THE VOGUE disaster

"seductive" Iris Strubegger on the cover of German Vogue,
naturally not a word about her in the magazine -
that would have cost some journalistic effort, and
that's definitely not on the radar of the magazine's, uhm, "editor"

... I'm sorry but this time round the DISASTER that German Vogue is month after month after month really makes me want to comment. You know, to cut a long story short (and the same goes for Vogue Paris, naturally), when you pick a former "fashion director" (more often than not, in the case of a glossy magazine, that will be the stylist in charge of the fashion editorial spreads that define a title's characteristic "aesthetic"...) as future EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, you're just not in for a good MAGAZINE - as in: a periodical publication that doesn't only consist of IMAGES but also contains some WRITTEN STORIES that surpass the length of a DOUBLE PAGE and transport an overall editorial vision. I mean, I don't know where Christiane Arp thinks she is taking the magazine (I can tell you and her: to meaningless and endlessly boring realms) but it has nothing whatsoever to do with magazines like US VOGUE or (American) VANITY FAIR (or even British or Spanish Vogue, as for that - I do actually like Spanish Vogue a lot!) which are excellent examples of how a magazine can content those readers that are looking for beautiful images as well as INTERESTING STORIES. And yes, dear "editors", these readers still exist and I even think that those people who actually bother to go to the newsstand (or send in a subscription-postcard) and buy a magazine instead of just browsing through the latest pick-and-mix of fashion news on the web are exactly the same people that want to READ comprehensive, intelligent, witty articles. Hello? Yes, that IS an option. Instead of being presented with one-page-features about the latest must-haves blah blah blah. You know, I'm not particularly keen on being fed endless "news" about celebrity weddings BUT let's just take the September issue of German Vogue and of American Vogue as an example: both feature newly wed supermodels on the cover and whereas Kate Moss is presented in a portrait in the American version, German Vogue, uhm, "forgets" about Iris Strubegger's wedding? I mean, OF COURSE Mrs Arp had to clear some space for the obligatory two pages dedicated to KARL LAGERFELD in German Vogue (believe me, he's in there every month, sure as hell - more often than not as the "talented" photographer that he is, ahum). Clearly, Condé Nast's directory board must know the reasons why they go for people like Arp or Emmanuelle Alt, or even Sozzani in Italy (I think that Vera Montanari does an excellent job with Mondadori's flair magazine in Italy by telling the stories that the "artsy" industry magazine, Vogue Italia, leaves untold), maybe it's easier to leave the advertising clients satisfied with plentiful beautiful colourful images galore, but come on... And I don't say that everything Juliet Joan Buck (recently taken on board by Dasha for Garage magazine) does or did was good, but I think that the editor-in-chief of a renowned magazine (such as French Vogue, in Buck's case) should have a far-reaching vision for a lifestyle magazine, and one that does go beyond the fashion spreads and trend pages a fashion magazine OBVIOUSLY has to contain. It just shouldn't be all about that, should it ...

FASHIONABLE commitment

... now there you go. Anna Wintour shows off the political side of her self by appearing in a spot commissioned by the Human Rights Campain for Marriage Equality in New York. Naturally, it makes one sick to read some of the comments left on the Youtube site since obviously some people still think that it would be the end of the world to allow homosexual people to marry. No comment. Anna W., who ever since "September Issue" and, possibly even more so, "The Devil Wears Prada" is a well-known reference in contemporary popular culture (even though it's always a bit diffcult to judge that from an inside-fashion view), will for sure contribute to some heads being turned. And that's a good thing. What was all that talk about her allegedly being supposed to join Obama's government as an embassador to London? Maybe there is a tiny little political vein somewhere in Anna's sinuous body? As long as she channels her concerns and ambitions for a good and reasonable cause, that's fine with me ...

well, the Tent isn't really New York's fashion hot spot number one any more, but never mind that ...

