THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is a documentary about the legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour for American Vogue. Since her former personal assistant published THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA a few years ago, all fingers have been pointed at Wintour for being the inspiration for the devil described in the book. I read the book and enjoyed the movie based on the book, starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly. I can’t help wondering if Anna Wintour is really a human iceberg. With anticipation I went to the media screening yesterday.
Surprisingly it was unusually crowded for a media screening. Aside from the typical summer blockbusters and star-studded commercial films a midday screening is never a full house. There were unfamiliar faces in the theater and I wonder how much they care about the fashion world. After all it’s an Indie film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2009.
In this 90 minute documentary you’re led through a complete behind the scene on how Anna Wintour and various editors and directors put together the most important issue of the year for American Vogue. It turned out to be the biggest September issue ever: 840 pages. It’s probably as heavy as a 5 lbs. dumbbell. Featuring Sienna Miller as the cover girl the photo shooting took place in Paris, London and Rome. It’s amusing to hear Anna Wintour commenting on the result of the cover shoot. Sienna Miller not only was criticized for her lifeless hair but also her teeth. The cover for the September issue was beautifully done – Sienna Miller was photoshopped to perfection! The irony is on the fashion industry as a whole – what you see is not reality and beauty is an illusion. Women who read Vogue literally die trying to be just like the models featured in the magazine are going to be crushed when they learn the ugly truth – it’s not real.
I’m disappointed at the fact that this documentary fails to take a glimpse at Anna Wintour’s personal life. She’s always at work, in the limo, sitting front row of every fashion show and sipping Starbucks while deciding on the layouts. It almost seems like she has no friends and her only family is her daughter who actually finds fashion people weird. I wonder if she ever feels lonely.
Perhaps I’ve glamorized the fashion industry, expecting Anna Wintour, the most powerful and respected woman in the fashion world to be wined and dined everyday and sipping champagne every night.
There’s one scene where a model was eyeing the delicious fruit tart during a photo shoot. When it’s over she couldn’t wait to take a bite of it while she’s still dressed in couture. Let truth be told: even bone skinny models cannot resist the temptations of sweets!
Throughout this documentary several prominent fashion designers make cameo appearances, including Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vera Wang and Oscar De La Renta.
However, I do have a lot of respect for Anna Wintour for her work ethics. She’s almost too hands-on for an editor-in-chief because she has to approve every photo and arrange the layouts for every issue. She certainly is gifted to have a unique eye for trends.
So, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is definitely for you if you’re curious about the standard operating procedures for the magazine business. And if you aim to be a successful magazine editor-in-chief, this documentary has much to offer you. If you fantasize about the fashion industry, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE might burst your bubbles. What caught my eyes the most is Vogue creative director, Grace Coddington. She’s the only one with a defiant attitude and often argues with Anna Wintour when everyone else just agrees to obey like a bunch of schoolchildren. She’s a tough cookie in deed. In fact Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour are like two peas in a pod. American Vogue is successful because of their collaborative effort!
As for me THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE didn’t curb my curiosity about Anna Wintour. She remains mysterious as she’s always been. This documentary didn’t answer my questions about the devil wears Prada. However, my personal epiphany is that we’re only human. So, let’s embrace the imperfection!
