Director R.J. Cutler gives audiences an exclusive look at the inner workings of Vogue and its legendary Editor-in-Chief in the documentary “The September Issue.”
Vogue has long been a magazine that focuses on extreme high-fashion and an elite social world that few can relate to when flipping its glossy pages.
Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, was reportedly the basis of the bestselling book and 2006 hit Hollywood movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.” On the big screen Wintour is portrayed by Meryl Streep as a cold-hearted and impatient boss from hell and devil in couture.
The reality, Wintour seems as dark as the designer sunglasses she hides behind on the front row of fashion week. The press feeds off of Wintour’s impersonal demeanor, and hardly a day goes by in Manhattan where Wintour and her editorial staff at Vogue are not analyzed and gossiped about on Page Six of the New York Post.
There’s reason to gossip, as Wintour is said to be the single most influential figure in the $300 billion global fashion industry.
“The September Issue” follows the making of Vogue’s largest issue to date the September 2007 issue. With 840 pages it weighed more than four pounds.
In filming “The September Issue,” Cutler had unbridled access to Vogue’s offices. Cutler’s unguarded glance humanizes Wintour and allows the audience to see the editor in a new light, as she discusses her family’s disinterest in her career and her mentorship to young designers.
But the real heroine of the movie is Vogue’s Creative Director, Grace Coddington. The frizzy orange-haired stylist who started work at the Condé Nast publication the same day as Wintour in 1983, and has watched Wintour climb to the top of the editorial masthead.
Coddington’s unique relationship with Wintour makes the movie, as the iconic stylist seems to be the only one in the fashion world brave enough to stand-up to the powerful editor.
Vogue’s Editor-at-Large André Leon Talley also provides a share of comic relief with his over the top “divo” antics.
The film is a must-see for the fashion obsessed and a fun ride for anyone – even those who can’t differentiate Christian Louboutin from Steve Madden.
“The September Issue” is currently showing at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station.
