UK Vogue September 2020 : The Faces of Hope

[Benn98]

To be honest i do not think we can, and more to the point even should.
I think frivolity, self indulgence and purely aesthetic pleasures have a place in life, but if we decide they do, we need to unashamedly own it, and never lose sight of the fact that the T-shirt you just bought could feed a whole village in certain parts of world and that is something you will never be able to justify. Fashion is using activism as form of whitewashing and frankly i find that disgusting.

And Ben, i think I lost the power of speech when you pointed out that in fact this is not the first black photographer to shoot a cover.

Totally agree! Vogue's approach is very much the 'I can have my cake and eat it' line of thinking that's so popular today. Why can't I wear clothing made possible by slave labour or appalling ethical practices while still screaming from the rooftop about racial injustice? Imo we've been seeing it at astronomical levels this type of irony in 2020, with Farneti being the worst offender.

Racism in the UK takes on such a different guise to the type you'd find in America, Europe, and countries such as Australia and South Africa where it is still prevalent. Here, it is almost exclusively linked to elitism or classism, you know, the very ideals Vogue continues to stand firm on. The fact that they've chosen Adwoa as their figurehead and even went so far as to give her a regular column in the magazine is somewhat comical. Of course Adwoa comes from an esteemed family and was a society fixture way before her modelling breakthrough. The point I'm trying to make is that it's impossible to even try and have the racism conversation without addressing the matter of classism. And once Vogue starts addressing classism they may as well rebrand altogether.
Also, you cannot take an American approach (to anything really) and merely copy it for a UK audience because it will fall on deaf ears. And that's what has been happening to quite a lot of his content. It's fashion-forward, nice to look at and shot by the greatest photographers in the world right now but I certainly doubt whether it strikes a chord with most English readers. Especially the ones they expect to connect with advertisers.

As for the Alexandra vs Edward tenure, I think it's quite clear cut. She had the writing chops and the gift to build a strong and cohesive women's magazine but failed terribly when it came to prestige and positioning UK Vogue in the global fashion community. Whereas with Edward it's vice versa. I am 99% certain that if we saw the Judi Dench cover under Alexandra there would have been another 'none of the designers wanted to lend me clothes for the shoot!' story from her.

 

[tigerrouge]

Given that British and Italian Vogue have both gone down the road of using the magazine as a way to highlight social issues instead of providing unadulterated fashion - is there anything to be said for the idea that male editors tackle women's fashion with a more removed mindset than female editors do?

 

[San Marco]

Given that British and Italian Vogue have both gone down the road of using the magazine as a way to highlight social issues instead of providing unadulterated fashion - is there anything to be said for the idea that male editors tackle women's fashion with a more removed mindset than female editors do?

What is worse they use CN platforms to highlight their own personas.
They use social issues... to profile themself in the end.
Almost after every “social issue” we hear in some newspaper about their endeavors and how they made the world a better place.

And in Edwards case, even that is not enough, so we are reading about his daily experiences of alleged profiling in newspaper.

Unlike these two, Franca and Alexandra were two pragmatic and hardworking editors with a point of view. While Franca chose to offer her platform to the best photographers making it a real fashion magazine, Alexandra made her magazine a real womens magazine, and she knew her customers to the core.
Obviously, Alexandra’s sold much better.
So a fashion magazine or a womens magazine is miles better than a “social issue magazine”

In case of doubt:Always a woman as a EIC.
But there is always one Franco Sartori, to prove me wrong.

 

[balmain1914]

her face says : nope. no hope

 

[Nomar]

Goodbye Edward.

 

[vogue28]

Review - 336 Pages.

THE TIME IS NOW
A 13-page activist feature feature featuring the cover stars (and others).

THE ROARING 20S
Model: Edie Campbell
Photographer: Alasdair McLellan
Stylist: Jane How
12 Photos

CHECKS & BALANCES
Model: Binx Walton & Sage Elsesser
Photographer: Tyler Mitchell
Stylist: Julia Sarr-Jamois
8 Photos

NOW & ALWAYS
Model: Alice Kim
Photographer: Craig McDean
Stylist: Dena Giannini & Alice Kim
9 Photos

MOMENT OF CLARITY
Model: Selena Forrest
Photographer: Nadine Ijewere
Stylist: Poppy Kain
5 Photos

SIREN CALL
Model: Claudia Schiffer
Photographer: Matthew Vaughn
Stylist: Dena Giannini
6 Photos

+ A 16-page feature with designers of how they're coping during lockdown.

