Blue Centerlight Pop

Fashion is an artistic, marvelous and often times a frightening thing. When some people pick up a fashion magazine, they flip through the pages and gawk at the clothes they see before them.

“Why would someone pay that much money for that whatever it is clothing disaster when no one would wear it in public?” a friend asked when looking at the latest issue of French Elle. Why is exactly the right question. Couture is the answer. Why are people so obsessed with fashion and spend so much money buying the magazines and clothes?

Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue and “it” girl of fashion, sums it up perfectly, “There’s something about fashion that can make people very nervous.” I agree.

Director R.J. Cutler brings to the screen the hectic, dramatic and often heart breaking process of the creation of the famous September issue of Voguemagazine. “The September Issue” follows the chilly Anna Wintour and flamed-haired Grace Coddington, the Creative Director of American Vogue, through the streets of London, New York and Paris in the development of the magazine.

Wintour and Coddington often face off in a battle of what will go into the magazine on anything from a salmon pink over sized coat to a 1920s themed photo spreads. Both women are very stubborn and will fight for what they want. In the end, Wintour rules, even if she comes off a bit of an ice queen, because it is her job. She has been in the fashion business for almost 40 years and has ensured her own survival. What Wintour wants, Wintour gets.

This documentary is not just about extravagant hair, thickly layered makeup and the use of clothes must people would never wear with dignity in public. It’s all consumerism, marketing a brand and money.

Fashion is a $300-billion dollar industry and Vogue has to sell magazines to survive. The promotion of this world is about consumption. At first glance through the glossy pages, the items that catch our eyes start out as a lust. Oh yes, I want those Jimmy Choo pumps or that Rag and Bone pair of jeans. Soon, it turns into a need that we must have to be trendy. Then, watch out! You’ve become snared in fashion’s net. It’s a way for people to feel transformed and beautiful if they follow fashion bible. After watching this documentary, one can see how ridiculous fashion can be, but we can’t help ourselves.

At the end of the film, after the September issue has been sent to the presses, Wintour asks for everything to be ready to start planning the October issue. Wintour’s catchphrase rings clearly: “Fashion is all about looking forward, not in the past.”

♥ – Erin