Vogue Italia November 2024 : Lana Del Rey by Steven Meisel

[penny609]

I just... hate... modern... Meisel... so... much...

I just... echo your words.

There might be no bad picture, there's nothing worth getting excited or thrilled at all. Not a tiny little bit.

He used to be one of the greatest storytellers in the page of the old, old version of this very same magazine. Now it's just... I don't know. I can't dislike but I'll have it all forgotten within the next five minutes and for the rest of my life.

That's just lazy from him. It's like old singers/actors/whatever kind of artists getting seriously old, having no inspiration left, no ideas anymore. And that's blatantly dishonest from the magazine : just put Steven Meisel's name on the cover and a five-page editorial (to keep nostalgia running wild in our mellow hearts) and expect it to sell better than something more creative baring an unknown name at the bottom end of the page.

 

[Legolas]

Well, if we get over the fact 2007 colorful and experimental Meisel is dead and now every single campaign and cover looks just like this. I'm taking it still. Every single bit of it. What a time to be alive: Lana getting her biggest fashion moment + cover is gorgeous + all the Lasso updates. 1st Vogue Italia issue I'll be getting since forever.

 

[penny609]

Well, if we get over the fact 2007 colorful and experimental Meisel is dead and now every single campaign and cover looks just like this. I'm taking it still. Every single bit of it. What a time to be alive: Lana getting her biggest fashion moment + cover is gorgeous + all the Lasso updates. 1st Vogue Italia issue I'll be getting since forever.

Totally see what you mean and just saw his latest campaign for Lanvin (I like it better than this series, by the way).
But I'm not even asking for something in bold colors and I have no hopes for something both experimental and truly interesting.
And as I already said, there is no picture I dislike here...
But,
they use the codes of the old version of VI and rely on Steven Meisel's name. It almost looks like some pastiche of his own past works. You can immediately recognize the style, the touch, and they made the cover look like old issues of Franca's Vogue.
Without the twist, the spark, the soul. Which were what really mattered and remain what I expect when I read Meisel and Vogue Italia back to back in the same sentence.
I know these days are the days of watered-down, toned-down contents (and covers) when it comes to fashion magazines. Minimal effort became the rule. But in terms of visual experience, this is even worse than watered-down. As pretty as the pictures are, and as much as I do actually like those people involved in this cover and series.

 

[ivano]

I still like it. I don't know the whole story about why he's doing studio shoots, no one knows, but if there's some sort of limitation for him, and this is the only thing he can do now, I celebrate he still working. I'm loyal fan, my opinion will be always by his side (except those Anna Sui's ads, ha). I have a deep respect and admiration for this man, part of his team over the years, and Franca Sozzani. When I have enough (and there's lots of reasons, personal or not) I look back to the archive to enjoy the beauty of his work. I do the same, but not so often, with Lindbergh and Ritts. I feel good again, I discover something new from the old stuff.

 

[MModa]

I still like it. I don't know the whole story about why he's doing studio shoots, no one knows, but if there's some sort of limitation for him, and this is the only thing he can do now, I celebrate he still working. I'm loyal fan, my opinion will be always by his side (except those Anna Sui's ads, ha). I have a deep respect and admiration for this man, part of his team over the years, and Franca Sozzani. When I have enough (and there's lots of reasons, personal or not) I look back to the archive to enjoy the beauty of his work. I do the same, but not so often, with Lindbergh and Ritts. I feel good again, I discover something new from the old stuff.

I agree with you. These days, I feel like Meisel comes out of his comfort zone for Zara and Dolce & Gabbana more.

 

[blueorchid]

Meh. I think it's even worse to give an established photographer a pass for poor work than a new talent, in all honesty. If you've lost it, you've lost it. It's so funny to me that people act like every half-a*sed editorial Meisel creates is worthwhile, yet have fun tearing Annie Leibovitz to shreds (putting her name out there as a photographer with a long career who still gets work). Culturally, she's just as important (maybe more) as Meisel and people don't go soft on her, yet people go soft on Meisel. It's weird.

 

[jeremydante]

The got it SO right. Welcome back, Meisel to VI.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Wonder if she’s going to do a DG campaign now. I can see that happening in the near future.

