Vogue Japan October 2023 : Mona Tougaard by Hugo Comte

[PowerDroid]

When was it announced that Ethan James Green is Meisel's successor? I missed that announcement. Is it official?

Too bad. I think EJM doesn't have an ounce of Meisel's talent, but that's a personal opinion of course. His best work is in a bare studio, captured in black & white. I think understanding color is more complex and results can be messier. So far, I haven't seen a decent EJG story in color, especially on location. One could take Steven Meisel & team to Florida, in the middle of a hurricane, hang him upside down from his ankles, and leave, and he would still come back with something good... lol. The other guy, not so sure.

As for Comte, sometimes it's not a budget thing but a personal, subjective preference that informs the retouching, the lighting, the camera exposure. I am guessig that the skin tone in this shoot is mostly altered by the camera exposure and lighting setup. You may have noticed that all the white garments have no details, and that's because of the contrast, they appear flat, and the black and white pictures are also highly contrasted. So everythng is tuned up a notch starting from the set: colors, contrast, lights..
A studio shoot on a cyclorama with no props will incur similar costs for Comte as it would for EJG so I don't know if Meisel-on-a-budgets applies here, unless you are implying that Comte's taste is cheap. That's a different story.
Anyone could be described as Meisel on a budget anyway because Meisel's budgets are beyond lol.

 

[Urban Stylin]

I dont mind these at all, theres a vintage element that works.

 

[FashionFanatico]

I don't see any Meisel in these pictures.

You must be joking, no?

This is really on the edge of plagiarism.

vogue.com

 

[Cocteau Stone]

The cover is a bit Avedon for Vogue in the 80s, maybe a little bit of Bill King.

Comte's over exposure and amateur photoshopping leaves Mona looking sickly. Skin lightening is gonna happen with the chosen set up but it also serves up a look of anemia and liver disease. She's also already a rather gormless model, so this just further accentuates it too.

 

[balmain1914]

whitening skin is a typical Japan-ish approach.
tons of skincare in japan here is about whiteining.
sad to see such an output

 

[avonlea002]

You must be joking, no?

This is really on the edge of plagiarism.

View attachment 1234702 View attachment 1234703 vogue.com

You must be trolling, no?

 

[tigerrouge]

"Plagiarism was Meisel's middle name" etc etc.

 

[aracic]

There was a brief moment in time where Comte's work kind of clicked with me - and then suddenly he fell off. It's not that it's entirely terrible - we've all seen worse - but it's not very good either. The cover has potential, I believe I'd have to see it in person to make final judgement but I actually like the portrait. Editorial previews are rather messy and I don't care for most of the photos - in fact, the only other photo that I like is that wide cover outtake in the yellow coat. It's a stunning portrait, and the two images are direct imitation of Meisel. Yes, I'm sure references could be drawn directly back to Avedon, but frankly I don't care.

When imitating better artists, flawless execution is key and Comte doesn't have that. It's no great compliment to say that this isn't the worst I've seen this month.

 

[tigerrouge]

Looking through this issue - the first time I've looked at this edition in years - it's sad to see that it's also now overrun with reprints, but on the other hand, they manage to incorporate the stories in a more varied way.

Yes, you have Anok and her sister - but only a few shots from that story. You have the Kim Kardashian Vogue Italia cover shoot and the supermodels story, but placed nearer the back of the issue. You have the Grace Elizabeth reprint from US Vogue and the Country House reprint from UK Vogue - but these reprints are interspersed with lots of pages devoted to high fashion jewellery and their own content.

 

[phungnam96]

You must be joking, no?

This is really on the edge of plagiarism.

View attachment 1234702 View attachment 1234703 vogue.com

That was lazy Meisel doing 90s-2000s Avedon. You could try harder

 

[Lola701]

Meisel has a particular light, a particular glow he gives through the make-up…
You cannot mistake these Vogue Japan for Meisel in a way you could mistake some Meisel from Avedon (even though they have a very different lighting too).

 

[vogue28]

The best, most glamorous and most high-fashion cover of Vogue Japan, in what feels like forever! Not even a massive Mona Tougaard fan, but she is selling me this to no end. Obsessed with how polished and poised the cover image is, it's perfect IMO. There's also not one single shot from Mona's cover story that I dislike. More than fabulous!

I do see a little Steven Meisel in this, with a splash of Nick Knight, which is perhaps why I'm so into it!

