The September Issue

So here it is, The September Issue. The big one!

As the fashion world gets ready for the frenzy of fashion weeks ahead, this issue is a guaranteed way to get you ready for a new season's fashion.

What better way for us to prepare than with Freja Beha Erichsen and Arizona Muse (what a name!) shot on the cobbles of Antwerp by Mario Testino, in their 'Master Class' editorial. The unusually dark shoot is almost completely monochrome and has a very clerical feel.

Vogue and Testino have excelled themselves, a melancholic and gloomy shoot that still forces the garments to scream out as covetable is no mean feat. Just look at that Givenchy set.

However, this issue wasn't only made up of Freja Beha Erichsen and doom & gloom, although the vast majority of the clothes featured were monochrome. There is confirmation for me that the cape is sticking around for another season, (I knew it was wise, not frivolous, to invest in two last winter!) and a piece encouraging us to turn our back on the wild and look to the exotic, with skins as the pattern of the winter. That is news that the Kardashians probably won't take well...

However, the main talking point of the issue was a piece by Charlotte Sinclair, one that looks at 'The Turbulent Life of John Galliano'. The ups and downs of Galliano's year aren't something I need to go into right now, they have been much discussed by everyone (but for the record, it disgusted me). I think it was bold for Vogue to do a feature on him at the moment, however after Kate Moss had him design her wedding dress and now that Natalie Portman is modelling for Dior again, perhaps there is no better time for Vogue to look for the man behind the rumours. 

The feature doesn't dispute or dispel any of the stories about Galliano, but looks at his story, starting with his family life and speaks to the people closest to him, to build him into a person not a media creation. However, more importantly, the piece focuses on the amazing creations he designed at Dior, focusing in on his magnificent dresses that were truly made for living fairy tales. 

Photo source here

What did you think about the September Issue?

F x

The July Issue

It's that time of year again, Vogue's Ageless Issue has landed. 

This month it is Vanessa Paradis' turn to grace the cover, a woman known for her modelling but more famous for being half of one of the most closely guarded relationships in show business. With a title that would make any woman blush, the article 'And God Created Vanessa Paradis' pays tribute to a woman whose career has spanned genres and decades, and has won her the much desired Johnny Depp! Although photographed on the beach by Mario Tesino, the Chanel muse still managed to look every inch the archetypal Parisian woman in lace, bodices and, of course, Chanel. The article reads as an ode of appreciation of Paradis, complimenting not only her style and accent, but her diet and ability to keep her relationship with Mr Depp so fiercely private. Jo Ellison has charted the career of one of her France’s most prized celebrities and has reminded us that although she often flies under the radar here in Britain, she is not just the other half of a Hollywood actor, but the closest you are ever going to get to Royalty in her homeland.  

This issue typically rounds up a collection of women of any and every age, who are living in the public eye or working in fashion, and reflects upon their success regardless of their age. However this year, the magazine has focused on the extraordinary lives of real women, which I thought was a nice touch. 'Wonder Women' looks at women that have taken more or less every path in life, from a stunt rider to the Sotheby's chairman to a biomedical genius, this article looks at a collection of real women and their extraordinary lives. My personal favourite was a RAF lieutenant, Charlie Mee. Mee, who is just 29 is from a military family and has chosen to use her role as a female in a male dominated career to her advantage, by attempting to reach out to Afghan women and try improve their lives. Women in such roles often get forgotten or overlooked because they aren't parading their accomplishments in front of cameras for all to see. Vogue turned their back on the easy route for this year's ageless issue and sought these women out. I am very grateful to have been given to the chance to read about these extraordinary women and their achievements.

However, this is still Vogue and its primary focus is fashion! Fitting with the ageless theme, the magazine has paid tribute to the most ageless of colour combinations: Black and White. The feature 'The Timeless Appeal of Black and White', looks at new ways to work monochrome with optic contrasts and points us in the perfect direction should we want to tread the more classic route of nautical stripes. Monochrome manages to pop up season after season, regardless of the key colours at the time. This month Vogue has highlighted the fact that this is a crucial combination that often gets dismissed as boring or "done" by the fashion world, so long as you play it right using their formula you can ensure you look timeless in this complimentary combination.

