The September Issue: Review

I finally got to see this last Thursday when I was in New York and it was just as captivating as I hoped it would be. The rave reviews from the critics are well deserved. The idea behind the documentary is to show life behind the closed doors of Vogue and to get into the head of Anna Wintour. The September Issue takes place during the Spring of 2007 where the editorial team of the world's glossiest glossy put together the most important issue of the year. You see, September in magland is like January to us, it is when all the new looks are unveiled and also the month when publishers drop their fatest issue. The September issue of 2007 was the biggest issue ever and has not been beaten since. This film delves onto Ms Wintour and shows the power that she wields over the fashion industry. Such as the pieces that top designers include in their collection, we see her advising a Yves Saint Laurent designer to put some more colour in his new season offering. When Gap are looking a creative consultant Anna puts forward up and coming designer called Thakoon who Michelle Obama is a big fan of.

The documentary also focuses in on Anna's relationship with her staff as well as her daughter, Bee Schaffer who she clearly adores. However key to this story is style director, Grace Coddington who is a massive player to The September Issue. Coddington and Wintour both started at Vogiue on the same day and occasionally have a clash of opinions on what goes in the magazine. Hence we see Grace pissed when 50,000 dollars worth of a fashion shoot that she directed is shelved. Wintour is very much the ice to Coddington's fire but I must point out that despite their differences the two women have the utmost respect for each other. We do hear a few barb wire comments from Anna such as "She looks pregnant" and "This tie is so big it looks pretentious and like it is for blind people." But more often than not she is just precise and to the point. Basically what Anna says goes. She does not mother her staff or act pally with them and she has the ability to make her minions quake in their Jimmy Choos but you know what? I get the impression that is the only way she knows how to be. The September Issue is a hit as far as I am concerned and extremely entertaining. I am so glad that the little indie film that I previewed back in January has received lots of media attention and is on every fashionistas to do list.

Mario Testino: Diana's Favourite Photographer

"He sells a dream," says Anna Wintour. "You want to be that woman in that glorious house, on the glorious beach and in that incredible dress"

"Mario gives them a heightened and more beautiful version of reality," says Tom Ford. "Mario's pictures are very mystic and they're about having a great time. They are about not being afraid of being rich or being famous or being a little bit excessive and are really a celebration of that. A celebration of life."

However, actress Gwyneth Paltrow nails it on the head, "He's very good at doing young, sexy and vibrant pictures."

There is no argument that Mario Testino produces images that are vibrant, sexy and utterly glamorous. Therefore it is no surprise that one of his books is called Alive which when you think about it is totally appropriate because when Mario Testino shoots someone he makes them come alive. In 1997 he took a post divorce suffering and depressed Princess Diana and managed to produce images of her that made her look so radiant and delirious that I am sure Prince Charles must have doubted his decision to let her go. As these images made the rounds in newspapers and magazines, Mario found himself zooming up the A list. Mario was born in Lima, Peru and in 1976, after completing his studies he left Peru to pursue a career in photography and spent his initial years living in a squat in South London. Success was not instant for him and he spent a lot of years struggling to get work - the problem was that instead of finding his own style he was trying to emulate his idols, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. His break came in the 80s when he met a certain Carine Roitfeld (before her French Vogue days) while working on a fashion shoot. Roitfeld was working as a freelance stylist and the two hit it off and began working as a team.

Over the years he has amassed a remarkable body of work from magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and V to fashion houses such as Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Estee Launder, Hugo Boss, Miu Miu, Shiseido and Michael Kors. The cream on the cake was in 2002 when his portraits were showcased in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). Portraits was a landmark exhibition that became the NPG's most successful exhibit and also drew celebrities from afar as well as huge media attention. That year Mario was also the subject of a documentary made by the BBC. I meant to catch that exhibition back in 2002 but never got round to it but I watch the documentary about Mario and I fell in love with his enthusiasm and zest for the life. The man oozes energy and charisma and his passion for life and people are surely key to his ability to make his subjects warm to him during shoots. Mario's success is that he wants his subject to look their best and will go to great lengths to achieve that. This is the man who made the ever so stiff Prince of Wales look cool and relaxed in those chic images in Vanity Fair circa 2001. He has gone on to take the photos of other royals such as the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Prince Harry, The Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent who normally would have given Lord Snowdon a call. As well as taking images, Mario has published seven books of his work and edited one which is dedicated to contemporary art and artists from his native Lima, Peru.

