Review of The September Issue (2009) by Christopher V — 22 Feb 2010

The Devil Wears....Fur.....

Anna Wintour's fur obsession was the only downside to this documentary which takes us into the privileged world of fashion and provides a fascinating insight into the behind the scenes workings of Vogue magazine's famous 'September Issue'. The documentary has an interesting cast of characters, some of whom are very self-involved. This makes for some hilarious soundbites - 'September is the January in fashion' , for example, and 'the jacket is the new coat'. Amazing!

I am a big fan of fashion, so I found all of this very entertaining. The glamour and excess of the fashion shoots - Raquel Zimmerman shot by David Sims at Versailles is wonderfully glamorous - and of course, this is a unparalleled glimpse into the world of Wintour, who is capable of more than a few soundbites of her own. In one scene she states of Jennifer Garner that she 'needs to be fixed. She looks pregnant'.

As fascinating as Wintour is, for me, Creative Director Grace Coddington was the star of the show, and a refreshing contrast to the aloof Wintour. Coddington is the only person at Vogue, it seems, ready to defy Wintour, and this definitely makes for interesting watching. A must see for Fashion fans!