Ailsa Garland

Ailsa Garland (1917–1982) was a British fashion journalist. She worked for a number of newspapers and magazines, most notably as the editor of British Vogue from 1960–1964. In addition to her work, she was a broadcaster on television and radio.[1]

Ailsa Garland in 1953

Born Ailsa Mary Garland in 1917 in London, she was educated at the La Retraite Convent, London, and Heathneld House, Cardiff.[2] She married John Rollit Mason in 1948.[3]

From 1947-50 Garland worked as Fashion Editor for the Vogue Export Book, then from 1952-53 she was editor for Shopping magazine.[3] In 1953 she became fashion editor for the Daily Mirror.[3] She has been listed alongside Alison Adburgham of The Guardian and Ernestine Carter of The Sunday Times as one of the most influential British-based fashion journalists of the decade.[4] In 1960 The Spectator reported that Garland had left the Mirror in order to join British Vogue as part of a greater change of the magazine's focus away from luxury and exclusivity.[5]

After leaving Vogue in 1964, Garland became Editor-in-Chief of Woman's Journal, at that time the largest women's magazine in the UK.[3][6] In 1965 she launched Man's Journal, an equivalent publication aimed towards the male reader, with designer Hardy Amies as its first guest editor.[6] She stayed with Woman's Journal until 1968.[3] During the last couple of years, 1967–68, Garland also edited a magazine called Fashion.[3] As editor of Fashion, Garland was asked to choose the Dress of the Year for 1968, for which she picked out a dress by Jean Muir and shoes by Bally.[7] In 1975 Garland was Fashion Coordinator for IPC Magazines Ltd.[3]

In 1970 Garland published her autobiography, Lion's Share.[3][8] She died in 1982.[1]