The September Issue

The September Issue is a interesting film about Vogue's working staff, led by Anna Wintour, and their work in putting out the ominous, 800-page September issue of Vogue.

Wintour, it's been whispered, was the model for the Meryl Streep character in The Devil Wears Prada, and this documentary certainly seems to point out their similarities. However, where we would say Miranda Priestly wears a scowl, Wintour would say merely that she has an opinion. The buck stops exactly there, and she's very aware of that. So her minions do their best to put out the best product possible, which is a pictorial display of the current fashions, but always bearing in mind that the real test doesn't rest on art, it rests on Wintour's approval.

The only person in Vogue who challenges Anna, repeatedly, is Grace Coddington, an ex British model (think Twiggy) who thinks she has a right to her own opinion. We would have to agree: her work is stunning. Anna, for the most part, agrees, and she certainly respects Grace. The two together really make up what Vogue is.

We watch designer after designer come to Anna Wintour with their designs, hoping for a good sign, something Wintour rarely gives them. They all look so serious, and we have to wonder, hey, this is fashion. It's not serious. But it is for very many people. This is a fascinating, obsessive look into that world, always entertaining, always honest.

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