 

[Benn98]

^LOL.

 

[aracic]

^LOL.

Exactly!!

 

[SRank]

Looking forward to see the Claudia editorial!

 

[Phuel]

Racism in the UK takes on such a different guise to the type you'd find in America, Europe, and countries such as Australia and South Africa where it is still prevalent. Here, it is almost exclusively linked to elitism or classism, you know, the very ideals Vogue continues to stand firm on. The fact that they've chosen Adwoa as their figurehead and even went so far as to give her a regular column in the magazine is somewhat comical. Of course Adwoa comes from an esteemed family and was a society fixture way before her modelling breakthrough. The point I'm trying to make is that it's impossible to even try and have the racism conversation without addressing the matter of classism. And once Vogue starts addressing classism they may as well rebrand altogether.

Absolutely. Good luck in expecting a Vogue of all entities to somehow address/dismantle/restructure the class/caste system— in particular from a man who’s enjoyed the very rarified privileges of the blatant elitism of fashiondom since he was 18yo LOL

If anyone's been to any First-World Asian/South Asian/ME/ country, elitism/classism is just an updated versions of the caste system. (…So let’s not even get into the elitism/classism within every culture/race…It’s not the sole responsibility of the fashion industry, let alone Vogue and its employees to get seriously involved in such a complex issue. And when fashion gets a tad distracted with allowing the real world in with all its socio-political issues, look at how creativity has suffered for the worst of the worst.) The social justice for equality is even more of an unattainable myth than any other form of social justice when it comes to elitism/classism. What is the world of high fashion if not the epitome of such constructs? (And if we’re going by Edward’s Vogue, his push for Black prominence already has brushed aside other POC. But I’ll stop there before I’m in permanent-broken record territory. on his blatant discrimination.) Elitism and classic is what fashion and its industry is built on; to suggest in addressing/dismantling /restructuring it at this most fragile and chaotic time in the industry may as well to suggest to an exodus of unemployment for all these brands and the people that lead these brands. Because despite the prominence of Black models/stars on the cover and pages/runways/campaigns of Vogues— they’re all still hustling the “dream” of wearing all these ridiculously overpriced rags that is absolutely only accessible to those who an afford it-- or superstars.

(Adwoa may have come from “good stock and the best breeding”— as the blue bloods were known to be described as once. She’s proven to be a more than competent model— not just with her killer bone structure and even more killer body. More importantly, she’s very capable of range: I never understood why some are convinced she always looks the same. Just on the Sept ELLE and this Vogue covers alone, she’s giving polar opposites: One maniacal, bordering on deranged Joker-mode; and this, solemn and intense warrior. She’s absolutely one of the most deserving models working these days.)

 

[Benn98]

I actually thought it interesting when Jodie Comer got the June cover. Of course, it could be chalked down to Loewe, but it was still interesting because her rise to fame is not like the London set this magazine fixate on. Many don't know this, but Jodie actually worked the check-out at Tesco's as a struggling actress (watch all the American members go 'uhm, and????' Because that would pretty much have the makings of a celebrated story over there). Jodie once auditioned for a 'posh' role and before even entering the room to deliver her performance, the casting director took one look at her resume, saw that she was from Liverpool (the dreaded North, lol), and immediately cast doubts as to whether she'd be able to portray or speak posh. Jodie's beauty, education, or even race couldn't save her from such prejudice. When you think of that, and how the Mail ran loads of articles about Olivia Colman's past as a penniless cleaner who used to live in an attic and couldn't afford anything but potatoes (all in the last few days before she won her Oscar) you really see how deep classicism run in the UK. It's no surprise why, to date, Olivia covered only Harper's and nothing else of note.

She’s proven to be a more than competent model...

Giphy

 

[Yohji]

I actually thought it interesting when Jodie Comer got the June cover. Of course, it could be chalked down to Loewe, but it was still interesting because her rise to fame is not like the London set this magazine fixate on. Many don't know this, but Jodie actually worked the check-out at Tesco's as a struggling actress (watch all the American members go 'uhm, and????' Because that would pretty much have the makings of a celebrated story over there). Jodie once auditioned for a 'posh' role and before even entering the room to deliver her performance, the casting director took one look at her resume, saw that she was from Liverpool (the dreaded North, lol), and immediately cast doubts as to whether she'd be able to portray or speak posh. Jodie's beauty, education, or even race couldn't save her from such prejudice. When you think of that, and how the Mail ran loads of articles about Olivia Colman's past as a penniless cleaner who used to live in an attic and couldn't afford anything but potatoes (all in the last few days before she won her Oscar) you really see how deep classicism run in the UK. It's no surprise why, to date, Olivia covered only Harper's and nothing else of note.





