US Vogue April 2008 : Gisele Bündchen & LeBron James by Annie Leibovitz

[vogue28]

looks good.

 

[Nemezide]

I hope it's an editorial for each model not two shots for each model on the same editorial...

oh i hope it will be eds

 

[Ariez]

yea me too. I hope there's more to Daria and Shaun's ed!

 

[jackieonassis]

yea I'm not keen on the cover.

 

[ChicParisienne]

I wouldn't say the cover is hideous, but the poses are weird & the expressions are so fake. It looks more like Vanity Fair than American Vogue and the 2nd shot looks more like Demarchelier than Leibovitz. Nevertheless, it's a HUGE change from past Vogue covers and featuring an ATHLETE on a FASHION magazine cover is definitely something uncommon.

Anyway, all the eds look cool!!! Especially Trentini & Michael Phelps...damn he's hot!

 

[junegloom]

Daria's ed looks rockin.

For sure, I'm looking forward to hers the most.

 

[kellynjane]

The way it seems to look is like it's just two editorials -- models in front of a gray screen and models in action shots with their athletes. Let's hope I'm wrong!

 

[tigerrouge]

I reflect... having an athlete of colour on the front of US Vogue isn't that new - when Marion Jones was on the January 2001 cover. The only difference I can see here is that the athlete is a man. And while I love to see men in Vogue, I don't exactly class them as an unfairly under-represented cover subject.

For all our talk of Anna not using minorities, there are times when she did get round to doing it. I had completely forgotten about the Marion cover until this minute.

 

[CharlottefromCA]

don't like the cover but I'm really excited to see the editorials.. that shot with Lebron and Giselle (in the white dress) is super.. can't believe they didn't pick it as a cover.. maybe the picture was too long vertically to fit as a cover shot

 

[dg_fan]

i LOVE the edit.

 

[L.A.Gant]

My utter disregard for this magazine is now at an all time high with this cover. I don't understand why a woman interested in high fashion would want Lebron James on the cover of Vogue - why not a female athlete for the Shape theme? I think Gisele alone would have been good enough but I guess Anna really has a hard time with a singular model holding her own as a cover - if a model does grace the cover they are typically mixed with props such as "basketball player", actor or other models. The content of this magazine has become so tailored to Anna's world and the high society that revolves around it that I don't know if an audience outside of it can really get it. Or for that matter does Anna really give a ... about the common woman picking this magazine up at the local grocery store. I don't get that impression from any of the foreign Vogues which seem much more approachable in their content. I hope while I am still young that there one day will be a dramatic change in editorial office and Vogue becomes the trilling and fabulous magazine I except it to be. In the meanwhile I am thankful for the foreign issues!

 

[tigerrouge]

Sadly, Anna isn't alone. UK Vogue is effectively "London Vogue" and even then, it's also "certain social level Vogue" when it comes to who works there and who they deem fitting to feature - we've recently been reminded of it with the tone of that Victoria Beckham interview.

That's fashion for you, sure - but I totally agree, it doesn't always make for stimulating reading. My definition of 'fantasy' and 'escapism' isn't opening a magazine and getting a great view of the social neuroses of editors.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Can we all aknowledge the pink elephant in the room here?

Vogue has always been about social levels, that hasnt changed once in its 100+ history after all it was created so it covered high society in New York, fashion came second and it aint that much different today, and it wont be tomorrow.People should just move on if its not their cup of tea, i enjoy and buy it every time but i agree that some things are ridiclous however i dont expect it to change since its market is defined and clear>rich white people!

 

[L.A.Gant]

Can we all aknowledge the pink elephant in the room here?

Vogue has always been about social levels, that hasnt changed once in its 100+ history after all it was created so it covered high society in New York, fashion came second and it aint that much different today, and it wont be tomorrow.People should just move on if its not their cup of tea, i enjoy and buy it every time but i agree that some things are ridiclous however i dont expect it to change since its market is defined and clear>rich white people!

Thanks. You are right. It was a bit silly of me to rant like that over a magazine that is what it is and has always been that way. It's definitely not my cup of tea and therefore I should accept it as such and not waste space lamenting my dislike. I know there are many who enjoy this magazine and out of respect maybe the positive should be mentioned and that is the magazine does do a great job on profiling some amazing designers both up and comers along with some of the greats. In addition, I have enjoyed some the best editorials out this magazine which is pretty much the only reason why I will buy it on occasion.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^^L.A.Gant what i wrote was in no way directed only at you and what you wrote, more like in general. Besides this is whay we are here so people can express their dislike and vice versa.

I just find it a bit pointless when people are trying to make it out to be something it has never been.

And i agree its such a snobbish publication but i like their articles, the ones that dont cover society or dont involve William Norwich and his lunatic ramblings.

 

[iluvjeisa]

^^L.A.Gant what i wrote was in no way directed only at you and what you wrote, more like in general. Besides this is whay we are here so people can express their dislike and vice versa.

I just find it a bit pointless when people are trying to make it out to be something it has never been.

And i agree its such a snobbish publication but i like their articles, the ones that dont cover society or dont involve William Norwich and his lunatic ramblings.

Do you know what Vogue was like in the 50s, 60s, 70s and early 80s? And, no, I wasn't there at the time either, but just pick up a 60s/70s Vogue sometime and maybe you'll see what I mean. American Vogue before Anna (or really, before 1995 or so) was both snobbish and delicious. I don't mind elitism - necessarily - but I do mind artless neurosis, of the type tigerrouge mentioned. The escapism and joy has gone completely out of Vogue...and with that, most of the great photography.

Those of us who do know what Vogue could be like, because it was before 1990/5, lament its current lack of eccentricity/personality/feeling.

That said, these editorials at least look somewhat interesting.

 

[iluvjeisa]

Or for that matter does Anna really give a ... about the common woman picking this magazine up at the local grocery store.

Yeah, she does. That's why you have the celebrity covers and Walmart ads.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^^I do know the US Vogue from those eras and Iljuveisa i disagree i still find lots of escapism in todays Vogue and i think it is snobbish and delicious.The photogrpahy can be discussed but i dont agree on other points.

Actually i think Us Vogue was the worst from 1984 until Wintour came, of course just imo.

 

[iluvjeisa]

^^I do know the US Vogue from those eras and Iljuveisa i disagree i still find lots of escapism in todays Vogue and i think it is snobbish and delicious.The photogrpahy can be discussed but i dont agree on other points.

Actually i think Us Vogue was the worst from 1984 until Wintour came, of course just imo.

Well, yes, it was really bad from latter part of 1983-1986, I think it picked up a bit right before Wintour. It was pretty bad 2002-2004 too IMO. I'm happy for you, then, you're both well informed and happy about Vogue's current content. I really don't like the current mood at all, too neurotic.

EDIT: Grace Mirabella famously did make a conscious effort to connect to "the working woman". Not the poor working woman of course, but the start of her era was toward the more "sensible", though, fortuously, she had Newton and von Wangenheim, and a great editorial team to put a very decadent twist to her common sense.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

^^Aaah see i like neurotic .

What you wrote in the second part is very true<> Mirabellas best editorial strenght was that she knew how to balance the two well>The fashion concious working and the usual wealthy Vogue woman you never felt isolated when going through her issues like you do with Wintours Vogue,it was more realistic however i dont think she was consistant towards the end and that did lead in her replacement.And imo Anna is nothing if not consistent no matter how many detractors she has, the reason why she is in charge for quite a while now>the woman runs her magazine as she sees fit regardless of the criticism and i think that is admirable.