The only story I really enjoy is Caroline's and even then I would say that it would be a stronger shoot overall minus 2 or so images that drag the feel down just a bit. I think that the creative direction of the magazine is really lacking lately. For me Vogue Russia under Aliona was one of the top tier Vogues, there were hits and misses, but it could always be counted on for unique content with a distinctive point of view. A lot of this current issue seems either passe or just tacky. I don't know anything about the cover subject, so I cannot speak about her personality, but I do think that she could have been styled and shot in a way that was more fashionable. I think at this point in time the whole gold Balmainia has been done to death and isn't interesting anymore. The inside shots are equally dull - if you're going to showcase someone new (or new for Vogue) you have to show a side of them that is visually appealing.
As much as I adore Francois Nars, the Iris editorial also falls into the realm of tacky for me, everything is so over the top and excessive that you can't enjoy the individual parts of the story.