On Beamafilm: The September Issue

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“The September Issue” is a glorious insight into two secret worlds: those of high fashion and of glossy magazine publication. The September Issue of Vogue - released just after the year’s top runway shows - takes months of preparation. Filmmaker R.J. Cutter follows the production of the 2007 September Issue from five months in advance, and it is great viewing. The staff, led by Wintour, have a lot to do. They must liase with fashion designers; choose the celebrity for the cover and feature fashion shoot; prepare the many stylish and highly produced fashion spreads; prepare the written content; and coordinate hundreds of pages of advertisements. Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-chief since 1988, and both the magazine and this documentary are her show. “The Devil Wears Prada” fans will know Wintour as the inspiration for Miranda Priestly, so memorably portrayed in the movie by Meryl Streep. And Wintour certainly is a fascinating character. Her staff both respect and fear her. When she goes to fashion designers to view their collections, even influential designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier defer to her judgement. She has the power to make or break careers, particularly new ones. Yet she also supports up and coming designers, like Thakoon, a recipient of the Vogue Fashion Fund for young designers. Out of the workplace in her personal interview, she is charming and likeable. In a moment of appealing honesty, she admits that her brothers and sister think what she does is “amusing”. This is from a woman who this year is at number forty-one on the Forbes’s list of the world’s most powerful women. Wintour is not the only great character in this documentary. Grace Coddington, the Creative Director of American Vogue, is just as stubborn as Wintour, and the two women spark off each other constantly. Yet even when they are furious at each other, both will acknowledge (privately) their enormous respect for one another. While the interpersonal relationships crackle, the September Issue of Vogue is brought to completion in a flurry of activity. The documentary crew even make a surprise cameo. The finished magazine, glossy and beautiful, is a tribute to the dedication and passion of all involved. You will love “The September Issue”. Watch 'The September Issue' on Beamafilm now!