Capitalizing on the Element of Surprise: The Fashion Issue
THE CHALLENGE: To execute, in a captivating manner, an editorial board member’s suggestion that we devote a special report to medical fashion
THE SOLUTION: I asked several doctors to write playful essays. “What Not to Wear” detailed the dangers of fashion through the ages, including the risk of a hoopskirt flying up and breaking a gracious lady’s nose. “The Proctologist Wears Prada” wryly explored fashion as a diagnostic tool.
To complement the lighthearted essays, I also solicited and assigned several serious pieces, including “Costume Drama,” a first-person narrative of a woman’s struggle to dress the part as she battled breast cancer. “Dressed Not to Kill,” a history of medical fashion, revealed that the outfits nineteenth-century surgeons wore while performing operations—blood-encrusted street clothes they never laundered—often led to the untimely demise of their patients. “Boutique Medicine” portrayed the promise of medical fashion for diagnosis and treatment.
The special report allowed us to provide what our readers relished most: offbeat perspectives on medicine, humor, and a strong presence of doctor’s voices. With these elements, the special report helped fulfill the underlying mission of the magazine: to make readers feel connected to the Harvard Medical School community by informing, entertaining, and inspiring them.
THE RESPONSE: The fashion issue charmed alumni of all ages. “When I opened the pages, I found myself pulled in,” one older surgeon reported. “The issue is marvelous. The design is elegant and the articles insightful. Thanks for a wonderful issue!”
The Boston Herald devoted nearly its entire Page 3 to an article about the issue. Beneath the headline, “Dr. Feelgood, Meet Dr. Lookgood: Harvard Mag Plays Up Fashion for MDs,” the article opened with, “Move over, McDreamy.”
The issue also earned two silver medals from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The issue, the judges wrote, “was smartly executed from start to finish.”
