I want to love the bougie, lady-like, outdoorsy vibe of UK HB but it always comes off as very predictable and safe.
The Dior dress on the newsstand cover resembles masses of wadded up nylon foot socks from the local shoe department while the subs cover looks as though Lily inadvertently got the satin bed sheet from her hotel stuck to her odd mall gown. Lily's facial expressions look the same from one page to the next. She doesn't own the fashion camera. Alexi's work never impressed me and i'll forever associate him with Glenda's subpar Bazaar where his mediocre shoots were constantly shoved down my throat, in the early to mid 2000s.
Most of Lily's photos feel cumbersome and staged, the opposite of the effortless glamour vibe they were presumably envisioning for the shoot. The strongest image for me is the one of Lily sitting on the bar stool. Reminiscent of Frances Mclaughlin Gill, the lighting is gorgeous, great use of props for compositional interest and the gown's intricacy and detailing is on full display with a artful risque streak that's missing from this magazine. It feels like a fleeting, private moment captured before the shoot. With the right editorial team Lily's ed could've been heavenly. I admire the spirit of UK HB just not the execution of their vision.