The last thing from the magazine that I want to talk about this month is Vogue's 50 looks for any age. This, in my opinion, is the perfect fashion feature for the Ageless issue. According to Vogue, these individual garments (even better if teamed together) are eternally chic and will serve you long after you hit the checkout. With most situations catered for, be they holidays, work, weekends or evening, the magazine has pointed us in the direction of Alexander McQueen totes, Chloe sandals and Versace t-shirts that will ensure you look your best no matter your age. Your budget, however, is not catered for on these pages.  So, if a pair of Peter Pilotto pyjama bottoms are out of your budget's reach nothing can be taken but inspiration from these pages!

Sorry this was so terribly late!

F x

The June Issue

First things first: My apologies! The June Issue’s post is super late but in my defence I have been drowning in my finals for the last month, but now I am free with very little but A Vogue Idea on my plate, expect posts a plenty!

After the covers Vogue has given us so far this year:

Alexa Chung’s June cover was like a breath of fresh air, or a summer breeze, which immediately made me think that this was going to be a far more relaxed Vogue after the super-glamorous editions we have enjoyed so far this year. The model come presenter’s cover draws you straight into her eyes, with the vast majority of the shot not even in focus.

As always, I started off with a quick flick through and the entire issue seemed to be a shrine to all things summer, be it sand, sea or sunglasses.  Given that when I was reading this there was beaming sunshine every day and I was stuck in the library this was the perfect little taste of summer to get me geared up for the sunshine to come!

This month in the ‘New Wave’ feature Vogue Spy kindly rounded up the best of everything that we will need for our summer holidays, from the obligatory swimsuits to the slightly more daring swimming caps! A gorgeous Urban Outfitters swimsuit caught my eye as did the giraffe emblazoned Ralph Lauren towel, the entire feature made me lust after the sea. The feature was vastly pictures of the hottest beach looks but the magazine did turn to Jennifer Missoni for a beach guide. Not surprisingly the majority of her tips led us back to Missoni, however she did say that she has a “strict no-heels-at-the-beach-rule” which was a comfort as it confirmed that the beach is somewhere where we all get to enjoy our Havaianas, even fashion’s VIPs.  The feature also included a snippet that pushed Selfridges’ Project Ocean. Until 12^th the iconic Oxford St store has converted into an aquarium and joined with over 20 environmental groups to raise funds and awareness for over fishing. In typical Selfridges style they have seen that the best way to do this is though fashion, they have got the famously outspoken Katharine Hamnett to design t-shirts, totes and towels to raise pennies for the cause.  

 

The most summer ready shoot in the issue is the ‘Heat Wave’ feature, shot by Josh Olins. The citrus shades, bold prints and fifties kitsch cuts screamed summer time and left me lusting after the model’s bronzed glow. Shot in Miami the model Raquel Zimmerman looked as at home on the beach in a DKNY asymmetric swimsuit as she did reclined on garden furniture in a D&G cherry print two piece.

And then there was the story I was waiting for from the moment I saw the cover, the Alexa Chung feature. The archetypal girl-next-door that managed to bag an Arctic Monkey is one of my favourite models and I know she is a big favourite amongst most of my friends, especially Steph who idolises her. The feature looks at her style, but let’s face it, is there anything she can’t wear, and asks “What is next for Alexa Chung.” The model-come-presenter dragged interviewer Christa D’Souza horse riding for their interview. During the interview she rates Twitter, got D’Souza to take pictures of her on her horse and shows off her best Sheffield accent, all adding to the image that she might just be the most normal person in the public eye, despite being one of the most beautiful. The feature comments on the fact that everything she puts her name to (hello Mulberry’s Alexa) or anything she is seen in (oh hello again, Barbour jackets, Hunter wellies and Breton tees) all sell out in a flash. She seems, at least for now, unstoppable. Plus, she has Karl Lagerfeld thinks the world of her, who can fail when he is on their team?

So what is next for Ms. Chung? She has a Madewell collection on the go and another in the pipe line, has just filmed a top-secret TV pilot and she is carrying on as the face of various fashion lines. With all of that on her plate she is a very busy girl! The feature looks at every aspect of her life, from her relationship, her childhood and her hate for all things sexy, the feature gets to the crux of the Chung appeal and confirms what we’d all been thinking, she’ll be sticking about for a while yet!

