The September Issue

Last night I went to an advanced screening of the highly anticipated (on my behalf anyway) September Issue. What ensued was approx. 120 mins of pure Wintour goodness. So she was a little blunt and harsh sometimes, but to me thats all apart of the Anna appeal! If she wasn't able to make the hard decisions, Vogue would not be where it is today. Plus, despite her often short remarks, viewers discover that she has a sense of humour, and is even a little sarcastic at times too!

But poor Grace Coddington, the movie basically revolved around Grace creeping into the photo board room like a naughty child at school bracing herself to see which one of her precious photos had been cut from the magazine this time. Grace to me seems like a very lovable person, almost like the quintessential quirky Aunt. She, like Anna, is very passionate about her work and through her often dejected comments and dry humour you get a sense of how proud she is of her work (and so she should be!). The audience empathises with her when it is discovered that many a beloved shot is omitted from the issue. I must admit, I loved quite a few of the photos that were cut myself! But Anna did redeem herself slightly at the end of the movie by saying what a genius Grace was and how no one can do what she does when it comes to fashion photography. Throughout the course of the movie they both talked about how they understand each other (having started on the same day at Vogue some 21 years ago) and know how to deal with one another.

Again Anna's philanthropic deeds were highlighted with a Thakoon subplot where he works with Gap in redesigning the classic white shirt - all made possible by Anna of course. I guess her work with upcoming designers is a major part of what makes her so influential. Viewers are reinforced with the sense that everyone in the fashion industry looks to Anna on all things fashion. Whether that be the latest trends in clothing or designers.

All in all it was a very intriguing movie. I loved watching Grace's photo shoots and the end product of her masterful creations. Viewers glimpsed the day to day activities of the bustling glossy industry and were left to make their own mind's up about Anna's personality and actions. Personally, I think she is a style genius, having said that though, she is also a business woman and does what she needs to do in order to sell magazines.