Boudicca of Vogue

Grace Coddington, Vogue's creative director and former model, is my new hero in fashion world after watching The September Issue. For me her utter creative genius shown in her innovative flair in her photo shoots and even Ms Wintour herself acknowledges the creative brilliance that is Grace Coddington.


Went to Dalston last weekend to watch this Documentary which I have literally been counting the days till since I found out it's existence, and readers you will not be disappointed. Yes Anna is portrayed as a bit of an Ice Queen but it is understandable considering she is Editor in Chief of world leading fashion magazine that is Vogue and to be honest she is damn good at what she does. The film has some rather awkward moments between Anna and her daughter where she obviously forgotten the Law firm her daughter was interning and her icy stare when her daughter said she has no interest into becoming a fashion editor but instead a top class lawyer. There was another funny moment for me is at the start of film a journalist describe Anna as the most powerful and influential woman of fashion and how she is god like etc to André Leon Talley who is sitting right next to Anna. The journalist seems to be unaware or maybe too aware she was in earshot of Anna. Another favourite moment is Grace is on site in French 17th Century house shooting for another editorial and the model who is wearing a very very tight corset is pondering whether to eat a fruit pastry. She does not for fear of not fitting into the corset but after the shoot, you see her angling her way through for that pastry, loving every bite it appears.

For me Grace stole the show with her creative mastery in the 1920s shoot and the re-shooting of the blocked colours editorial piece. I felt sorry for Grace's favourite piece of the group of models having picnic with dogs in the 1920s shoot, being axed by Anna so quickly in process. Grace, I would of brought that print any day to have displayed in my house. I loved the arguments of whether the camera man, who was used in one of the shots for the blocked colours piece, if his ponch belly should be retouched to make him similar. Anna protesting his stomach gets retouched and suggest gym for the cameraman whilst Grace having hr say of NO retouching mainly as she correctly says Models are already skinny and perfect, you do not have to be.



Some of the most funniest moments in film are provided by André Leon Talley the Editor-at-Large, especially in the scene below where he is dripped in Louis Vuitton, so much so it begs to wonder if he is burning any of those calories at all. Maybe he loses more when he making dent in the old AMEX card.



Another favourite quote from him is at the start of film where he proclaims to the fashion world that "It's a famine of beauty, honey. My eyes are starving for beauty!" I laughed so much when he said those words. He did look distressed when saying it that Vera Wang had to calm him down.

I realised I ranted too much on this post and if you got this far well done! If not I hope you just watched the Youtube clip as it is the one of the most amusing moments in the film.