Vogue’s September issue is its most historic yet and here’s why.
The famous fashion magazine unveiled on Thursday its September issue which features a pool of supermodels including Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber.
However, there’s a twist. Instead of the usual exotic photoshoot location or expensive studios, Vogue photographed the models in none other than their offices at the One World Trade Center. The catwalkers posed among the cubicles and clothing racks with some of them pictured with the glossy’s employees. It will give anybody that “The Devil Wears Prada” vibe while some will be reminded of the documentary “The September Issue” from 2009.
For Vogue's September issue, eight American models representing a new generation in fashion sat down with Vogue.
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) August 5, 2021
Read how @KaiaGerber, @Anok_Yai, @PreciousLeeXOXO, @BellaHadid, Sherry Shi, Ariel Nicholson, Yumi Nu, and Lourdes Leon are shaping an industry https://t.co/vgj0mQMBmL pic.twitter.com/vF18DSFM36
There are many things to look forward to in the latest issue. For instance, Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss is photographed leaving Anna Wintour’s office with her assistants while the editor-in-chief herself made a cameo on a computer screen as if indicating that the Condé’s artistic director has been spending a lot of time on Zoom. Meanwhile, model Anok Yai is pictured in Tom Ford while perching on a desk.
Aside from having their photoshoot in their offices, the presence of Ariel Nicholson on the magazine’s cover is another milestone for Vogue. Ariel is the first transgender to grace the mag’s cover together with Sherry Shi, Precious Lee, and Yumi Nu who happens to be the first Asian curve model of Sports Illustrated.
In an accompanying article, Maya Singer wrote in detail regarding the changing modeling industry. She wrote about the “tectonic shifts” in the casting of catwalk models nowadays, especially in terms of diversity and inclusivity. Further, she discussed a new class of models referring to them as more outspoken regarding their personal opinions. Further, they’re those who get cast not just for their appearances but based on their personalities.
Meanwhile, designer Christopher John Rogers told Vogue, “When you’re casting, the question is always, ‘Can she carry the clothes?’ But that means something different than it used to. It’s not about a particular look or even a particular identity that someone represents — you’re embracing a model for what she does as a component of who she is. Her story becomes part of the fantasy.”
On the other hand, 19-year-old Kaia Gerber noted that her mom and also supermodel Cindy Crawford, “always had plenty to say — she just didn’t have Instagram.”
