The Vogue Cure

Since Fashion Week began I have been in a slump of minor depression because it feels like I'm the only fashion blogger alive not in New York right now. Though now that my cousin Madeline is at NYU I feel like I have the outside possibility of actually being able to attend in the next four years. Then again most fashion bloggers in some capacity, work within the fashion industry. As a teacher I obviously do not. Not to malign teachers in general but perhaps if a few more of them took a little interest in what is going on in New York right now then they would make the whole world a much happier place. I have however been keeping up online and my Pinterest is filling up with new muses right off the runway, and I can enjoy that from the comfort of my own home rather than having to brave the gross, urine-scented streets of New York (my love of fashion does not extend to a love of the Big Apple, sorry Manhattan-ites your city does nothing for me, then again you would probably shoot yourselves if you lived in my town, so we're even).

The other small comfort I've had is the taking over of my mailbox by the holy grail of fashion, the September issue of Vogue. I f you don't read a lot of fashion magazines you probably don't realize that September is when all of the spring fashion lines and trends are reveled, thus the largest issue of the year. Since I've been getting Vogue regularly, about 8 years now, I don't think there has been a September issue of less than 600 pages (I could look, I still have them all). Obviously Vogue is not alone in this, but certainly it is the most extreme example, and as the reigning Grand Dame of all the fashion magazines it should be. This month's edition arrived to top them all. at 916 pages it is their largest issue ever, in honor of their 120th anniversary on December 17th. Its all one could hope for, and then some. Lets face it you put Lady Gaga on the cover and its a good start, though I understand there was a lot of controversy about her being an acceptable choice to commemorate such an occasion. To that I would enquire who has made greater strides and pushed more boundaries in fashion in recent yeas than she, but then again like everything else this can be subjective.

Vogue is the only fashion magazine I read regularly, and I am often surprised when I read that others don't. I actually read fairly often that fashion bloggers don't, I read recently on one of the blogs I read that the author "just didn't get it". This reminded me of a conversation I had in my car six years ago with my friend Erika, who I went to high school with. She had convinced me to go to a Jesse McCartney concert at the beach with her (sorry but that alone should tell you a bit about Erika, she is the sweetest person in the world but our tastes and personalities couldn't be more different) and when she got in the car the September issue of Vogue was on the seat. The cover story in September of 2006 was on Kirsten Dunst and her leading role as Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's lavish film. As we drove she flipped through the pages and began commenting saying things like, "this is stupid these clothes don't match" or "nobody would really wear that". Now you've probably already notice that I could give a shit less about things ever matching, in fact it greatly annoys me when they do. But secondly, while I can see her point, that a hefty percentage of the clothes don't always translate to real life, in particular the custom-made Dior Couture by John Galliano black aluminum foil and organza gown Dunst was wearing on the grounds of Versailles, that to me is one of the great virtues of Vogue. If I wanted to see practical clothes I can wear to the supermarket I'll go to the mall.

The gown in question on the steps leading to the Orangerie at Versailles

What I love best about Vogue is that there are no limits to what we can create to decorate our bodies, practicality and feasibility fall to the wayside while imagination and flights of fancy rule. It challenges us to see beyond what is safe and convenient to imagine better possibilities in which we can marry practicality and imagination. Unlike the majority of fashion magazines the writing is excellent from start to finish, with fascinating character studies, human interest stories, and intelligent commentary on all aspects of art and design. You will also never find an article about '50 Ways To Blow His Mind' included within their pages. Vogue is classic and classy at the same time. It feels both modern and timeless, and if there is a more beautiful collection of advertisements and photography anywhere on sale for six dollars, I have yet to see it.

Maria Vodianova photographed by Mario Testino in Vienna for Spetember of 2006 wearing Dries van Noten and Fred Leighton diamond and cameo earrings (you know I lust after those given my cameo obsession) for the story "The Last Waltz"

Perhaps I'm too hard on Erika, because Vogue isn't something that translates for her. She was a typical high school girl, she shopped at Abercrombie and Hollister, loved to go tanning at the beach, and go to Jesse McCartney and N'Sync concerts. Her life was modern and in the moment all the time. She was perfectly content to live by ever changing trends and only do what's popular. A lot of people do that and are very happy doing it, I know she always was. Me I can't help but long for a world where the possibilities that are explored within the pages of Vogue are real, and that things can be that elegant and imagination that wild. Perhaps Vogue is my Tiffany's, a place where nothing too bad could ever happen to you, because all is calm and refined with an old world elegance that the rest of the world seems to have lost. Either way, I'm spending fashion week with Lady Vogue, because she's a hell of a lady.

Erika and I at our sophomore homecoming dance 10 years ago in fall of 2002. That was a great dress, Ruby Rox from Nordstrom the first real grown up cocktail dress I ever bought. I still have it but looking at how skinny I am there it makes me weep, odds not good of fitting in it now.

Erika and I in 2005 right after we graduated high school, observe her Hollister tee shirt, my shirt was and embroidered sleeveless peasant shirt from some hippie store (I still have it somewhere). I feel bad, Alyssa who was the third member of our 'triad' who all carpooled together got cut out.

 

Erika and I in 2009 taking the candlelight tour of Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA,
I carried that purse just a few weeks ago, that dress, by Daughters of the Revolution from Anthropologie is also my go to for days when I feel like wearing pajamas to work its so light and comfortable.