo and multimedia features. There are several methods for browsing the app — swiping through the pages as you would a magazine, using the jump buttons found within the first few pages, or using a thumbnail view accessible from the hidden menu bar at the top of the screen. The app has also built content down, as well as from side to side, so when reading editor Anna Wintour’s letter, you’ll swipe up to scroll to the page below, rather than left to see the full content. Throughout the app, there are tappable red buttons, which will activate the audio and video content or change the page’s photo. Even though the app is brief in scope, I found the interface to be pleasant, and ended up spending more time exploring the app because of the multi-direction swiping.
Not all of Vogue’s content is found only in the iPad app. In the Lady Gaga edition, the app provides a digital version of the print interview with the superstar, and the fashion editorial available can be found both in the magazine’s hard copy and partially on the Vogue website. The app does offer a behind-the-scenes video of Gaga’s photo shoot, as well as writer Jonathan Van Meter’s audio diary that I couldn’t find elsewhere.
As this is the first issue available with cover exclusives, I’m unclear if Vogue will require an access fee of 99 cents for each cover exclusives edition. If not, this app is a steal, but if there is a subscription fee, a dollar is a reasonable price to pay if there’s a cover subject you find interesting.
Download the free Appolicious for iPad app
