another review, courtesy of cathy at fashist online
[font=verdana, helvetica, arial][size=-1]this issue is a solid 406 pages, and that cover of Kate is shot by Nick Knight, and she's wearing Alberta Ferretti. No more Kate inside, apart from a short article (mentioned below).
The ads start off with Ralph Lauren, a few pages of Gucci, GAP, 2 pg Dior, 2 pg Prada, the same old Vuitton we've seen in every issue, 2 pg Dolce e Gabbana, 2 pg YSL (bored already), 2 pg Balenciaga, 2 pg Valentino (one girl is Gemma), 2 pg Emporio Armani, 1 pg Celine with Julia Stegner, 2 pg Calvin Klein with Natalia V, 2 pg Miu Miu, 1 pg Blumarine with Nadja, 2 pg Versace with Demi, 2 pg Burberry with Gemma, 4 pg Fendi with Carolyn Murphy, 2 pg Paul Smith with Louise Pedersen, 2 pg Jil Sander, 3 pg Donna Karan, 1 pg MaxMara with Hana, 3 pg Chlo, 2 pg Hugo Boss with Julia Stegner, 6 pg Tiffany with Shalom,4 pg Chanel with Daira, 1 pg Emanuel Ungaro, 2 pg CK Obsession Night with Gemma, 1 pg JPG with Gisele, 2 pg Escada group shot, 1 pg Kenzo with Guinevere, 2 pg Mulberry, 13 pg DKNY (newspaper format), 2 pg Jimmy Choo, 2 pg Givenchy with Maria Carla, 2 pg Cavalli, 2 pg Asprey with Keira Knightley, 2 pg Moschino, 2 pg Nicole Farhi, 2 pg Michael Kors, 1 pg Longchamp, 1 pg Missoni, 1 pg Pollini, 1 pg Oscar de la Renta with Eugenia V, 2 pg Diesel with Ana BB and Anne V, 2 pg DAKS, 1 pg Pink with Naomi Campbell. Back page is nothing special, just the usual ad for Dior 'J'adore' perfume.
I don't have time to list all the 1 pg ads, but you get the impression - there are many, many advertisers in this issue, although not a long run for any campaign other than the DKNY one at 13 pgs.
There's a one page look at Kate's previous UK Vogue covers, in fact, it's a look at the 10 years since Nick Knight first shot her for a solo Vogue cover, and this month is the 'tenth such collaboration' of the duo, though they only show images of nine covers.
There's a 6 pg fur advertorial shot by Michel Comte which looks like the sort of thing that turns up in Vogue Italia. I imagine this same advertorial might appear in a few different editions of September Vogues.
Editorials kick off with AUTUMN'S BIG IDEAS, which is Nick Knight shooting Gemma in a white studio, but accompanied with either freaky props, or some sort of digital manipulation. So in the opening shot, there's a still Gemma, and a few feet away from her, a cluster of young ballerinas entwining their limbs. It is not as good as it sounds. It is 'conceptual'. Next shot has the image of Gemma framed as if you were looking through some sort of floating keyhole, the next shot, as if someone had ripped the page and you see Gemma standing against a brick wall. Gemma on a horse. Gemma mirrored. Gemma wearing black & white clothes that probably needed all this manipulation to give a degree of interest to an opening editorial, but I'll be kind and say its 16 pgs of Gemma in a clean editorial where she's not looking ugly or freaky.
QUIET STORM takes a bunch of fresh young models and has them mooching around a room wearing black clothes. Mario Testino must have learnt his dog had died the day he shot this drab, depressing, lifeless 12 pg series of yet more black clothing. The only virtue I can find in this editorial is that it gives these very fresh faces an appearance, an introduction in a major issue. I have no idea who they are though, and this editorial wouldn't have me running to the internet to find out.
PICK'N'MIX is Julia Stegner, shot by Thomas Schenk in a grey studio, where she wears tweedy clothes and cashmere knits - imagine 'English style Michael Kors, with a slight edge' - with a few skirts thrown in. This is 12 pgs of a lively mix of how key pieces can be mixed up for your own interpretation, worn by Julia - and you know what you're getting with Julia, a nice, mildly glam blonde. It's not a brilliant editorial, but it's solid.
An article about artists, the Chapman brothers... a look at the big manor owned by the Robinson family, who own UK high street shot, Jigsaw. Then a 6 pg look at how to interpret this season's 'womanly' look from the catwalk to your own wardrobe.
BELLE DE NUIT is all about 1960's make-up - it's a very literal 6 pg interpretation of the trend, shot by Paolo Roversi, with bee-hives, berets, thick eyeliner, leopard print coats.
BOY MEETS GIRL, by Horst Diekgerdes is an outdoors editorial, where, over 12 pgs, an unknown model wears gamine clothes - trousers, big shirts, striped jumpers, the occasional dress, and various slightly masculine items.
Overall, this issue is full of wearable clothes, and I have to say, it's nothing special. Apart from the sheer amount of content, there's little here to truly excite. Now, I am always the first to whinge if magazines are too outre with their editorials, but this issue lacks either (a) a hint of fierce glamour, or (b) a dose of edge. This issue is like eating a soup with no salt. Everything in it is substantial and the clothes would look well on you, but there's no spice. It doesn't make you either feel excited about fashion OR take the scissors to the magazine to clip out a stunning shot. Because there are no stunning shots.
It's good, it's solid, but it's just not sensational.[/size][/font]