This issue is way stronger than their September issue. Go figure.
Collier’s story is surprisingly solid. There’s just one shot of Alicia in camp cowgirl gear that’s really hideous. The remainder of the 10-page story is… good… Even with the full-on Vuitton advertorial wardrobe. The best are the 2-page spreads that lend a cinematic feel, a sort of Gus’s Even Cowgirls Get The Blues sort of nostalgia. Why the worst shot gets the cover, I’ll never understand this editor.
Having just watched her Tomb Raider, where despite how forgettable the movie is, she does look absolutely smouldering and sexy AF in every shot. It baffles me how frumpy, limp and just plain uninterested she consistently looks in these fashion shoots. She looks like she’s sabotaging her every frame. Was she blackmailed into the Vuitton contract and fashion? But with his shoot, Alicia actually looks like she’s enjoying herself— unlike the dreadful French ELLE shoot.
Another strong story is Tokyo Backstreet with Fernanda and Karolin by Juergen, and it is surprisingly good. It feels like old-school Juergen from the mid-90s, when he would shoot for Liz's Bazaar: Direct and simple, but full of presence. This story sages seamlessly into A Butterfly In Autumn by Jiro Konami, who always produces VJ’s more gorgeous stories. And this is no exception with 2 Asian models retelling the timeless Madame Butterfly epic, just in the backstreets of Tokyo under neon lights.
I'm impressed.