If I’m honest, I haven’t bought an issue of US Vogue for well over a year. It’s the magazine equivalent of buying a Starbucks coffee – overpriced, too much milk and sugar (replace with needless ads and promos…) and not enough flavour (editorials can be a little on the dull side…). So I’m a little ignorant of the ‘sphere of power’ that Anna Wintour welds in the fashion industry or in fact her status as a ‘style icon’ as I personally don’t really defer to her as one…
However, Carine Roitfeld has played up the ‘iconic’ status of her her American counter-part in the August 2007 issue of Vogue Paris, with an editorial called ‘L’Icone’, shot by Mario Testino with Snejana Onopka doing a scarily uncanny resemblance of Ms. Wintour. That shiny bob, the shades, the crossed arms and the super (for me, overly…) pristine outfits….
I just pray to god that US Vogue won’t counter-reply with a similar editorial portraying Carine Roitfeld, as I can’t think who on earth could depict Roitfeld’s demeanour successfully. Afterall, for me, Carine is not someone that can be reproduced in a cookie-cutter way.
27 comments
Blue Floppy Hat
2007-07-21 at 6:06 PMWhoa…that’s quite some concept, and good shots out of Snejana (it’s great to see her back in work after all the BMI fuss).
Anonymous
2007-07-21 at 6:29 PMi am so with you on us vouge. i’ve tried to read them just because they’re so iconic but i find them boring and yes, too full of adds. have you ever tried us harpers bazaar? i highly recomend that one. <3 april
ShopaholicD
2007-07-21 at 7:23 PMI especially love the shots of Carine over at The Sartorialist. Have you seen them?
🙂 D
rhiannon
2007-07-21 at 9:04 PMI’m with you on US Vogue and UK vogue also. So uninspirational and bland with too many adverts. It’s just not exciting or edgy! I’ve stopped buying them.
rhiannon
2007-07-21 at 9:05 PMSnejana looks awesome though and the concept is quite funny
LETITIA
2007-07-21 at 9:13 PMIM REALLY GROWING FOND OF ANNA WINTOUR ALTHOUGH I HATED HER YEARS AGO, PUTTING MY ANGER AT VOGUE TOWARDS HER. BUT THEN I READ HER BOOK AND ITS OK. I THINK FASHION MAGAZINES SHOULD BE ABOUT READERS NOT ADVERTISERS, THATS WHY I STARTED MY BLOG. FASHION FOR EVERYONE!
Kels
2007-07-21 at 11:48 PMI agree with your view on US Vogue. But as far as Anna Wintour’s personal style goes, she is flawless for sure. That may be irritating to us who are a bit disheveled and awkward, myself included. I’ve never seen her look anything but stylish so I think she deserves her style icon status.
Merideth
2007-07-22 at 2:24 AMI’ve always felt like I was supposed to like US Vogue but I’ve never been able to get into it. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has, so I’m not sure who buys all the magazines. Is UK Vogue the same way? Maybe I’ll try Harper’s Bazarre like April suggested…
tennessee lemon trees
2007-07-22 at 2:29 AMAnna Wintour looks like a polite, rich grandma to me. She’s not a style icon. The concept of the shoot was pretty cool, though.
By the way, Harper’s Bazaar isn’t any good, either.
marie
2007-07-22 at 3:38 AMha! VOGUE PARIS is the best – not only fashion and style wise – but you have to love their sense of humour and fun. Every fashion/illustration student knows american vogue for their ‘jumpy shots’ – what is it with that,,? The magazine; ultra conservative – boring is instantly recognisable. Vogue australia is similarly crap.
But personally I love VOGUE ITALIA too, it may be big and heavy but is definitely worth it. Imaginative, fun photoshoots (steven meisel yay!) and editorial. It is inspiring me to learn italian properly too.
Oh and Numero – is in my top 3 too. 🙂
C
2007-07-22 at 5:20 AMI could never get into US Vogue or US Harper’s Bazaar. They are both just so bland. I used to try to jam it down my throat but could never get interested.
I like the UK Vogue and Harpers a lot though. Vogue for it’s fashion and Harper’s for its writing.
kim
2007-07-22 at 6:52 AMGreat post! US Vogue is coming under fire alot lately…some of the photo shoots are very good though. They did one on Balenciaga last year with the new bubble dress and lace that was very well done; also CDG and Junya Wantanabe…again very well done, but the writing is not so good. I have heard very good things about Vogue Italia also. This was a very cheeky thing to do on Anna Wintour. She may have her critics as well as her faults, but she has done a lot for designers the world over. She’s been very good for fashion here in the states. Why the writing has gotten into the so so stage at Vogue I don’t know, but is a common complaint. Thanks to Style Bubble for helping to keep it interesting.
candid cool
2007-07-22 at 7:37 AMclever
blosson
2007-07-22 at 9:24 AMIt lingers to a forum discussion I was having with some tennis fans during Wimbledon, the European posters loved Maria Sharapova dress because of the ruffles at the back because they looke like wings, the Americans though the back ruffles were spoiling the dress. Her dress without the ruffles would become just a vanilla tennis dress if you know what I mean.
Teen US Vogue is much more fun than its adult counterpart.