Here are some more of Mario Testino's images below:






Pictures taken by Mario Testino

The Voguettes

So the Fashion Week marathon kicks off this Friday which will be a mega fest of fashion shows, launches and parties. Such a hard life eh? Who would want to be a fashion journo? New York, London. Milan and Paris hosts four of the most prestigious fashion weeks where the best designers across the globe take part in. Journalists from all over the world attend the shows to check out the latest trends; from indie websites, local bloggers to upscale glossy magazines. Of course no self respecting fashion show would start without the editors from Vogue(s) present. The magazine's influence on style and fashion is immense and a nod or shake by a certain bobbed editor has been known to break or make a designer's career. Anna Wintour (American Vogue), Alexandra Shulman (British Vogue), Franca Sozzani (Italian Vogue) and Carine Roitfeld (French Vogue) are the ladies who everyone will have their eye on during Fashion Week.

American Vogue - the commercial title that brings in the cash

Editor: Anna Wintour

Age: 60

Editorship: Since 1988

Previous: British Vogue, House and Garden

Trademark: Her razor sharp bobbed hair, sunglasses worn inside and clip British accent

Highs: Turning American Vogue from a flagging and staid publication to a very successful one. Being the subject of documentary, The September Issue.

Lows: Controversy over the April 08 issue with Gisele and LeBron James. Rumours that she is on her way out. 

In a nutshell: Anna is simply the most powerful woman in the fashion business and over the years has become a fashion icon. She is also known for her icy nature which makes her revered by her staff. The character, Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada is rumoured to be based on her. Anna expanded the Vogue brand by introducing  Teen Vogue, Vogue Living and Men's Vogue. 

British Vogue - The girl next door

Editor: Alexandra Shulman

Age: 51

Editorship: Since 1992

Previous: Columnist for Daily Telegraph and Editor of GQ

Trademark: Alexandra Shulman is probably the most ordinary and down to earth out of all the Vogue editors. If she walked into a room you would probably not look twice but she has a dry sense of humour and is not scared to voice her opinion.

Highs: Taking the magazine's readership to a million due to the legendary Gold issue that celebrated the Millennium.

Lows: Criticisms that she is making the magazine very bland by putting B list celebs such as singer and X Factor star, Cheryl Cole have been fired her way. Admitting to buying a dress from Victoria Beckham's collection was not her finest hour either. 

In a nutshell: Alexandra has proved herself to be a very savvy business woman who understands the publishing industry very well. Also she is always up for a fight hence her snarky remarks about Heat magazine in their hey day.

Italian Vogue - the arty one out of the bunch

Editor: Franca Sozzani

Age: Late 50s

Editorship: Since 1988

Previous:  Editor of LEI 

Trademark: Long flowing blonde hair, black coat over a black dark dress.

Highs: The all black issue that sold out immediately that they had to reprint more issues.

Lows: Although her All Black Italian issue was well recieved, The Africa Issue in L'Uomo Vogue was not so popular and Franca was accused by a journalist at The Washington Post for running magazines that are politically incorrect. 

In a nutshell: A woman who is not scared to take risks and put her money where her mouth is. Italian Vogue is testament to that as it is the least commercial out of the Vogues and often contains provocative images. 

French Vogue - the kooky cool one of the group

Editor: Carine Roitfeld

Age: 54

Editorship: Since 2001

Previous: Consultant for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent

Trademark: Just got out of bed hair, Brooke Shields eyebrows dressed in outfits with straps and buckles.

Highs: Persuading Kate Moss, Sofia Coppola and Charlotte Gainsborough to guest edit the magazine. Styling a model in a shoot that paid homage to Anna Wintour here, not sure if it was a compliment or if she was simply taking the piss.

Lows: An interview in the New York magazine where she declared her desire for her staff to be skinny and beautiful. 

In a nutshell: Carine breaks conventions in fashion by putting edgy and dark images in the magazine. Her approach to the magazine is pure abandonment with no concern for conventions. 

For more info on the four Queens of Fashion then check out this funky guide here.

