The September Issue

Many of you have probably already seen this, but I finally got around to watching The September Issue (2009), a documentary behind the making of Vogue's largest September issue.

The September Issue is The Devil Wears Prada come alive.  As with any documentary, there's more to it than just a behind-the-scenes of Vogue offices.  The September Issue touches on the relationships between Anna Wintour and everyone else around her - Creative Director Grace Coddington, daughter Bee Shaffer, designers, and press.  It's unavoidable that Anna will be painted with a tinge of iciness (the way she says "excuse me" to an assistant in her way - priceless), but the documentary reveals that she is nonetheless still a mother, an admirer of talent, and a sharp, quick as a whip, intelligent woman who can invariably run the most famous fashion magazine in the world.

At the beginning of the documentary, she talks about why some people mock the fashion industry and why they are wrong in doing so, and having done something similar myself, I fully support her.  But there was a twinge of sadness near the end of the documentary, when during an interview, Anna says, almost tearing up between an uncomfortable laugh, "My two brothers and my sister...um...I think they're very amused by what I do.  They...uh...they're amused.  So..."  It is disheartening to think that her siblings - whom Anna says are very successful themselves - still cannot quite respect the work of line she is in.  Here is a woman, who some say is the most powerful woman in America (a stretch?  Well, think how she practically dictates how the entire country dresses), at the top of the fashion industry, yet her siblings are simply amused.

But enough about the emotional aspect of the documentary.  Let's get down to the frivolous details of working for Vogue.  I was completely riveted throughout the entire documentary because it seemed like I watching a documentary about my dreams.  With a heart full of yearning, I sat with my eyes glued to the racks beyond racks of clothing, shelves full of shoes, piles of magazine page rough drafts, serious meetings about jackets and feathers, and exciting, glamorous photoshoots (even if done frantically 2 days before issue closing).

As glam as it seems, it's obvious that putting together a magazine each month is no easy feat.  There's endless stress, and a million little details to tend to.  Hopefully, after watching The September Issue, people come away with more understanding for how difficult it actually is to churn out an issue of Vogue.  Everyone that works at Vogue might not have your typical science smarts, but I'd sure like to see an engineer (no disrespect) visualize storylines for spreads, come up with catchy word play, and talk about skirt lengths with as much intelligence as Vogue editors do.

Image Source: Poster, Grace, Daughter, Karl, Dinner, Front row, Interview, Drafts, Andre, Photoshoot, Cover