Edna Woolman Chase

Edna Woolman Chase (1877–1957) was editor in chief of Vogue magazine from 1914-1952.

Her first position at Vogue was working in the mail room. She eventually came to the attention of Mr. Turner, the editor at the time, who was responsible for her ascent up the corporate ladder and made her a consultant regarding the direction of the magazine, eventually giving Edna control over the magazine's layout.^[1]

During this time, Turner died and the magazine was in danger of closing. Chase went on the road to persuade people to keep reading the magazine. Shortly after Turner's death, Condé Nast took over Vogue in 1909, and after evaluating Edna Chase's contributions to Vogue, he continued his predecessor's sponsorship of her continued prominence in the Vogue's magazine employment hierarchy.^[2] Edna became managing editor in 1911 which gave her complete control. By 1914, she was named editor in chief.

One major contribution to fashion Chase made the same year she was named editor in chief was putting on the first fashion show. As a result of World War I, clothing makers closed their rooms in Paris. Since most of the clothes featured in Vogue were from Paris, Edna Chase took matters into her own hands and called dressmakers in New York and had them make clothing to be featured in a show. This prompted other manufacturers to start making clothes in the United States and selling them at moderate prices.^[3]

Another major contribution she made to fashion was the Fashion Group International. In 1928 Edna gathered a group of 17 women together for lunch. All 17 women had things in common including high status in the fashion world. The Fashion Group International was formed on that day but didn’t officially become an organization until 1930. Their goal was to find a way to express American fashion to the public and have an awareness of it. And to give light to women's business roles in fashion. The Fashion Group International is still in business today.^[4]

Chase retired as editor in chief of Vogue in 1952.^[5] She then took on chairmanship of the editorial board.^[6] She wrote her autobiography, Always in Vogue in 1954 with her daughter Ilka. She died only a few years later in 1957, at the age of 80, of a heart attack.

She won multiple awards for her work including the medal of Legion of Honor and was named "Key Woman of the Year" by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropists among other awards she received throughout her editorship.^[7]

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