US Vogue September 2020 by Jordan Casteel & Kerry James Marshall

[WilliamsLe010919]

Cover story is up on Vogue.com
The Making of Vogue’s September 2020 Covers
It's indeed Aurora James

 

[Lola701]

Honestly, I’m quite surprised to see all your expectations on this. Anna is one of the most boring editors out there for the past five years. The woman doesn’t have blood on her veins. It’s just corporate fashion. The content doesn’t matter anymore because they only pay attention on how it’s going to be virtually accepted. Vogue is dead. I couldn’t care less about Vogue. The only one who’s worthy is Emmanuelle and her job isn’t particularly strong. But I think the blandness/laziness of the other editions always help her a lot.
And don’t get me wrong: I understand that magazine industry is seriously struggling. This is not 2007. They can’t not afford Meisel and a super production anymore. So I appreciate the effort they’re doing despise the circumstances. But, then again, they can’t make excuses out of the budget. Look at what Emmanuelle did two months ago: all you need is a right team with a good eye and powerful ideas to execute.
At least I’m glad they took it seriously this month. It’s time to give the other ethnicities some visibility.
But if I want to see fashion and get delighted, I’ll always be waiting for Self Service, M le Monde or WSJ...
Vogue is not that place anymore.

But hasn’t US Vogue always been about that? A corporate/mass-appeal vision of Fashion for (what needs to be said) a rather conservative society?

In a way I appreciate that both US Vogue and VP maintain their vision...

The reality is that this era will be about politics and social justice in fashion. I’ve always wonder what fashion will be about this decade after a decade of excess.

US Vogue can afford Meisel if UK Vogue can. The issue might be deeper.

I don’t even think it’s a Anna thing. It will be the same and it might even go deeper with the next EIC...Even more if it’s Edward.

 

[octoberchild]

Lol, this magazine is a damn joke. Is this why the cover was released so late, because it’s a tacit acknowledgement that VF had this idea first and thus had to wait for that cover to be released? Not to mention, Edward doing this in August. But this is tFS’ queen, right?

And I’m not impressed with this little pledge either, Colonial Broad will just commission BIPOCs to photograph and style eds featuring other BIPOCs, her precious British starlets will still be photographed and styled by white photogs and stylists while she’s still there which shouldn’t be too much longer.

 

[PowerDroid]

^See InStyle's September issue. That's what we were expecting, but with a more prestigious cast and crew. I mean, Laura Brown somehow managed to pull Vincent van de Wijngaard and Saskia de Brauw for a filler editorial (and to just prove how out of touch with fashion she is, foolishly relegated them to the back of the magazine). Are you telling me Anna couldn't get any of the many black photographers/models/actresses to shoot her cover?

I can't believe she is expecting the celebrity-obsessed readers she cultivated for decades to suddenly buy these covers featuring virtual unknowns, one who doesn't even exist in real life!?! Makes no sense to me at all. This will be their worst-selling September issue in years and that won't be on the artists but on her.

Nothing against Aurora James, but will US Vogue's international readers know who she is? Why not Joan Smalls who pledged half her wage towards the movement for the rest of 2020 and looks set to do the same in a smaller capacity for 20121? Some will say 'but it's American Vogue, for Americans', well guess what, the influence and power they wield is due to the fact that it's the most sought after and prestigious fashion magazine in the world. Despite having the least interesting fashion week of the top 4, and not even the force when it comes to the manufacturing of fashion clothing.

Can't wait to see the page and ad count of this issue.

In April and May Conde Nast was at a stand still production wise, as they were figuring out legal entanglements related to Covid19 protocols and possible liabilities in case people got sick on sets.
They took it very seriously and obsessed over it. Some Conde Nast shoots were literally cancelled.
Regular productions were put on hold it's highly possible that they had to can the September cover shoot.

What's good and plenty for Laura Brown might just be mediocre for Anna Wintour and so, as EIC of Vogue and artistic director of Conde Nast, she took the executive decision of using art instead of a picture for the September cover.
Evidently she didn't have confidence that, given the circumstances, she could deliver a cover that could match the standards that she is used to.

The level of talents that Conde Nast employs is superior and far more complicated to manage in terms of scheduling.
With a Presidential Proclamation in effect , traveling was made very difficult and celebrities were canceling bookings regardless.

I know it alls sounds very easy but sometimes, even with the best efforts, it not.

 

[Yohji]

Lol, this magazine is a damn joke. Is this why the cover was released so late, because it’s a tacit acknowledgement that VF had this idea first and thus had to wait for that cover to be released? Not to mention, Edward doing this in August. But this is tFS’ queen, right?

And I’m not impressed with this little pledge either, Colonial Broad will just commission BIPOCs to photograph and style eds featuring other BIPOCs, her precious British starlets will still be photographed and styled by white photogs and stylists while she’s still there which shouldn’t be too much longer.