... alors vous voilà une vraie petite délice : Anna Wintour, la fameuse Mrs. W, oui, la rédactrice-en-chef qui réussit à inviter le président des Etats-Unis à dîner chez elle un soir, a prêté son visage à l'association HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIN en faveur du droit au mariage pour les couples homosexuels à New York (avec son joli petit accent britannique que j'adore). "Dire oui, je veux, c'est aussi important que le droit de voter", dit elle. Eh ben ouais, pourquoi pas ? C'est court, et c'est pointu, et ce n'en est pas moins vrai. Inutile d'ajouter qu'il y a de nombreux pas très jolis commentaires laissés à l'adresse de la vidéo sur le site de YouTube, et cela va sans dire que je ne comprends pas, vraiment, je me vois dans l'incapacité la plus totale de comprendre pourquoi quelqu'un pourrait avoir un problème avec le fait que deux femmes ou deux hommes ou deux trans-gendres puissent avoir envie de se marier, mais voilà tout, c'est clair que de tels gens existent, et en grand nombre. Bon, au moins, Anna W. s'adresse à la fashion community pour y laisser son message, et c'est certainement une belle initiative de sa part ...

ANNA doppelganging CARINE

... peu s'en faut pour qu'on puisse se voir incité à penser à ANNA KARENINA ou encore ANNA KARINA, en s'ingéniant à deviner qui pourrait suivre à Carine Roitfeld dans le poste qu'elle vient d'abandonner chez Vogue Paris. Commencent à courir des bruits, et en effet : pourquoi pas Anna dello Russo, hein ? Au moins, cela ajouterait une dimension intéressante au concours transatlantique, Anna vs Anna désormais, et le monde latin resterait représenté dans cet intéressant de jeu (lo stile italiano remplaçant le savoir-vivre à la française). Même si, et c'est là, peut-être, le point essentiel de l'affaire, j'ai du mal à imaginer pour de vrai qu'Anna, après tout omniprésente dans tous les blogs, après tout depuis peu parmi les vedettes qui vendent leur propre parfum, après tout quelqu'un de très intimement lié à la nouvelle culture en-ligne de la mode, puisse effectivement occuper ce poste infiniment important dans la mode ? Mais vous savez quoi : tant que ce n'est pas Bryan Boy qui s'impose (ni en tant que version modifiée de André Leon Talley, d'ailleurs), je me tais et suis tout content...

... è possibile, oramai, che il gioco Anna (W.) vs. Carine (R.) sia sostituito da una nuova versione, Anna (W.) vs. Anna (d.R.), per ciò che si tratta della gara transatlantica tra Vogue US e Vogue Paris (tutto, s'intende, perfettamente messo in scena da tutte le persone interessate, per aggiungere un po' di pepe alla faccenda)? Comuque, corre voce che Anna dello Russo potrebbe occupare tra poco il posto che Carine Roitfeld ha appena liberato. Per fare che cosa, ci chiediamo? Del consulting, come si dice. Anna dello Russo, niente profumi dunque? Siamo molto eccitati, ovviamente, ma tra poco sapremo già più cose ...

... I had to inverse the order of languages a little, given the fact that this concerns Vogue Paris and the rumour that Anna dello Russo, the Italian fashion starlet, could succeed Carine Roitfeld at the head of Vogue Paris. Does it make sense to seriously believe that? I mean, both of them are kind of the same type of person, slender, in very good shape, endless legs and short dresses, more often than not, and "stile italiano" could just about suffice to replace "savoir-vivre à la française". On the other hand, with Anna dello Russo being so prominently and ceaselessly featured all over the blog world, and with her ranking among internet-related fashion personalities, and don't forget about her own blog - do we really think that Anna dello Russo could take over? I'm not sure. But you know what? As long as it's not BryanBoy, I'm just about fine ...

ANNA? ANNA WINTOUR??

"Fashion - it's about the future, always." (Anna W.)

... goodness gracious me - what a difference a new hair colour and a pair of sunglasses can make, don't you think? Chain smoker? Insomnia?


I'll disclose the source of these screenshots next Tuesday, so check back (you do, anyway, don't you?) ...