Now I am going to get cracking on the July issue and I promise that issue’s post will be up before the August one lands on my door step!
F x

The May Issue

This month, for the first time ever, Vogue has been published with three different covers, which means three 

different cover girls. Chance dictated that Freja Beha Erichsen was on the cover that landed on my doorstep, but I could easily have had Lara Stone or Natalia Vodianova. Each cover girl was dressed as a radiant bride, an indisputable nod to that little event happening at the end of the month, a Royal Wedding?

The entire issue is not only a celebration of William and Kate's wedding, but all things matrimonial. A portfolio on the princess-to-be, Mario Testino's ‘Wedding Belles’ shoot and a feature on designers that will dress you down the aisle, not just the runway, all ensure that the issue is blushing from cover to cover. 

In fitting with Vogue's wedding-centric issue I will do this month's issue post slightly differently, by finding something old, something blue, something borrowed and something blue in this month's edition. 

Something Old: A look back at Royal Weddings in Vogue
This month the magazine complied a look back at every royal wedding they have covered in the past, from Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles to Diana and Charles. The feature celebrates the fairytale aspects of each wedding and charts the evolving public interest from wedding to wedding. Being Vogue the main interest in each of the weddings is in the dresses, with original sketches and alternative options given for many of the brides. My favourite is the Queen Mother's, a slightly medieval Italian style dress, yet very sleek and romantic style; it marks a move to a more modern style wedding dress. The feature also acts as a reminder that William and Kate’s wedding is not the first to capture the imagination of the world.
The current issue is not the first to be dedicated to a royal wedding. Photos of the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on the day of the Queen's wedding and the reminder that 750 million people tuned into Diana and Charles' wedding in 1981 all remind us that this wedding-mania cannot simply be attributed to paparazzi society we live in today, but an interest in the romances of the royal family that can be dated way back. 

Something New: New adventures
This was a tough category to decide on! I was going to do the ‘new’ Princess but I’ll speak about her later, you’ll see! Then I thought I should write about Vogue’s suggested wedding gifts and outfits, as they would be new, but it didn’t feel right to do the blog without talking about one of the shoots. With this in mind I chose to write about Agyness Deyn’s new adventure (tenuous link, sorry!) to the Namib Desert.
The model has been photographed in theme appropriate white dresses in a forgotten town in the middle of the desert. Sand-filled rooms and cheetahs give the shoot a haunted and dangerous feel while the use of light and the gowns make it feel incredibly romantic. In a way the shoot charts the entire marriage process, as the shoot features the model suit case in hand and in a deserted pool- honeymoon perhaps?
Bizarrely the most wedding-like photo features the model in a John Rocha leather shirt with a tulle skirt added, proving that a Vera Wang is not essential for a white wedding.

Something Borrowed: A bit of advice

You can lend an ear, so for the purposes of this blog post I am going to say that you can borrow one, in the case we’ll be borrowing advice from Mrs V, mother of Vogue’s party insider Miss V.
Mrs V’s advice is directed at Kate Middleton, or Catherine as she now likes to be known. From dealing with the mother of the bride to choosing the dress to employing cut throat guest list tactics Mrs V has a tip for every part of a wedding.

Something Blue: That Ring!
For the royal wedding there is one piece of ‘blue’ that has been splashed across every front page: that ring!
On that basis that Kate is the lucky wearer of the iconic ring Vogue have charted her climb up in the style stakes, starting with their informal engagement photo, where the ring took centre stage. They have named her “a princess for our time,” claiming that to be a modern princess she will need “glamour, resilience and a marriage bases on mutual love,” check, check, check. 

The magazine has complied photographs of each of her ‘looks,’ be it on or off royal duty, leaving Boujis at 3am or attending a wedding. The look back at her style proves she is a very glamorous and polished woman, more than fit to be a princess. 

 

With Mario Testino singing her praises and designers queuing up to design her dress, surely the future queen has it sorted.