The September Issue

Vogue (both UK and US) have received a bit of a bashing over the last few months. UK Vogue has been accused of going over to the dark side and being all bland, boring and predictable by draping its cover with generic stars such as Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham. Whilst US Vogue has been criticised for losing its edge and replacing its wonderful creative fashion spreads with dull and lifeless shoots. Fellow Blogger, Chloe Tejada aka Fashion Journalist in the City ponders the stance of US Vogue here while Michele Obi from myfashionlife discusses the dilemma of the British counterpart in this fascinating piece. This combined with ever growing rumours that Chief whippersnapper, Anna Wintour is hanging up her heels and sunglasses means that life is pretty full on at Conde Nast towers. It is ever so mind boggling that they even entertained the idea of having cameras in the Vogue offices to make a fly on the wall documentary about the magazine. Unlimited access was given to director, R. J. Cutler to make, The September Issue which is a reality film that focuses on the production of the largest edition of Vogue which was published in September 2007. The film was shot over nine months and captured behind scenes at fashion weeks, staff meetings, photo shoots as well as moments with Anna and her family and close friends. The movie also shows the relationship that Anna holds with Grace Coddington, a dynamic redhead who is Vogue's Creative Director and according to Time; the most influential Fashion Editor. I will be honest and admit that I have never heard of the lady but 20 minutes of research later and I can tell that Ms Coddington seems as formidable of icy Wintour herself. Christ how interesting would it be to see those two at work? The September Issue made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival yesterday and the rights for the film have been snapped up. I have not read the review for it so I am not sure how it was received but those who were after a real life The Devil Wears Prada have been granted their wish.

Check out the trailer for the film below and tell me what you think? Compelling or just another reality film?

Stylista

The theme tune is a bit like the signature song to The Devil Wears Prada (Jump by Madonna) and it has the formidable boss from hell so comparisons between Stylista and The Devil Wears Prada are expected. Stylista is a reality show that followed 11 wannabe fashionistas vying for the position as assistant editor at US Elle magazine. This job comes with other perks such as a plush apartment in Manhattan for a year and a wardrobe allowance from H&M for a year. Now who can argue with that? Stylista aired on CWTV between October 22nd and December 17th in 2008.

The contestants were aged from 19 to 28 and all came from a variety of backgrounds and as you can expect had very different personalities. There were five of them who stood out to me - for example Dyshaun - a wardrobe stylist who clicks his fingers a lot and squeals OMG quite a lot.

Then there was Kate - a former Law student who drama seemed to follow everywhere. She seems to get into arguments with every candidate in particular Megan - a boutique owner who is as calculating as they come. There was Ashlie - fashion buyer who is passionate and not afraid of confrontation. Then there was Johanna - a former Military Analyst who you would view as a fish out of water.  Fashion News Director aka boss from hell, Anne Slowey made no impression on me at all; she came across as stiff, cold and very awkward. She lacked the presence of Miranda Priestley/Anna Wintour and the sophistication. She was like a low rent version of Nina Garcia. Also what was up with her accent? Is it British, American, faux Brit or what? 

In each show each contestants are given two tasks; an assistants task that consists of something menial like putting together breakfast for Anne, pitching a birthday party for Anne's spoiled bratty niece or selecting an outfit for her to wear for a weekend away. The winner is given the power to choose the team members for all groups. A move that a few of the contestants relish as they have the power to influence the outcome of that episode's task as well as the actual competition. After the groups are decided they are given an editorial task which ranges from styling a photo shoot, working on a trends page, producing an ad campaign and working on a fashion shoot. This is really where the show comes into its own and sheer genius; think Project Catwalk and The Apprentice - candidates getting down and dirty into an exciting and creative project and you get the gist. The groups present their ideas to Anne and her cronies, the weakest group is brought back in to face the music and the worst performing person or in many cases - the scapegoat is sent packing. The show wonderfully demonstrates that it is the combination of a great idea and the execution that makes a successful project.

Stylista has enough action to keep you interested but the constant bickering between the contestants gets tiring and very jarring after a while.  We all know that the fashion industry contains unsavoury characters but I feel that the producers went too far with this. No matter how bitchy fashionistas can be to one another the ultimate thing that remains is that they are always professional. My opinion about Stylista is what a great show it is bloody shame about the drama.  However, there are some good stuff that came out of the show such as insider blogs from the peeps from Elle mag such as Fashion Bookings Editor, Malina V. Joseph. More interesting are the stories from the contestants, Ashlie shares her Stylista experience with us in her blog along with Kate. 

I enjoyed watching the show but what I have gained from the show is the amount of thought and effort that goes into producing those editorial pages; the pondering over the headline, strap lines, images and captions. Not an easy task and who said working on a magazine is all glamour. In case you are interested the person who landed the coveted position was Johanna who worked her ass off to raise her stake in the fashion game. She even went as far as to set up a blog where she could display her writing talents. Check it out here.