UK Vogue September 2023 : Linda, Naomi, Cindy & Christy by Rafael Pavarotti

[vogue28]

Amazed to admit that American Vogue outshines British Vogue this month, whose cover is far more superior than this! The composition here is dreadful, looks clumsy, haphazard and just reeks of Photoshop. Not a fan of Naomi's pose or Cindy sat on the floor of the studio.

A massive MASSIVE missed opportunity not to have a past/present type of feature this month, with American Vogue's Rafael Pavarotti cover story evoking the new and Edward giving us a reunion for the ages with a Steven Meisel supermodel cover story.

 

[Phuel]

^^^That would be cluelessly hilarious and just straightup humiliating for Rafael to go head-to-head with Meisel— and with this shoot LMFAO

There’s an obvious push from Edward to anoint Rafael as the next Meisel: Giving him Italia as his sandbox; regularly shooting UK’s coverstories; and now, given US’s September covershoot. But Rafael’s proving himself more and more the sloppy pretender than a worthy successor to Meisel’s throne. This agenda to push him as the Black breakthrough creative that’s “made it” is so disingenuous, so intellectually-dishonest to further the false narrative that young Black creatives haven’t been given a chance until this supposed reckoning of the pro-Black movement a few years ago— when a genuine talent like Koto Bolofo have been quietly working all along, producing consistently solid work. Why not give Koto that push??? … And Black talent has always been around, but the status quo will now set aside talent and support the most popular (and youngest) ones that fit their narrative to optimize profits and brand exposure to a very impressionable, young demographic; so a veteran talent like Koto, won’t ever be given the opportunities that Rafael will. It’s all so deeply political and so very frustrating.

(Even at his laziest and worst, Meisel’s take on a cast that he’s got a personal history with [except for Cindy, who is— let’s be frank, only there because of her daughter’s current fame and popularity with Gen Z. She was a phenomenon with the masses of course, but was never really a part of high fashion royalty. Linda back in the day, casually dragging Cindy by dismissing her August Vogue cover as “…It’s just an August cover tho…” still rings true to Cindy’s irrelevance in high fashion history] would obliterate Rafael’s sloppy student project copycat. Even the king of gimmicks Edward, would know better than to allow this.)

 

[LastNight]

I’m really curious about the content of this issue. I’m particularly interested to see if there will be anything unique to this edition or if every editorial will be a shared one.

It’s due out on the 22nd, but I usually get my subscription copy early so I’ll post a review as soon as I get it if no one else has by then.

 

[tigerrouge]

It looks like they've gathered together for a funeral.

 

[blueorchid]

(Even at his laziest and worst, Meisel’s take on a cast that he’s got a personal history with [except for Cindy, who is— let’s be frank, only there because of her daughter’s current fame and popularity with Gen Z. She was a phenomenon with the masses of course, but was never really a part of high fashion royalty. Linda back in the day, casually dragging Cindy by dismissing her August Vogue cover as “…It’s just an August cover tho…” still rings true to Cindy’s irrelevance in high fashion history] would obliterate Rafael’s sloppy student project copycat. Even the king of gimmicks Edward, would know better than to allow this.)

I don't like Cindy at all, but c'mon.. being "high fashion" isn't necessarily a requirement for being a supermodel. Who cares if Linda dragged her for an August cover? It's not like Cindy *never* had a September or March Vogue US cover. Oh no, the masses...

 

[LastNight]

Colleen Rooney appears on a “special digital cover” for September…

 

[honeycombchild]

I feel like there was potential in the backdrop and image, but the coat is strangling her and enveloping her. But also, I didn’t need to see a Colleen Rooney cover.

 

[lhhbl]

this coat makes it looks like she's at an Italian restaurant in Milan ready to eat pasta and not be dirty bc the coat will protect her from it

 

[tigerrouge]

I love the idea that Liverpool can be reminiscent of Milan.

 

[8eight]

Is the photographer Edwards husband?

 

[honeycombchild]

Yeah, it’s Alec.

 

[Toni Ahlgren]

Colleen Rooney appears on a “special digital cover” for September…

I don't usually mind people getting work done, but this is just nightmare fuel.

 

[LastNight]

It’s quite awful, and I find the concept of digital covers utterly ridiculous for the most part. At least SJP’s recent US Vogue one was video and so made a bit more use out of the digital medium. This is just a lazy way to capture the attention of the chronically online and convince them it’s something more than it actually is.

I love that social media lap up Edward’s offerings like they’re so new and daring, but using Colleen is exactly the kind of move Alexandra would pull. Except she’d get McLellan to photograph her, give her the print cover for an October issue and enjoy a tabloid-reader induced circulation boost for that month. Not saying which is better or worse, but at least she would’ve been more committed to the idea.

 

[Ivancica]

Colleen Rooney appears on a “special digital cover” for September…

Hm - why her and why now?

Also, when she was popping in tabloids and social media more frequently she looked completely different.

