UK Vogue June 2018 : Cara Delevingne by Steven Meisel

[Benn98]

Now her lipcolour looks coral, quite like it. Also the art direction for subscribers look much neater. Is this their first subscriber's cover??

Review doesn't sound promising to me. Tim Walker and Teller??

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^ Yeah, i think, it's the first sub cover with different text layout. I like the orignial better, actually!

Thanks for the review Vogue28, is Meisel profiled in the issue? He actually granted an interview? For June, that review doesn't sound half bad!

 

[caioherrero]

Teller? Walker? Scott? Next please!

 

[Zposen]

This is probably the first cover of the Enninful era I really like thus far. I think it will take sometime for him to make the mag his vision but its definitely one of the more diverse vogue edition currently not necessarily in terms of covers but editorials/content. I wish he had taken over American vogue!

 

[Phuel]

Edward take over American Vogue???? LOOOL Why…? Because Americans need Alexandra’s Vogue? Edward is not offering anything new creatively that Alexandra already didn't presented when she was heading it. Sure— he gave Black models more visibility, but every other magazine is already doing that. So… absolutely nothing new. His copywriter is good with the buzzfeed and hyped coverlines I suppose, but so are any SM-sauvey kid out there who's spent more than 30 min a day on SM.

Anna’s Vogue is the lowest of the lows in terms of fashion creativity— just with massive star power, which is what their readers only care about. And she knows her readership and she knows Americans' attitude towards fashion in general, and her Vogue is very much what the typical American fashionista (always shudder at that term since it infested the world) wants in their fashion rag. I can admire Anna’s business sensibilities even if I find her to be a creative void. Her Vogue and Americans doesn't need Edward’s/Alexandra’s Vogue.

Fashion is so starved, so impoverished for any hint of creativity at this point that Meisel simply copying Irving Penn wholesale for this shot is enough to have the majority here swooning so feverishly LOOOL

It’s decent enough with some sleek production value, I suppose; At least she’s tolerable and not scowling at me as she usually does. Just rather lazy and uninspired— which seems to be Edward’s vision as well. The man has had the rare privilege of marinating in the high fashion world with the most prestigious roles since he was 18yo, and if he doesn’t have a unique, distinct creative direction by now, I don’t think he ever will. This Vogue of his is just about all you’re going to get out of him.

 

[MON]

^ mu thoughts exactly, Phuel.

First; I HATE the fact of having subscribers/multiple covers. Approve a cover, risk it, run with it! And what’s the point of a subs cover when it features the same image? Innovative.

Second; I still cannot get over that art direction. Mediocrity at best. Someone approved that? Yuck.

 

[Legolas]

Fashion is so starved, so impoverished for any hint of creativity at this point that Meisel simply copying Irving Penn wholesale for this shot is enough to have the majority here swooning so feverishly LOOOL

It’s decent enough with some sleek production value, I suppose; At least she’s tolerable and not scowling at me as she usually does. Just rather lazy and uninspired— which seems to be Edward’s vision as well.

Meisel copying Irving Penn? ... Is there a single piece in the creative industry in general (fashion / design / photography / graphic arts, etc...) that doesn't have a reference from the past or that looks like it was created from another planet so to say that it's not copied from anything you haven`t seen before? I don't think that will ever be possible.

People here sometimes talk about professionals who have built a career over decades as if they were their professors. When I see this type of comments, where every sentence is just about complaining here and there... I'm always curious to read them till the end to see if they actually give as a conclusion any suggestions, or groundbreaking ideas and concepts in order to make the job better than the result we are discussing here... but most of the times, they never do.

 

[LastNight]

I'm not impressed that my subscriber cover has the different layout, it just doesn't look good. Having said that, the cover image is so stunning in print.

The issue is cool too - it's so nice to see Jourdan in a shoot, she looks gorgeous! I hope Edward gives her a cover. I've only flicked through but the Tim Walker shoot looks interesting, as does the Chanel profile.

 

[Phuel]

Meisel copying Irving Penn? ... Is there a single piece in the creative industry in general (fashion / design / photography / graphic arts, etc...) that doesn't have a reference from the past or that looks like it was created from another planet so to say that it's not copied from anything you haven`t seen before? I don't think that will ever be possible.

People here sometimes talk about professionals who have built a career over decades as if they were their professors. When I see this type of comments, where every sentence is just about complaining here and there... I'm always curious to read them till the end to see if they actually give as a conclusion any suggestions, or groundbreaking ideas and concepts in order to make the job better than the result we are discussing here... but most of the times, they never do.

Being Steven Meisel doesn’t exempt him from criticism. Nor should any other “professionals”— no matter how influential their contributions have been/are be immune to any criticisms. We all should be as hard on them as possible, instead of that sheep tagline “___ can do no wrong”.