Giphy

And the funny thing is that Olivia Colman went to private school and Cambridge!

And even funnier, we have so many treasured working class actors across all ages and races (from Comer herself to Gary Oldman to Daniel Kaluuya to Samantha Morton to Riz Ahmed to Julie Walters) - yet there is such snobby attitude towards working class actors. So much that there have been several articles about the working class actor dying out.

Sheridan Smith once said: “I never really ruled out more serious roles,” she says. “But you do get put in a box being working class and in the kind of parts you get given – chavs and tarts in my case! I’d always just plodded along, grateful to be working.”

Helen Mirren comes from a working class background but you wouldn't know from the elocution lessons she was advised to take - if she hadn't, would she have been cast as members of the royal family, or just chavs and tarts?

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020



The Time is Now

Photographer: Misan Hariman, Texas Isaiah, Philip-Daniel Ducasse, Chrisean Rose, Eddie Hernandez, Reginald Cunningham, Andi Weiland, Flo Ngala, Ryan Pfluger, Layla F. Saad, Romney Mueller-Westerhagen,
Cast: Patrisse Cullors, Claudia Walder, Phyll Opuku-Gyimah, Adwoa Aboah, Tamika Mallory, Janet Mock, Lawinya Stennett, Patrick Vernon, Janet Elliott, Dr Bernice King, Prof Angela Davis, Dr Meenal Viz, Fiona Dwyer, Patrick Hutchinson, Alice Wong, Anna Taylor, Janaya Future Khan, Marcus Rashford, Yvette Williams, Mireille Cassandra Harper and Elaine Harper, Clara Amfo, Quinn Wilson, Jari Jones, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Munroe Bergdorf, Imari Ayton, Doreen Lawrence, Alaa Salah, Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, iO Tillett Wright, Joan Smalls, Temi Mwale, Reni Eddo Lodge, Layla F. Saad, Bethann Hardison, Jesse Williams, Vanessa Nakate, Kendrick Sampson









UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

The Roaring '20s

Photographer: Alasdair McLellan
Stylist: Jane How
Hair: Anthony Turner
Makeup: Lynsey Alexander
Cast: Edie Campbell








UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

Checks & Balances

Photographer: Tyler Mitchell
Stylist: Julia Sarr-Jamois
Hair: Jawara
Makeup: Miguel Ramos
Cast: Binx Walton, Sage Elsesser







UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

Now & Always

Photographer: Craig McDean
Stylist: Dena Giannini, Alice Kim
Cast: Alice Kim







UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

Moment of Clarity

Photographer: Nadine Ijewere
Set Designer: Sean Thomsen
Stylist: Poppy Kain
Hair: Shiori Takahashi
Makeup: Lucy Burt
Cast: Selena Forrest





UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

Siren Call

Photographer: Matthew Vaughn
Stylist: Dena Giannini
Hair: Anna Cofone
Makeup: Alex Babsky
Cast: Claudia Schiffer





UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

UK Vogue September 2020

A Change of Pace

Photographer: Danilo Scarpati, Patrick Fraser, Paul Wetherell, Karim Sadli, Alessandro Furchino Capria, David Burton, Thomas Lohr, Misan Harriman, Nicholas Newbold, Joshua Woods, Brett Lloyd, Annie Powers
Cast: Alessandro Michele, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Virgil Abloh, Jonathan Anderson, Rick Owens, Donatella Versace, Miuccia Prada, Sarah Burton, Samuel Ross, John Galliano, Grace Wales Bonner, Marc Jacobs (extra! LOL), Olivier Rousteing, Riccardo Tisci, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Daniel Lee, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquire










UK Vogue Digital Edition

 

[Mody]

It turned out to be a decent issue.
The main editorial has a lot potential
There are so many interesting respective individuals with their unique stories
There gotta be some other way to tell them
Kudos to Edward to have Alice Kim as an OG ed
Tyler Mitchell is actually improving it would be amazing to see he expends his brand to search for variety of beauties