 

[theEndOfEverything]

Ok I am resurrecting this thread because it's 2024 and sh*t is getting out of hand.
Genuine question; Are these images from Carlijn Jacobs plagiarism? Does plagiarism exist in the fashion industry in 2024? Do we care about fashion history and it's pioneers? Some of this work from the 70s is now considered art, and in galleries. Examples: from left to right, the first three images are from the 1970s by Guy Boudin and Irving Penn. The next three on the right are from Carlijn Jacobs circa 2021: Album — Postimages

 

[phungnam96]

^ I would call that poor imitation. Carlijn Jacobs, Hugo Comte and all the current Pinterest-career-based photographers have no real style and it will go out of trend real quick.

 

[Lola701]

Ok I am resurrecting this thread because it's 2024 and sh*t is getting out of hand.
Genuine question; Are these images from Carlijn Jacobs plagiarism? Does plagiarism exist in the fashion industry in 2024? Do we care about fashion history and it's pioneers? Some of this work from the 70s is now considered art, and in galleries. Examples: from left to right, the first three images are from the 1970s by Guy Boudin and Irving Penn. The next three on the right are from Carlijn Jacobs circa 2021: Album — Postimages


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Oh you was the one commenting on the posts.
It’s like copy in design.
Of course those are copies but I don’t think her doing her versions of the images she loves is a reflection of her photography style.

Meisel has spent years copying his masters but what makes a Meisel image is the photography style.

You can copy Penn’s concept but not Penn’s POV.

 

[WinstonH20]

Ok I am resurrecting this thread because it's 2024 and sh*t is getting out of hand.
Genuine question; Are these images from Carlijn Jacobs plagiarism? Does plagiarism exist in the fashion industry in 2024? Do we care about fashion history and it's pioneers? Some of this work from the 70s is now considered art, and in galleries. Examples: from left to right, the first three images are from the 1970s by Guy Boudin and Irving Penn. The next three on the right are from Carlijn Jacobs circa 2021: Album — Postimages


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You can copy Penn’s concept but not Penn’s POV.

But without a distinct point of view, what value does one have as an artist? Sure, I can tell what work Carlijn likes as a photographer, but not who she is? The same goes for Ethan James Green and Hugo Comte. Okay, you both love Meisel (don't we all?) and....? That's really all I get from their work, a surface level interpretation of the people they look up to. On the flip side, one could also argue that any sense of 'artistry' in the field of fashion photography is a non-starter in 2024, in which case their success makes perfect sense.

True, Meisel also references (sometimes copies) his heroes, but the broad scope of his references (from fashion photography, cinema, art and performance art) and the meticulous execution in his work reveals something about the man, his restless mind and his love for the history and craft of fashion and fashion photography itself. It goes deeper than a "oh, he likes Avedon, he likes Penn"....he truly understands what made their work so captivating at the time and he has constantly been able to re-contextualise said qualities into his own work, resulting in work that has always felt fresh and relevant for its time. Not so much these days, but he's in the late stage of his career, so I no longer expect as much, but to lump Meisel in with Carlijn and Ethan as copycats (I know you aren't necessarily saying this Lola) ignores the extraordinarily inventive and prolific career he has had, that none of his masters could ever match and none of his disciples seem to truly grasp.

As you said, you can copy all the surface elements like lighting and retouching, even an idea, but you can't copy a point of view, a vision and a way of seeing which I've yet to discern from the newer generations of photographers. All style, very little substance. Then again, that's fashion in the age of social media for you.

 

[tomtakesphotos]

the bar is just lower now.. if CJ or EJG can manage a good beautiful photo published its a cause for celebration, if the tastemakers that be embrace their mode of 'trying' albeit with direct references rather than the taste du jour which is to regurgitate the style of juergen teller or mark borthwick then.. we should be thankful, as fashion/magazine fans.. thats sadly where the bar is period

i dont think its fair to say CJ or EGJ don't have a distinct vision-- EJG portraits in the park, queer, diane arbus etc he was the protege of david armstrong, his work is very beautiful he definitely has a sense for light, style etc. i think his studio stuff and that recent hunter story was just too sinking into a meisel pastiche, look at like his WSJ stories to see he is a great talent

CJ's work is sexy and colorful and fun-- sorely lacking things in this moment, so, let her flourish please-- its a lot of bourdin etc references, done a little more on the nose than even m&m did but its loveable and u know its hers when u see it so, i liked her agent provocateur ads, her vogue paris covers are nice etc