 

[Phuel]

I don't like Cindy at all, but c'mon.. being "high fashion" isn't necessarily a requirement for being a supermodel. Who cares if Linda dragged her for an August cover? It's not like Cindy *never* had a September or March Vogue US cover. Oh no, the masses...

LOL Of course she was a “Super”— likely the most Superist of them all by definition and in brand recognition (…God, what an embarrassing and utterly cringe label to define a profession for women LMFAO). Never denied that from her. I even pointed out she was a phenomenon in her time. But she’s just not of the same stratosphere as Christy/Linda/Naomi with their countless iconic imageries contributed to high fashion. This resurgence of interest in her is mostly due to her daughter’s immense popularity, because what had Cindy contributed to fashion— let alone high fashion, after the 90s??? I lived through her phenomenon as child, and her name was on everything— just not high fashion. Even by her own choices, she’s not high fashion:shrugs:

 

[matheus_s]

Any review, please????

 

[A.D.C.]

LOL Of course she was a “Super”— likely the most Superist of them all by definition and in brand recognition (…God, what an embarrassing and utterly cringe label to define a profession for women LMFAO). Never denied that from her. I even pointed out she was a phenomenon in her time. But she’s just not of the same stratosphere as Christy/Linda/Naomi with their countless iconic imageries contributed to high fashion. This resurgence of interest in her is mostly due to her daughter’s immense popularity, because what had Cindy contributed to fashion— let alone high fashion, after the 90s??? I lived through her phenomenon as child, and her name was on everything— just not high fashion. Even by her own choices, she’s not high fashion:shrugs:

Cindy may not be the most high fashion model but she’s no Tyra, Heidi, or Adriana. She earned all her high fashion bonifides. Every magazine cover. Check. Worked with every top photographer. Check. Walked every top runway show. Check. Cindy was Cindy without Kaia. Kaia would have been no one without her mom. Furthermore you really can’t have a “supermodel” moment without her. She was the more “commercial one” but I love that each woman had her niche.

 

[Xone]

Cindy may not be the most high fashion model but she’s no Tyra, Heidi, or Adriana. She earned all her high fashion bonifides. Every magazine cover. Check. Worked with every top photographer. Check. Walked every top runway show. Check. Cindy was Cindy without Kaia. Kaia would have been no one without her mom. Furthermore you really can’t have a “supermodel” moment without her. She was the more “commercial one” but I love that each woman had her niche.

Exactly @A.D.C. totally agree, she combined art and commerce very well...She make herself a brand... and that's true Kaia is here, i don't think she has no talent, but of course because of her mom she got a lot more projects and opportunities.

 

[LastNight]

It's review time!

328 pages

Editorials

Beauty Beyond
16 pages (including article)
Models: Linda, Christy, Cindy and Naomi
Photographer: Rafael Pavarotti
Stylist: Edward Enninful
Writer: Sally Singer

Fade Into You
12 pages
Models: Sarah Brown, Migoa Majoang, Phoebe Matthews, Anouk Smits, Karolina Spakowski, Queenie, Humi Rashid, Valentine Valero, Pati Vasto
Photographer: David Sims
Stylist: Benjamin Bruno

Outer Bounds
10 pages
Models: Anyiel Majok, Jennifer Matias, Puck Schrover
Photographer: Will Scarborough
Stylist: George Krakowiak

Crowd Pleasers
8 pages
Models: Devon Aoki, Ryugo Ishida, Kiko Mizuhara, Hikari Mori, Nene, Lala Takahashi, Ai Tominaga
Photographer: Theo Liu
Stylist: Gabriella Karefa-Johnson


Features

Past Imperfect
6 pages (including article)
Star: Zadie Smith
Photographer: Tyler Mitchell
Stylist: Julia Sarr-Jamois
Writer: Zing Tsjeng

Pure Imagination
8 pages (including article)
Stars/Models: Moon Bedeaux, Miranda Brooks, Francesca Hayward, Alfie Husband, Ella Richards, Tish Weinstock, Lydia West
Photographer: Sean Thomas
Stylist: Amanda and Tallulah Harlech
Writer: Amanda Harlech

Game On
8 pages (including article)
Star: Coleen Rooney
Photographer: Alec Maxwell
Stylist: Justine Mills
Writer: Giles Hattersley

+

Front of book features include:

When Harry met Hockney
(Harry Styles painted by David Hockney)

Displays of Affection
(Feature on four London exhibitions celebrating sartorial excellence)

Venus Rising
(1 page archive feature on 'the birth of the supermodel' with Lindbergh's white shirt + beach photo)

Fragments Untold
(Jewellery designer Rosh Mahtani writes about her abortion)

The Vogue 25
(feature on women redefining Britain in 2023 - including Raye, Kylie Minogue, Naga Munchetty, Carol Voderman, Jodie Comer, Tori Tsui and others. It's a 10pg feature made up of mostly small headshots, with a handful of full page images. Photographed by Samuel Bradley, Styled by Eniola Dare)

 

[tigerrouge]

Just got my subscription copy, it's going straight into the to-be-read-then-recycled pile.