Reference and influence is one thing, but this shot, from the styling, the hat and the elongated neck, minimal color-palette,and tight crop portrait is classic 1950s-Vogue by Irving Penn. It’s nice enough of course— just too much of a straight rip-off for my preference. My criticism of it in no way invalidates your approval of it, BTW.

(And why would I post my thoughts on how I would shoot this cover instead???? This isn’t a photography/design class— it’s a forum where members share their thoughts— not how-I-can-do-it-better tutorial.)

 

[tigerrouge]

No matter who you are, if you're selling a product, consumers get to have an opinion on whether or not the product appeals to them.

Those opinions might seem uninformed to some, but consumers still get to have them.

And if consumers don't like your product, it's not their job to be better at making it than you are. Because then you'd really be out of a job.

 

[8eight]

if youre gonna do a subscribers cover, either run a riskier/edgier pic - see elle magazine uk from when it was good years ago.
OR
run the same image with no lines.

LOVE that edward was using insta stores to do free market research today.

 

[ivano]

Andy's snap (follow him!)

 

[blueorchid]

Fashion is so starved, so impoverished for any hint of creativity at this point that Meisel simply copying Irving Penn wholesale for this shot is enough to have the majority here swooning so feverishly LOOOL

I agree. I liked the cover enough at first, but mostly because... I love Irving Penn's actual original Vogue covers. When I thought about it more, I became less "impressed" (maybe that's overstating how I felt about the cover in the first place). Like, of course everyone is going to think it's ~iconique~ because it's "relying on" a reference to one of the most iconic fashion photographers ever. Like, not to diminish Meisel or whatever... but of course everyone is going to think this is good, because it's referencing something even better. It's a bit lazy?

 

[EricGallais]

It's a pretty picture, but same layout as the Adwoa cover? Again?

Totally the same... nice but déjà vu!!!

 

[vogue28]

Thanks for the review Vogue28, is Meisel profiled in the issue? He actually granted an interview? For June, that review doesn't sound half bad!

Meisel's not profiled in the issue, unfortunately! There is, however, a one-page interview with Cara Delevingne to accompany Meisel's cover story.

 

[caioherrero]

I’m curious to see the Chanel thing

 

[Benn98]

Canadians, Penn has been an enduring source of inspiration for Meisel. This is really nothing new. I've seen way more literal depictions in the past, and yet, despite that, his work still look fresh! Not to speak ill of the dead, but people always act as if Penn and Avedon invented portrait photography. They only revolutionised it, yes. I happen to recall the still images of silent film looked embarrassingly similar to Penn/Avedon's output. Or the stoicism of Penn's subjects mimicking that of 1800s Curtis era.

I think the reason why he's getting the pass is because not only is it a great image, but it's also something different to what we're currently bombarded with. This article clearly outlines the new breed of photographers and what can be expected from them. Next to them Meisel and his Penn-fuelled portraits is almost an anomaly and that's why he's still in demand.

 

[Phuel]

I think the reason why he's getting the pass is because not only is it a great image, but it's also something different to what we're currently bombarded with. This article clearly outlines the new breed of photographers and what can be expected from them. Next to them Meisel and his Penn-fuelled portraits is almost an anomaly and that's why he's still in demand.

On principle alone, I loathe the blandness of these new breed of photographers so by natural fashion impulse, I too would praise this cover. Fair enough you and others see a high fashion oasis relief in this tribute/inspiration/reference rather than Meisel ripping off Penn wholesale. We really are in a deep deep deep fashion creative recession when such a blatant and lazy rip-off is swoonworthy.

Meisel is undeniably the only high fashion worldbuilder, who after over 30 years, still can give me something I can feel. Just not this cover shot.

Meanwhile.. the “subscriber’s cover” is truly LOL-worthy. The blatant fact that he’s not even bothered to select another shot for the subscriber’s issue— and instead just gives it a different layout for the coverlines (although it’s the exact same coverline layout as the Adwoa cover LOL), just proves how arrogantly lazy him and his team are… And people still want to give him time to find his distinct direction?!?!?!? BTW, the leading spread’s shot for the coverstory Ivano posted would have been ideal for the subscriber’s cover. Although I’ve seen a familiar image before (likely form 90s ELLE), it does look modern— and athletic, luxurious, clean, romantic and slick (and I don't even mind her mousey scowl). Modern Romance looking right at you, Edward.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Meisel's not profiled in the issue, unfortunately! There is, however, a one-page interview with Cara Delevingne to accompany Meisel's cover story.

Thanks, whoa hahah he put his name on the cover just because he shot the cover spread? Sigh, i do wish Edward would stop trying so, damn, hard!

 

[samoanceleb]

I love that the cover looks like his launch issue. If they can keep this as a thematic style, then it has the potential to give a strong voice to his editorship, and signally a sustained change, similar to the, then new US Bazaar under Tilberis circa 1992 and Wintour's US Vogue circa 1988.