Wait, are you referring to Anna Wintour? I thought most people hated her on here.

 

[aracic]

This is all so painfully ugly and desperate to me. I hate it.

What I don't understand about this inclusivity trend is why it always has to be so obvious and ugly. Over the years, there have been so many stunning fashion stories featuring incredible black women and they never had to sacrifice beauty and creativity in order to feature black people. So why is it that you can't put a black woman in a fashion story without making it all about her race? It's always some sort of message, some hope, some agenda. Why can't we just normalise black people working in fashion? The 15 Percent Pledge is obviously a great opportunity for freelance black talent, but to me it reeks of pretentiousness. I certainly hope we're going to discover some amazing black talent that might become Vogue regulars and give opportunity to create a new generation of star photographers and models, but if they randomly hire black people based only on their race and not their talent... we're looking at a disaster and I won't support it, no matter the cause.

Again, this month (this year, in fact) has been such a massive disappointment on so many levels, and I certainly hope that the industry will soon normalise and go back to (at least in some ways) where it used to be. I miss fashion weeks, I miss fashion magazines, I miss celebrities! I never even thought I'd say that. I miss Charlize Theron or Angelina Jolie or anyone else really. I'm so over illustrations and landscapes and roses and what not, what the f*ck is going on? Please, make it stop already. Just please. Give me Scarlett Johansson by Mikael Jansson or Ethan James Green for October. Give me Ana de Armas by Annie Leibovitz for November. Just no more of... this. Whatever all this is. I'm so ready for October!

 

[Serend1pity]

Seeing as my comments got deleted for “diverting to race” I’ll repost:

- the covers are mice enough for a throwaway June but disappointing for a big September issue
- the pledge is a great idea - diversity does not mean mediocrity. The assumption that there aren’t enough talented black people is part of the problem. They are not visible

 

[PowerDroid]

I just can't believe all the complaining and moaning that is going on on here.
The United States as a country has 5 million cases of Covid19, 180,000 deaths in 5 months and a crisis we haven't seen in generations. Black citizens are executed in the streets, racists have been emboldened by this administration, the industry is on the brink of a collapse, brands and companies are laying off people at a pace never seen before, and people are pouting because Scarlett Johannson is not on the September cover of Vogue. Hmkay.

The common thread for all the Conde Nast editions was Hope and they all approached the concept in different ways, struggling with different circumstances that changed country by country.
Vogue US decided to give exposure to fine artists, reminiscing of the beautiful Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930's and it's a nice choice for a change CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. So what? Take a deep breath and relax and just hope that things will go back to normal, if they ever will.

I read all the messages on here and I have seen the following words used multiple times: ugly, depressing, hate, desperation. The moderator of this thread referred to these covers as 'crap'. Some moderation.

Imagine if the artists selected by Vogue for this cover happened to read these messages. In a rare occasion when they are being given incredible exposure and recognition by one of the most important publications in the world a bunch of accomplished creative directors, art directors, EICs and stylists are tearing their work apart...Oh wait, you are none of that.

And there goes the Hope message.

The tone deafness, disrespect and the naiveté on display here are staggering. It takes my breath away.

 

[helmutnotdead]

I just can't believe all the complaining and moaning that is going on on here.
The United States as a country has 5 million cases of Covid19, 180,000 deaths in 5 months and a crisis we haven't seen in generations. Black citizens are executed in the streets, racists have been emboldened by this administration, the industry is on the brink of a collapse, brands and companies are laying off people at a pace never seen before, and people are pouting because Scarlett Johannson is not on the September cover of Vogue. Hmkay.

The common thread for all the Conde Nast editions was Hope and they all approached the concept in different ways, struggling with different circumstances that changed country by country.
Vogue US decided to give exposure to fine artists, reminiscing of the beautiful Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930's and it's a nice choice for a change CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. So what? Take a deep breath and relax and just hope that things will go back to normal, if they ever will.

I read all the messages on here and I have seen the following words used multiple times: ugly, depressing, hate, desperation. The moderator of this thread referred to these covers as 'crap'. Some moderation.

Imagine if the artists selected by Vogue for this cover happened to read these messages. In a rare occasion when they are being given incredible exposure and recognition by one of the most important publications in the world a bunch of accomplished creative directors, art directors, EICs and stylists are tearing their work apart...Oh wait, you are none of that.

And there goes the Hope message.

The tone deafness, disrespect and the naiveté on display here are staggering. It takes my breath away.

you better get ready for the answers lol

 

[KoV]

Good to see US Vogue still has the power to illicit strong reactions, hundreds of comments, and spirited discussion.

 

[aracic]

The common thread for all the Conde Nast editions was Hope and they all approached the concept in different ways, struggling with different circumstances that changed country by country.
Vogue US decided to give exposure to fine artists, reminiscing of the beautiful Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930's and it's a nice choice for a change CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. So what? Take a deep breath and relax and just hope that things will go back to normal, if they ever will.

