Insight by Andrea

I really enjoyed watching The September Issue. It is a great documentary. Well written, shot and edited. Anna Wintour is featured as much more human than I expected. Plus it really makes a hero out of Grace Coddington, the creative director who started her career at American Vogue at the same time as Anna Wintour (about 20 years ago). The movie clearly features the passion and obsession for fashion that drives Vogue, but I was surprised to see how little interest Anna showed at the beauty editor’s story for the most important issue of the year. It was probably a few seconds of the movie and it seemed totally disconnected from the rest of the stories. Granted the hair/make up/nail statements are made automatically through the photo shoots, but my feeling is that from an editorial standpoint it is included as a by the way, to perhaps please advertisers, but not to feature products in the same way as fashion pieces. Most brands spend thousands in PR agencies to be featured in Vogue, so they can tell their retailers about it. I suggest that this money is repurposed into better products and more innovative campaigns that truly engage with customers instead of focusing on a little mention lost in a thick glossy that will probably be missed by most readers.