US Harper’s Bazaar December 2021/January 2022 : Hunter Schafer by John Edmonds

[Phuel]

The coverstory is simply lovely— as if Edward Hopper’s chilly sense of Americana melancholy is given a stylish cinematic reimagining by Tom Ford.

Too bad the rest of the stories are so immediately forgettable filler. That seems to be Samira's effort.

 

[caioherrero]

Very bad issue

 

[aracic]

Not only does it make sense, it is a most accurate, insightful assessment. As I opened the thread and started scrolling down, the first thing that came to mind was a name: Jessica Stam. By Meisel. For Franca. That thought is the highest compliment that can be paid to an editorial.

I'm getting more of a Roadhouse Blues vibe with Rianne ten Haken. Smiliar mood, very similar set.

This is undoubtedly my favorite cover under Samira, Hunter looks absolutely stunning on both covers and throughout the editorial. Personally, I would've preferred the second portrait from the editorial as the main cover as it's such a beautiful and captivating image, but the original cover isn't all bad either. As for the rest, I'm only vaguely interested in Amar's story as I like the color contrasts between black, white and blue. The rest is entirely forgettable.

 

[FashionMuseDior]

I love her face and features. Nice cover.

 

[Phuel]

Samira seem like a gentlewomen who has very personal polite taste and sensibilities.

But my god— her Bazaar is so elevator music, consumer-end bland. Looking through this issue— with the exception of the spectacular coverstory, I'm reminded just how boring everything iis presented. Even bland imagery may be saved by strong art direction, Here, the layout is so generic and basic like a corporate Keynote weekly presentation's, and not in that minimalist, sparse tone that a rag like Numero is able to make distinctive. Samira’s choices are blandest like those mid-range department flyers’— or at best, airline rags that are indistinguishable from one another. Who actually pays a subscription for this except doctors’ offices??? (…And it’s “The Art Issue”… LOL…Zzzzzzz)

The most lively move Samira has made so far is to wrangle Fab 5 Freddy as a Musical Director… whatever that means for a women’s rag.

 

[Vitamine W]

Everything in this magazine looks either angry or stand-off-ish.

 

[tigerrouge]

This would be a nice issue for any magazine on the level of a Marie Claire.

 

[VogueGirl8910]

The newstand cover is a fed up, but the subscriber's is stunning & the edit too.

 

[vogue28]

Despite the nice colouring, this still feels like just another glum and lifeless Harper's Bazaar cover to add to the pile during Samira Nasr's extremely tedious and uneventful tenure. I will, however, give Nasr major kudos for giving newsstands a wash of transgender representation.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

I've never been convinced by her print work but the first cover and editorial actually look nice. A direct facing shot in the first cover would have been nice but the colours and lighting save it, the second cover wasn't necessary it seems a little off.

 

[kasper!]

How many pages are there in this issue? And how many pages are ads?

 

[axiomatic]

How many pages are there in this issue? And how many pages are ads?

172. The first 45 pages or so are mostly ads

 

[tigerrouge]

Flicking through this online, my second impressions of the content were better than what I first thought. However, this magazine is still a bundle of nothing, it's American Bazaar going through another one of its blah phases. The expression on the cover model's face sums it up.

 

[KoV]

One thing that really endears this magazine to me is the physical quality. It was a pleasure to get this in the mail, especially with the gorgeous subscriber's cover. Compared to other American fashion magazines, the paper is thicker, the covers are glossier, and the size gives it a more luxurious heft. Though I'm certainly not in love with the content overall, there are occasions that give me hope, and in Samira's defense, she was handed the reigns at the worst possible time. This cover/cover story, the May covers with Liu/Rianne/etc., Tracee's cover, and Vanessa Kirby's cover all indicate real potential.

 

[tigerrouge]

Describing it as a period of 'potential' is probably the nicest way of putting it.

I was about to ask myself, how long would I give any editor to get established, when I remembered, there's been certainly a lot of staff changes and a lot of people starting jobs at this worst possible time - but while they may head the magazine, most of them are probably not permitted to be editors anymore, not in the traditional sense. As far as we're aware, Samira IS supposed to be a magazine editor in the traditional sense, but despite still having more of a voice, and the ability to make choices for the magazine, we're not really seeing or hearing anything. That's why it seems like such a disappointment.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Her stumbling upon the occasional strong and vivid story like this John Edmonds one is as good as it will get from her. Why some still think she’s got anything more than this is hilariously delusional.

That people consistently give her a pass with the she’s-got-potential pat on the back just showcases how ridiculously of the lowest of standards and seeping in nepotism the industry has stooped to these days— and no more is it so prevalent than it is in the good ol’ US of A. “Potential” is what is ascribed to a junior designer/junior AD— not someone who’s been an insider for decades, helming a high-profile rag for over a year now, but with only a few strong stories to show for it. Would anyone have given Liz/Fabien/Franca/Carine/Emmanuelle a “potential” pass had their vision for their magazines not been up to standard from their very first issue, let alone their first year???