F x

The April Issue

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, no one has ever advised me to not judge a magazine by its cover and thanks to a stunning Kate Winslet as the April Issue’s cover girl, judge I will.

In her first interview since the end of her relationship with Sam Mendes, Kate Winslet seems very focused on fresh starts: a new body, a new hair cut and a wonderful new style, all displayed beautifully through Mario Testino's ever perfect photos.

The theme of “all things new” was extended to the portfolios of 25 members of “Fashion’s new generation”. This editorial features 25 models, designers and photographers that Vogue has identified as the faces to watch over the next few years.

Here are the three that caught my eye:
Thomas Tait: As one of the youngest designers to complete the notoriously tough Fashion MA at St Martin’s at 22 and then scooping the Dorchester Prize there is no doubt we will see brilliant things from this highly tailored designer.
Rhea Thierstein: The set designer is fast becoming known for creating the most magic of worlds and her hard work has paid off with a Selfridges window display and a feature in the April issue of Vogue.
Alex Turvey: A Jack of every trade has settled on directing and has managed to build up an impressively high profile portfolio that has landed him a spot at the prestigious Parisian film agency Les Télécréateurs.

  

The fact that the magazine was published in the wake of the fashion week season adds to the very fresh feel of the spread. With a very summery feel the colours and shapes stood out beautifully in the pool party shoot. The patent yellows and clashing pink bikinis with red sunglasses can only be successfully carried off beside a swimming pool. Like many readers I was left lusting after some Miami sunshine when looking out the window to grey, dreary London. My favourite photo was in keeping with the clashing theme. The model – Lindsey Wixson – is lying on a bright yellow lilo, with a metallic leather Miu Miu dress that almost looks pleather and bouganvilla flowers in her hair. Now, aside from the fact that bouganvilla are some of my favourite flowers, thank you happy childhood times, I love this photo because on paper it sounds horrific but the simple make up, sunshine and flowers complete the photo and left me lusting for summer.

Fashion’s new favourite double act has also been given a spot in this month’s issue. Laura and Kate Mulleavy, better known as the creative powers behind Rodarte, have come up with some of the most beautiful yet intense designs to have been shown in recent seasons. The editorial enters their LA world and charts the progress of their ever evolving designs. One of my favourite things about the sisters’ designs is the fact that a story can always be told though their runway shows, their Wizard of Oz Autumn/Winter 2011 extravaganza is a case in point. For this very reason I was almost jumping for joy when I read that Laura would cite James Joyce as her favourite author. True this is treading the line of the extremely pretentious but for me the reason perfectly sums up the label, a label that is quickly becoming one of my favourites, “I’m not going to make a simple dress. Our clothes are not straightforward, I don’t think things need to be straight forward.” Well, with Natalie Portman as a diehard devotee after their success designing for Black Swan, I don’t see their complex success storm slowing down any time soon. 

  

I want to leave you with some words of wisdom that frame the current Kurt Geiger ad campaign: "Women turn into birds of paradise at night..." Thank you Kurt! 

F x

The March Issue

The moment the March Issue of Vogue landed on my doorstep I was excited. This month’s cover girl is Rosie Huntington-Whitely, one of my biggest style crushes at the moment. The entire cover, including Rosie’s clothes, is deep red and it seemed as though this is going to be a far more feminine issue than February’s.  I was right!

The most in demand girl of the moment, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, defines glamour in her shoot. The reds hues, frills and fans evoke a very Spanish feel and although for some of the images she has been soaked by buckets of waters she remains effortlessly glamorous, and incredibly sexy, throughout.

And the theme of glamour continues to the beauty articles, particularly the feature on curls. I suffer at the cruel hands of fine, straight hair so glamorous curls are pretty much a pipe dream for me, so a Vogue master class can do nothing but help, surely? Yep, until it all falls out.  Think a nod back to the seventies, more Farrah Fawcett waves than an Aguilera crimp.  It all comes down to a heap of hairspray, major rollers and a lot of volume. Vogue is calling it fashion’s “spring,” see what they did there?!