I read all the messages on here and I have seen the following words used multiple times: ugly, depressing, hate, desperation. The moderator of this thread referred to these covers as 'crap'. Some moderation.

First of all, I did say that art is subjective in one of my comments here and I subjectively disliked what Vogue had to offer this month. Did I express my opinions more harshly than neccessary? Yeah, maybe. But I still stand by my words, I hate the first cover and the second one... not so much, but I still disliked it because pandemic or no pandemic, this isn't what I hoped to see on the most important fashion issue of the year.
Second of all, so just because the artist might read my comments I'm supposed to sugarcoat it and pretend I like it? Please. Any self respecting artist would dread such lies. Of course this is an amazing opportunity for the artist and I think they should be very proud, but I still don't like their painting. And that's something that comes with the job! There will always be people who dislike certain things, so let's just agree to disagree because we clearly have a different taste here. You think this is a nice choice for a change considering the circumstances, I don't. So why is it so hard to accept?

If you're not satisfied with my moderating techniques, please do contact me privately and suggest what I might do to fix it. Seeing as you know so much about things, I'd be very happy to hear what you've got to say!

 

[avonlea002]

Vogue US decided to give exposure to fine artists, reminiscing of the beautiful Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930's

lol

I read all the messages on here and I have seen the following words used multiple times: ugly, depressing, hate, desperation. The moderator of this thread referred to these covers as 'crap'. Some moderation.

Imagine if the artists selected by Vogue for this cover happened to read these messages. In a rare occasion when they are being given incredible exposure and recognition by one of the most important publications in the world a bunch of accomplished creative directors, art directors, EICs and stylists are tearing their work apart...Oh wait, you are none of that.

And we dont have to.
As an artist you have to reckon with the fact that not everyone will like your work. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion and if you agree to publish in such an important magazine as vogue you must be ready for criticism. Artists who created these monstrosities are not 5 years old and I am pretty sure they won't cry because of negative comments posted here.

 

[PowerDroid]

Second of all, so just because the artist might read my comments I'm supposed to sugarcoat it and pretend I like it? Please. Any self respecting artist would dread such lies. Of course this is an amazing opportunity for the artist and I think they should be very proud, but I still don't like their painting. And that's something that comes with the job! There will always be people who dislike certain things, so let's just agree to disagree because we clearly have a different taste here. You think this is a nice choice for a change considering the circumstances, I don't. So why is it so hard to accept?

If you're not satisfied with my moderating techniques, please do contact me privately and suggest what I might do to fix it. Seeing as you know so much about things, I'd be very happy to hear what you've got to say!

I am not sure what you are referring to when you write 'Seeing as you know so much about things'. I am just expressing my opinion like everyone else claims to be doing here. I don't know more than you do.
'I hate this crap' is an opinion, sure. I am not in any way saying that you don't have the right to express your opinion but may I be allowed to comment on how childish, hurtful and dismissive it sounds? This is my opinion and is as valid as yours, I presume. Can we comment on opinions or opinions are totems?

Of course in a forum such as this one, we all have to assume that every message begins with, "in my opinion'....

lol

And we dont have to.
As an artist you have to reckon with the fact that not everyone will like your work. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion and if you agree to publish in such an important magazine as vogue you must be ready for criticism. Artists who created these monstrosities are not 5 years old and I am pretty sure they won't cry because of negative comments posted here.

Yeah, except when one deals with adults, one hopes for some constructive criticism.
' I have the right to my opinion' approach is so tired. We all do, it's about how you express yours that matters.

 

[conspicuousconsumer]

I just can't believe all the complaining and moaning that is going on on here.
The United States as a country has 5 million cases of Covid19, 180,000 deaths in 5 months and a crisis we haven't seen in generations. Black citizens are executed in the streets, racists have been emboldened by this administration, the industry is on the brink of a collapse, brands and companies are laying off people at a pace never seen before, and people are pouting because Scarlett Johannson is not on the September cover of Vogue. Hmkay.

The common thread for all the Conde Nast editions was Hope and they all approached the concept in different ways, struggling with different circumstances that changed country by country.
Vogue US decided to give exposure to fine artists, reminiscing of the beautiful Vogue covers of the 1920s and 1930's and it's a nice choice for a change CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. So what? Take a deep breath and relax and just hope that things will go back to normal, if they ever will.

I read all the messages on here and I have seen the following words used multiple times: ugly, depressing, hate, desperation. The moderator of this thread referred to these covers as 'crap'. Some moderation.

Imagine if the artists selected by Vogue for this cover happened to read these messages. In a rare occasion when they are being given incredible exposure and recognition by one of the most important publications in the world a bunch of accomplished creative directors, art directors, EICs and stylists are tearing their work apart...Oh wait, you are none of that.