Josefine
2007-07-22 at 1:39 PMI must admit that I never have read US Vouge. Maybe because it never have catch my eye.
Which magazine will you recommend?
Is the UK Vouge better?
I have most read all the fashionmagazine we have here in sweden like ELLE and Modette.
Sometimes I read Nylon, it’s quite good.
susie_bubble
2007-07-22 at 2:41 PMI don’t necessarily think UK Vogue is better than US Vogue – editorial wise, it comes up trumps some of the time but can be equally dull. It’s just that for me it’s more relevant and the articles are also more interesting in content and style but that could just be a personal opinion.
Blosson: You have touched on a subject which I wanted to skirt but has been on my mind. I hate generalisation but it doesn’t escape me when negative reactions to my my ‘adventurous’ outfits happens to come from the US….. it was something I wanted to blog about but for fear of lynching, it’s not an area I wish to go to…. I think we can concur that the European and US outlook towards fashion is different….
Guys, I did want to ask…do you think I should expand on this topic of US-fashion-conservatism….. as a few of you US-ppl have expressed a dissatisfaction with US Vogue…. it is something that has been on my mind….
Josefine: Magazines I recommend are the ones I have listed on the right hand side…. Behind a Pile of Magazines…. if you can get hold of them….10, Lula, Numero are all pretty good.
LETITIA
2007-07-22 at 2:55 PMYOU SHOULD DEFINETLY EXPAND ON THE SUBJECT OF US MAGAZINES. I ONLY TO SUBSCIRBE TO UK EDITIONS NOW, AND IF YOU WERE AMERICAN YOU WOULD SEE OUR FRUSTRATION. VERY MUCH THE REASON WHY IS STARTED MY BLOG, US IS ALL ABOUT ADVERTISING AND ELITISM. VERY ANNOYING TO THE AVERAGE MODERATE-BUDGETED FASHIONISTA. WHAT YA THINK?
tennessee lemon trees
2007-07-22 at 6:12 PMAmericans aren’t going to lynch you if you diss their taste in fashion. Blog all you want.
The US outlook towards fashion is quite different. Americans dress pretty casually. I’ve seen people who don’t even dress up to go to funerals. American style is just plain bland. New York Fashion Week is probably the worst out of all the fashion weeks. There are too many designers and very few of them are innovative. They have to be commercial (think Michael Kors) I don’t why it is so much different from Europe, but it is.
Stevie
2007-07-22 at 7:29 PMHi, I just linked this post in my blog. Let me know if you mind or not!
This editorial made me laugh, especially seeing as relations between Wintour and Carine are hardly amicable.
I agree, why do people label her as a fashion icon and genius? She may have worked magic in the 80s (don’t ask me, before my time!) but US Vogue is stale and needs a big makeover. Paris Vogue all the way.
S xx
Sullen Girl
2007-07-23 at 1:42 AMHoly shit, I thought that was Anna at first. CRAZY well done. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be flattering or parodical but it’s pretty damn funny.
I’ve got nothing to say for Vogue; don’t read it, buy it, nothing. At the most I’ll flip through a back-issue at a doctor’s office.
Teresa
2007-07-23 at 8:38 AMSnejana has the icy-masochistic bitchy Anna look down FLAT.
My friend and I realize that Anna Wintour has had the same hairstyle for almost half a century. That’s just…wow.
LETITIA
2007-07-23 at 2:44 PMhey susie, why was my comment posted under your name? and someone elses under mine. whoever it was dissed americans and i am american lol. also, ny fashion week is my fav. so here again is my original post
YOU SHOULD DEFINETLY EXPAND ON THE SUBJECT OF US MAGAZINES. I ONLY TO SUBSCIRBE TO UK EDITIONS NOW, AND IF YOU WERE AMERICAN YOU WOULD SEE OUR FRUSTRATION. VERY MUCH THE REASON WHY IS STARTED MY BLOG, US IS ALL ABOUT ADVERTISING AND ELITISM. VERY ANNOYING TO THE AVERAGE MODERATE-BUDGETED FASHIONISTA. WHAT YA THINK?
LETITIA
2007-07-23 at 2:44 PM?
susie_bubble
2007-07-23 at 3:17 PMHi Leticia,
A person who makes a comment on the blog, their name appears UNDERNEATH the comment so I think you’re confusing my comment as your’s because of the way it looks…
Your comment is rightly attributed!
Thanks for your input… I may post about this issue but I want to try hard not to make it too contentious…
Merideth
2007-07-24 at 12:18 AMSusie,
I would definitely appreciate you blogging about the differences between European and US fashions. As an American, I think that why I love your blog is that it gives me something that we don’t get in US magazines or on the street, etc.
I was thinking that this might be why you have so many American readers. We are starved for this stuff! Whereas your fellow Europeans also get it in other places (though I don’t know if that is true — are all Europeans as amazing as you??).
madame_o
2007-07-24 at 2:47 AMEgads! I’m no fan of La Wintour—Love Carine though. Carine is very clever. This spread could be interpreted in more than one way….no? (At least for me as I can’t read French worth a damn….)
The Glossy Ed.
2007-07-26 at 3:22 AMAgree with much of the above — but my question is WHY IS SHE WEARING THE SAME SHOES IN EVERY SHOT??? Does Anna only own one pair????