The September Issue

Oh to be Anna Wintour! To sit in the front row of a JPG show in Jackie O Shades, cool and indifferent as you as you like...and then as a waifery, heavy-footed brunette trudges down the glossy MDF elevated strip, to be able to dip your head, look down your nose over your Diors, and for that to be the indication that 'tex mex' fringes are officially back in...THAT IS POWER! But for you to be able to tell Prada to 're-think' their designs or to be able to get Mr YSL himself flustered over a disparaging reaction to a collection, then you know that the world sits in a sweet ball right in your Chanel bronzed cheek.

I have watched R.J Cutlers greatest gift to the fashion apprecianado, 'The September Issue' all of four times, (and, in fact I'm in the middle of my fifth viewing) and never fail to be inspired by the most ambitious, comprehensive issue ever of the style bible. It covers the preparations by Anna and her 'army of editors' for the 2007 Vogue fall issue, put out in September of the same year. As usual, Anna (or Ahhhna as she's referred to by her staff) is portrayed as the poker-faced, frosty 'Devil Wears Prada' character, not only fixated on Vogue output and but directly influencing global trends.

Now, I've seen all of that pale, unflattering, the 'Anna is above it all' reviews of Anna's character in this doco, but I have to say there is something orgasmic about a kick ass woman going for hers, flying above the assumptions, expectations and status quo of the male dominated fashion industry and saying 'eff you world, I say what goes.' While I don't always agree with her standards of what is en vogue, and cringe as I may at some of the Vogue spreads (See Lady Gaga, Feb '11), she still rocks my boat, butters my bread, blows my trumpet through her sheer determination and dedication to the magazine, to her craft and to her own self actualization as the loudest voice, the very pulse of trend.

It features Hamish Bowles, Oscar de la Renta, Patrick DeMarchelier, JPG, Mario Testino, and Anna's number two Grace Coddington, art director par excellence, and is definitely viewers digest for anyone who is anyone who knows anyone who loves fashion.