Vogue Japan January 2020 : Grace Elizabeth & Anok Yai by Nick Knight

[StockholmFW]

'The Roses of Fall'



Photographer: Nick Knight
Models: Grace Elizabeth, Anok Yai
Stylist: Sarajane Hoare
Make-up: Lisa Eldridge
Hair stylist: Sam McKnight
Nails: Adam Slee
Set designer: Andrew Tomlinson
Casting director: Piergiorgio Del Moro



nextmanagement

 

[phungnam96]

classic Nick Knight

 

[caioherrero]

So beautiful

 

[Lola701]

I love this cover only because I know it will look super luscious on print.
The colors might be a little bit weird on digital but the richness of the whole thing will be amazing IRL.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ I dig the cover for the blatant fact that it’s not another cold, blank Giampaolo department-store portrait. That man has no business shooting women since he only comes alive when he’s shooting men.

Very pretty and dreamy shoot but also very recycled Nick Knight signature circa-2010. Nick seems to be stuck in a rut like many of the photographers his generation (if they're still around and not canceled). Still, I’d prefer to see this than any of the so-called new guard Collier/Tylor/Ethan— or worse, Txema/Solve. Just on principle alone.

(Grace is such a classic beauty and Anok [thank goodness it’s not Adut— the most boring model in the world] is so unrealistically graphic like a carved sculpture, that they don’t compliment one another. An Asian model with equally sharp and graphic features would have looked stunning alongside Anok. But VJ has always had an aversion to Asian models for their covers, so here we are.)

 

[Benn98]

Anok [thank goodness it’s not Adut— the most boring model in the world]

You have it them other way around, surely. Lol.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Frankly, both women don’t seem to care to make much-- if any, of an effort in their modelling. But these are the days of mediocre “talent" in every aspect of the industry passing as the top of the game… Even Tyra would feign her best faux-outrage at these two for coasting by on their looks. At least Anok is unbelievably statuesque stunning to look at.

Just 10 years ago— not even in the days of the Supers, models did actually make the effort to be expressive and challenged into various personas when they'd shoot. I remember seeing a young and not quite world-famous-yet model going from smouldering to playful in a moment’s notice— and all in one take without any guidance. And she expressed this range in her best angles without dropping a frame. She was hardworking, joyful, considerate and completely down-to-earth. I adored Edita from that moment on.

These days, Anok standing there looking blankly— but beautifully blank, is... good enough.

 

[Lola701]

^^
But it’s not their fault...
Those models are a bit the « products of their time ». With minimalism, came in the 2010’s a certain approach to modeling. Suddenly less was more and the lookbook aesthetic started to be more present.
I also have to say that the fact that the indie magazine aesthetic became the new mainstream influences that transition in modeling.
The Art of storytelling has really changed in magazines.

I always say that Binx is my favorite model of this era. Most if not all of her work is literally standing there, doing absolutely nothing and looking cool, fabulous and unbothered. It’s not even a surprise that she became the face of Celine for so many seasons!

The problem is not really Adut or Anok. But I must say that Anok is more impressive on her photos on IG or on shows that she is in print.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ No, of course it’s not their fault. They’re a product of the times.

These are the days of mediocrity-- from magazine editors and their (un)creative teams, to hyped bland photographers, to gimmicky basic designers; It’s only fitting that models aren’t required to do much and expectations of any performance from them are non-existent, other than to stand there— since the people leading this so-called new guard wouldn’t know what to actually do to create the brand of strong fashion vision that leaves an impact for the future of this industry. Nothing of this fashion era will be any influence to a future generation. Anok and Binx are gorgeous women, but like the majority of the new model army (... and new designers, new photographers etc), they won’t be remembered at all.

(When we talk about lowered expectations in these mediocre days, just look at that insult that is the Prada x Adidas collab. She couldn’t show that she couldn’t care any less about standards these days. These are the times.)

 

[Phuel]

(I’m sure Benn or aracic will be posting the stories shortly. Meanwhile...)

There are 3 solid fashions stories: Nick’s, (the always reliable) Jiro Konani’s “It Happened In Marrakech”— which feels and looks like the type of dreamy rich-woman-lost-in-Morocco-wearing-YSL story that American Vogue would do back in the 80s, and surprise surprise, a solid offering from Collier, “When New York Finds Paris” advertorial for— surprise surprise, Vuitton: Who knew someone of her meager talent could salvage such ugly designs into a solid shoot (and even looks more interesting than the current Vuitton campaign)... And then there is one by Walter Chin which looks like crippling-depression-as-a-fashion-story. He has nothing to contribute to fashion anymore— not like he ever really did. His effort is so painfully lacking nowadays, even in this age amongst such lacklustre photographers.

(Now if only they'd bother to hire an AD who knows the basics of design theory so that the rest of the mag doesn't resemble any given Asian tabloid rag with its ugly over-crammed layout of thumbnails..)

 

[anlabe32]

They don't make a good pair at all.

