Irving’s portrait of Olivier is worth the issue alone. Never crushed on any designer— however, he is outrageously beautiful and Irving captured his beauty at its peak exquisitely, and without the reliance on baring skin nor letting down his infamous locks. Of all the designers, he’s always come across the most relatable/attractive to me: He’s passionate about his work but not precious. He’s always maintained a certain level of high standard, that of which he’s held consistent to as he’s grown as a person and as a creative being. He’s not doing the same old same old 20 years later— nor given into the low standards of the current era. Beyond the physical attraction, it’s clear how his designs have grown as well while maintaining an integrity which is so attractive in an individual. And that’s a rare quality in any person.
Anyway, the weakest link of this issue is the Raymond’s “America’s Most Wanted”. I despise accessories/bags stories. Everything else is so alive with personality and so graphic in gorgeous designs. I never understood the relevance nor the appeal of Demi, but her story is admittedly charming: Even Zac is tolerably attractive in the way he’s photographed here. There was a time when Anna just let the photographers show the readers their story… Sadly these days, none of the new guard are talented enough to express such creatively, so her Vogue has to resort to telling the readers how to think and feel.
(And as usual with American Vogue, horrendous layout for the cover. At least Anna’s consistent with some things.)