Yes, yes, yes

No, no, no

This is all summed up in the “Return to Glamour” feature, a look back at some of Lyndall Hobbs’ favourite pictures. The director talks us though each of the images, personal photos that are stocked full of details (and celebrities) to enjoy. My favourite? The picture of Joan Collins and Bruce Oldfield, it’s probably the colours that initially attracted me, but I love the way Joan is so avidly looking at Bruce! I will try and get a picture up quick sharp!

“How to dress the Prime Minister’s wife” gave me a good chuckle. It is very well documented that Samantha Cameron is very good friends with Alexandra Shulman and a very fashionable lady, surely she is in a prime position to dress herself? Couldn’t resist, sorry! However Alexandra Shulman, who personally wrote article, asked a far more important question than if her Erdem dress matches her Rupert Sanderson shoes, but whether it is right for the spouses of political high flyers to be throwing money at fashion. A question that was asked throughout the election campaigns, both here and in America, particularly during the recession.  Her conclusion? Let them to wear the dresses they like, they are constantly in the public eye an criticised for every fashion foot they put wrong, so why shouldn’t Sam Cam be allowed to wear a £750 dress if she fancies it? Hear, hear!

Moral of the story? It’s all old school, kids.

F x

The February Issue

Victoria Beckham is celebrated from cover to cover in the February Issue of British Vogue. Her interview has been acknowledged as unusually raw from Mrs. Beckham and even touches on the fact that "maybe one day she would like another baby," but dismisses the chances as "quite slim," although the magazine went to print just five days before her new arrival was announced.

In her shoot she is in basic vests and knits, with no teased and pinned hair and very natural make up. With Victoria Beckham there seems to be an image and a reality, two completely different characters and this is commented on throughout. Naturally they talk about her designs and Lisa Armstrong is taken into her studio and creative space. She very honestly admits that she doesn't draw but experiments with trial and error. Although the interview paints a picture of a more real Victoria Beckham little details remind us that she is the mastermind of a PR victory, and although she is not getting her hair blow-dried every day, she has swapped to a hotel with underground parking, so the image is not allowed to slip too far!

One of my highlights of February's Vogue was the, albeit entirely un-fashion related, article about James Franco, promoting 127 Days. Vogue have celebrated a man that is not simply an actor but a student, director, author and artist. I am as big a fan of the celeb-culture guilty pleasures as the next girl, but there is something refreshing about James Franco, perhaps it’s the fact that a man can be that beautiful and have a head firmly placed on those shoulders!
Enough about Franco! 'More Dash Than Cash' focused on sleek, streamlined fashion in a spread that promotes cleaner lines in blazers, trench coats and leather (or pleather!) vests whilst maintaining crucial femininity in chiffon pleated skirts, espadrilles and frequent injections of colour. 

Continuing on a theme of simplicity, a spread centred on "bags of practicality" follows. It is not difficult to imagine that there is an attitude of New Year minimalism being promoted throughout. 

Freja Beha Erichsen models the spring collections, focusing on a combination of "pretty and utility" garments, while also "decorative minimal." The model, who seems to have the most adaptable and enviable haircut, is wearing the magazine's first pick from 16 designers, with the highlights being Miu Miu's floral leather jacket and Dior's Lambskin parka, over a tangerine silk dress. Leather, tassels and lace reoccur throughout the spread, whilst bold colours and muted shades seem to be fighting it out from photograph to photograph. 

The next spread rejoices in the "Best of British," promoting the new season designs showcased at London Fashion Week. Graphic floral prints repeat throughout, with an unexpectedly prominent use of yellow. I suppose they are spring's colours after all! 

Alexa Chung's portfolio of Christopher Kane is wonderful. She seems able to make him human while reminding herself and us that he is a hero of the fashion world worth celebrating. She engages with both his designs and day to day work life, that she describes as “void of pretention,” making him a far more likeable character in the often cold world of fashion. Alexa talks about her “total girl crush” on Tammy Cane, his elder sister and CEO and his rebirth to the use of neon, something she had previously credited to the Klaxons. The interview with the Man in Black, whose spring/summer 2011 collection was called “Princess Margaret on Acid,” ends with the two going to get Turkish pancakes in Dalston and him calling her a cab. Perfect!


This has been mighty long! Note to self: Next month EDIT! 


F x