#452: The SECRETS of Vogue House

The Photowalk

For decades, beyond the grand entry hall guarded by the infamous ‘two Peters’, Vogue House London was a creative hub where magazine layouts were crafted and the world's most famous photographers plied their trade.

Vogue House embodied the glamour of fashion's storied history in London. But that legacy came to an end when the building’s lease was sold to a shipping billionaire in Monaco for a reported hefty £75 million.

Vogue House, in its Hanover Square form, is no more. Yet, such a landmark in editorial history can't disappear without so much a whimper. Today, I talk to someone who knows its secrets firsthand: Grant Scott, a former art director with Tatler, a title that shared the address.

He’s penned a new book, "Inside Vogue House: One Building, Seven Magazines, Sixty Years of Stories," and he’s here to share some stories from the book, plus a handful that didn’t make it in. Steady yourself for a peek behind the scenes and the state of the magazine industry in 2024.

Also from the mailbag, inspiring letters on the emotional power of photography, show flasks on the beach, some surprise walkers encountered along the path, road trips across America and a new linguistic game!

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.