 

[Benn98]

It Happened in Marrakech

Photographer: Jiro Konami
Stylist: Saori Masuda
Hair: Yoko Setoyama
Makeup: Kathinka Gernant
Cast: Ellen Rosa




Vogue Japan Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

Tux Deluxe

Photographer: Walter Chin
Stylist: Aurora Sansone
Hair: Gabriela Trezzi
Makeup: Lucia Cianciolo
Manicure: Annarel Innocente
Cast: Naomi Chin Wing



Vogue Japan Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

Vogue Beauty: Time For Party Hair

Photographer: Warren Du Preez & Nick Thornton Jones
Stylist: Vanessa Metz
Hair: Martin Cullen
Makeup: Andrew Gallimore
Manicure: Robbie Thomkins
Cast: Maggie Maurer




Vogue Japan Digital Edition

 

[Nomar]

What a weak cover and bad way to start the year for VJ. It just looks like some generic beauty campaign.

 

[Benn98]

(I’m sure Benn or aracic will be posting the stories shortly. Meanwhile...)

There are 3 solid fashions stories: Nick’s, (the always reliable) Jiro Konani’s “It Happened In Marrakech”— which feels and looks like the type of dreamy rich-woman-lost-in-Morocco-wearing-YSL story that American Vogue would do back in the 80s, and surprise surprise, a solid offering from Collier, “When New York Finds Paris” advertorial for— surprise surprise, Vuitton: Who knew someone of her meager talent could salvage such ugly designs into a solid shoot (and even looks more interesting than the current Vuitton campaign)... And then there is one by Walter Chin which looks like crippling-depression-as-a-fashion-story. He has nothing to contribute to fashion anymore— not like he ever really did. His effort is so painfully lacking nowadays, even in this age amongst such lacklustre photographers.

(Now if only they'd bother to hire an AD who knows the basics of design theory so that the rest of the mag doesn't resemble any given Asian tabloid rag with its ugly over-crammed layout of thumbnails..)

The Collier story is something that has been spread across CN magazines for the past month or so. So in short, just Vuitton's vomitous commercialism in full force. But I'm more amazed that you've endorsed the UK Marie Claire travel edit masquerading as something of substance. I mean, that 'picnic by myself on the rooftop' shot couldn't be more styled if it tried.

There is some sort of soft redesign happening in the magazine with the page borders being overhauled, and a light blue font popping up randomly, but Vogue Japan's biggest problem is still the way the magazine is laid out. It's such a mixed-bag of everything at the same time with zero flow, and as much collages as they can possibly manage. Fashion, celebrities, products, beauty, food, all crammed in 10 pages. You'd think with the Japanese being such arbiters of taste and above all else, minimalism, they'd apply that to their visuals as well? It seems people like this magazine in its cluttered state.

 

[FashionMuseDior]

Both girls make a lovely duo. I don't like how overly retouched the cover looks but the editorial makes up for it

 

[Phuel]

^^^ The covershot doesn’t match the story at all. What was the strategy behind this…??? (It’s like getting a classic Birkin in a Kenneth Cole shopping bag…)

The Collier story is something that has been spread across CN magazines for the past month or so. So in short, just Vuitton's vomitous commercialism in full force. But I'm more amazed that you've endorsed the UK Marie Claire travel edit masquerading as something of substance. I mean, that 'picnic by myself on the rooftop' shot couldn't be more styled if it tried.

There is some sort of soft redesign happening in the magazine with the page borders being overhauled, and a light blue font popping up randomly, but Vogue Japan's biggest problem is still the way the magazine is laid out. It's such a mixed-bag of everything at the same time with zero flow, and as much collages as they can possibly manage. Fashion, celebrities, products, beauty, food, all crammed in 10 pages. You'd think with the Japanese being such arbiters of taste and above all else, minimalism, they'd apply that to their visuals as well? It seems people like this magazine in its cluttered state.

Collier is the best of that worst crew of photographers this era. She’s like a Pat Benatar or Cyndi Lauper video from the mid-80s: Overall tacky AF, but there are some glimpses of genuine attitude and mood that all three women have randomly hit upon while cluelessly stumbling around on-set. (Have you suffered through Luke Evan’s version of Pat’s “Love Is A Battlefield”??? Makes you appreciate her OG version and video just on principle alone.) It’s the same reason I’ll reluctantly choose Collier over the likes of Tyler/Ethan/Roe. She represents this vapid/creatively-void but overall-pretentious era best. I don’t know if that’s an endorsement or just apathy at this point. Just that she can somewhat make Nicolas’ increasingly trolling designs not look completely hideous is deserving enough of some faint praise on her part.

As for the Jiro shoot (who's efforts are usually solid If I don’t make an attempt at squinting really really really hard to make the best of this era’s ANTM-level of “talent”, then I may as well pack up give up on this industry— especially when going through the still-stunning VI of mid-90/2000 vintage section of this forum... That Valentino Holiday promo with Joan Collins and kidz is enough to genuinely draw out a weeping session of just how cheap, shallow and high school AV club everything looks these days. So yes, Jiro’s carefully-laid-out-picnic is better than that. (Although why is there that lone B&W shot left in amongst all the colourful shots is sort of hilarious in just how lacking in common sense the AD/Editor of a Vogue is… It’s like including a motion-blurred shot in a story that’s all sharp in its photographic focus.)

 

[tjasmine]

Stunning!

 

[Vini]

Viva Ellen