Vogue US July 2009

‘Seriously Sienna’
ph by Craig McDean

I like the background and the use of colors. Except for the last two pictures, it looks too much like a catalog to me.

I am starting not to mind that US Vogue favors celebrities to models as cover girls because you know, why honor a girl just because she is beautiful? It has dawned on me that it is a good thing to put Oscar Winners, Oprah, Hilary and Michelle O on the covers because they have all achieved something.

What has Sienna achieved? Uhh…making the boho look trendy like 6 years ago?

Thanks John for the pics.

Visionary
Photographed by : Terry Richardson
Styling : Elissa Santisi
Model : Lily Donaldson

Aside from the clothes and the model, I am not feeling this one. Kudos for the risky concept, but the execution looks bleh to me.

City Of Dreams
Photographed by : Mario Testino
Styling by : Grace Coddington
Models : Daria Werbowy & Caroline Trentini

Now this I can get on board with. This editorial was styled (and probably directed by) Grace Coddington, which gives it high marks in my book. With Daria and Caroline putting on their A game, more pluses, since they look so natural and relaxed in their poses. Minus points for adding Jimmy Fallon looking like a hog during feeding time.

I love, most of all, the story that seems to flow through the pictures!

A Star Is Shorn
Photographed by : Patrick Demarchelier
Styling by : Phyllis Posnick
Model : Iris Strubegger

She puts her haircut to good use in the next editorial.

The Spectrum's Ends
Photographed by : David Sims
Styling by : Grace Coddington
Models : Iris Strubegger & Karlie Kloss

This editorial sends me mixed messages. Yay for the fall 2009 clothes that we will be seeing so much of soon. Nay to the uncreative concept. Models jumping? Really? That is so Richard Avedon circa decades ago.

And on another note, hooray for red heads! To me, these two girls represent Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.

Despite its lackluster thinness, I can’t complain too much about this Vogue fashion issue. There will be more to come:

Steal of The Month
Photographed by : Norman Jean Roy
Styling by : Tabitha Simmons
Model : Karen Elson & Coco Rocha
The Flip Side
Photographed by : Annie Leibovitz
Styling : Phyllis Posnick
Model : ?

As many of you who have been reading this blog for a while probably know, I am very anti-US Vogue (unlike Kasia). That is my opinion and I am sticking by it.

My opinion is that US Vogue is as powerful as it is because of the women in the past who established the magazine for what it is. Women like Diana Vreeland and Grace Mirabella (who incidentally, is responsible for increasing the magazine’s circulation from 400,000 copies to 1.2 million and advertising revenues at the time of her dismissal from Vogue was $79.5 million dollars, to be compared to that of Elle of $39 million dollars.) Anna Wintour, give the devil it's due, is responsible for maintaining that ship in her tenure at the magazine.

So what is it about the current US Vogue that I find distasteful? The fact that it caters mostly for money, and not art. All the images and the articles look so cheesy to me. This magazine might as well be a catalog.

Alas, to each their own.

This issue is not half bad. Especially compared to the June issue of Italian Vogue.