And there goes the Hope message.

The tone deafness, disrespect and the naiveté on display here are staggering. It takes my breath away.

Hopefully I won’t come across too rude but the first thing I would like to say is some of us are editors and even those who are not but love magazines can still comment on the business without ever having worked in it.
For me personally when I think of the theme of Hope I think of great joy, smiling, bright, colorful. And while these covers have color on them they lack a sense of inspiring hope. That’s just me anyways. Are they bad pieces of art? Too me I wouldn’t but them in a museum or anything so I guess not in my opinion. I will say the second cover is much better than the first one. The first one is not great. I feel the way the artist painted the skin in particular lacks a sense of how to use and feature light in art.
And I for one would hate a cover of Scarlett at anytime just because of my personal preference for stunning models on the cover. Showing my age but I can but that preference aside, ever so begrudgingly, to have the cover feature someone of cultural significance.
I don’t think any of the comments are tone deaf just a different view of what hope means to them. And how they wish hope would be presented. Fashion is also art, albeit not lately, and just like the artwork on the cover it can create strong opinions as diverse as the paint colors presented in the piece.
What I’m very curious to see is in December with the ABC release is how many copies this will sell. Last year I think the September issue only sold 192,000 copies and they provided over 300,000 free copies to keep the appearance of their 1.5 million circulation. So that will be the real key indicator if this whole theme is perceived well and who knows may lead to more artistic covers. But I don’t have much “hope” for that.

 

[aracic]

'I hate this crap' is an opinion, sure. I am not in any way saying that you don't have the right to express your opinion but may I be allowed to comment on how childish, hurtful and dismissive it sounds? This is my opinion and is as valid as yours, I presume. Can we comment on opinions or opinions are totems?

Right. I admit I could've been more polite and elaborate in expressing my disliking of the cover. I'd edit it out of my original post, but that'd be pointless at this point.

 

[conspicuousconsumer]

Thing is, we are no longer the target audience of Vogue, more so the suits in Conde Nast. Considering how well received these are all over social media, I guess they'll see it as a success.

Lest we be reminded that we are at the dawn of the digital age. It might not happen soon, but all publishing houses see their future in digital. You won't survive in the digital world if you don't catch up with what the users like - political correctness.

Hate political correctness in fashion magazines for all you want, but the next generation of readers (physically or digitally) prioritize political correctness above all else (rightfully so).

The time has come wherein a magazine, more so a fashion magazine, will not survive if it chooses to void itself from the realities of life.

Good luck selling a magazine with a pro lifer/all lives matter/birther supporter on the cover. Even if you put them in head to toe couture, you'd be dragged to filth even before the issue gets released.

TBH I expect that there will come a time wherein Vogue will start boycotting certain brands because there are issues on certain brands' use of "unpaid labor" and the people have called it out and called for action. I see it happening.


How Farnetti foreshadowed the entirety of 2020 in his January issue is insane.

Everything you’ve said inspired dread and despair for me. And I honestly think the top head honcho big wigs at Condé Nast are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They don’t know what direction to go in and who to market it to. The company was much more successful when the magazines were treated like individuals and not some giant bubble with a united front on everything. I also would argue that I think they are losing their core audiences not because the audience themselves aren’t buying magazines (although the price increase in newsstand and the price of one page is ridiculous and whoever thought of that knew they were killing the magazine) but because they can’t relate to some 19 year old musician who sings in a depressing tone while wearing custom Chanel. And then the young ones who do find that enthralling aren’t exactly going to pay $10 for something that is splattered all over social media for free. Another problem for Vogue is the use of social media. I think they need to re-evaluate that medium for them. Just my two cents for what its worth.

 

[reesewu]

I’ve said this before on this forum and I’m gonna say it again: the digital advertising revenue matters. Sure, magazines can still cater to the people who buy them but the ad pages bought by the likes of LVMH and Kering will not be enough to cover the luxurious life expense of the powers that be at Conde Nast. They need revenues from advertisers who now believe more in the dominance of Google Display Network and Facebook. Hence why what is being put on the magazines should mirror what is going on online. It wouldn’t surprise me if every meeting they have when discussing about upcoming issues would start with “what are we going to do online?” first before bringing up anything related to the pages of the magazine.

 

[TomFordforGucci]

The tone deafness, disrespect and the naiveté on display here are staggering.

Or any posts with Edward Enninful or Virgil... and the recent Elle thread with Cardi. Members here claim they dislike fake/woke diversity or inclusivity but they were pretty silent over the last decades of white models and actresses on fashion media.

Cant wait to get this, first September issue I’ll buy since 2015 with Beyoncé.

 

[crmsn]

Aurora's cover is actually a grower.

 

[TZ001]

320 pages