 

[tigerrouge]

Meh. I think it's even worse to give an established photographer a pass for poor work than a new talent, in all honesty. If you've lost it, you've lost it.

I don't think he's 'lost it' as much as it's Meisel-by-numbers in a world where the best decades of fashion magazine photography are behind us, but if people are still willing to throw money at him, they'll get the basic package in return.

It's was same with Helmut Newton at the end of his career, I seem to remember he was happily admitting he was putting out work that was recognisably "Helmut Newton" for anyone who was happy to pay his rates, but he wasn't doing it for the art. Those days were long gone.

 

[ivano]

Oranges and apples. They are so different. So many people like more Annie. Others Meisel. There's a group that puts Lindbergh above. Different styles, work, etc. Even Lana is a celeb, Steven is more a fashion one. Annie's work with fashion models is rare. I like a lot her work for Vanity Fair in the 90s and 2000s. But they're so different. Annie didn't made the cover of Vogue Italia for 30 years consecutive. She didn't made those legendary Prada, Versace,Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana (and more) ads from the late 90s to the mid/late 2000. She didn't pushed the career of the biggest female pop star, Madonna (even she made legendary work with other musicians for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair). Steven is a model photographer, and the ones that are devoted to fashion (well, most), and didn't enjoy Avendon or Penn golden days because they're young, i'm sure they like Meisel or Peter (or even Bruce Weber, if you're into male subjects). Some others like more Testino that played nice with both subjects. It's a matter of taste. Both Leibovitz and Meisel are legendary, and I'm glad both still working in the Industry. It's not a sexism/cultural choice. Meisel's work in the past is so rich, diverse, there's almost no cultural topic he didn't made. Worked with almost the most important supermodels and top models of the last 40 years. Linda, Kate, Gisele, Naomi, Christy, Claudia, Amber, Stella... I won't trash him for fun or because it's today's sport. If you talk sh*t about someone I admire and made my life in many aspects, I will stay up for that person forever, and I will like more what he's doing. I won't change my mind. Feels like talking sh*t about a friend, or close family behind them, I won't do that.

 

[blueorchid]

Well, that’s the definition of a “parasocial” relationship, as gen z likes to say.

When I brought up Annie, I meant that more people criticize her current lazy work than Meisel’s lazy photography. Neither are any worse than the other. It’s just wild to me that people still act like his photography is worthwhile, when it looks like Luigi & Iango on a bad day now. People act like a lazy editorial by Meisel is a gift from god, when anyone could and many do imitate his style. What does he offer that his imitators can’t? It’s so soullless.

 

[Alquimista]

Bad cover. Her face looks weird.

 

[Alquimista]

Very sick and tired of this styling too. The headscarf, the old lady clothes. We need some modern elegance please.

 

[Xone]

if at least they deliver longer cover stories to worth buying it...but not even that....they did that in half day? lol

The other story is not even worth mention it...

 

[Plax]

The time has really changed. The budget for editorials is drastically dropped in last 15 years. After instagream appeared, they are spending all the money to make their digital campaigns, and they don't give the money to the print publications as they did in the past. In same time, print publications made lots of positions that nobody knows what they are really doing while getting paid enourmous money.

Currently, younger potographers are not even working for free. They are spending enourmous money to produce a editorial for magazines. Not like younger photograhpers, he won't spend his money, and he might get payed little bit. However, It wouldn't be not like that it was. Also, he would have 1 or 2 days for shooting, and for sure, it's not enough for trying something new. (25 years ago, it would have been a week or two weeks for the main editorial I guess.)

Nobody wants to work with with zero reward. Also, he's really established, and he doesn't need to prove anything. He will get bunch of commercial works anyway too even he doesn't do any editorials.

 

[blueorchid]

It’s fine that he has nothing to prove, but have a bit of pride in the quality of your work…

 

[aracic]

It’s fine that he has nothing to prove, but have a bit of pride in the quality of your work…

But the photographs are objectively great. You may find them boring, but you can't tell me his studio portraits don't capture the best of his subjects at all times.

 

[blueorchid]

They’re fine. I just hate that this is what people get excited about nowadays. What is he doing here that any one of his imitators can’t?