Say Do You Remember?

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

"How much does it weigh, and how many pages?" is one of the questions asked by a Condé Nast executive, during a boardroom meeting for their September issue of Vogue. Remember the 2007 one, with Sienna Miller on the front cover?

I discovered the infamous edition under my bed two days ago. I don't remember what it was I was originally looking for, but there it was in all its 1000-pages splendour. I'd forgotten how big it was, and the motive behind its magnitude. They were looking to break the record. They broke it and then some. Yes, size does count. Don't let anybody fool you into thinking otherwise.

Having said that, my Livingstonian finding prompted me to re-watch "The September Issue" (2009). I think I appreciated the documentary more this time around, than on my first viewing of it. Then, I was more interested in the business and creative side of the publishing industry. This time, I paid more attention to the mindset, and interactions of the characters.

There are several storylines in this film that resonate with me. For example, Anna Wintour asking photographer Mario Testino, during one of their creative sessions, whether he'd seen Roger Federer play the other day, is completely irrelevant to their task, yet so perfect for the moment.

In addition, Grace Coddington reiteration of what she'd once been told by one of her mentors, that is; "always keep your eyes open, because whatever you see out of the window can inspire you", sums up her modus operandi.

And last but not least, André Leon Talley playing tennis! You need to watch the movie just to behold this comic relief. It's a riot. Although, Talley looks cute in his Louis Vuitton gear and all, and I respect him for the genius that he is: This should be the first and the last time, the word "tennis", and the names "Federer" and "Talley" are mentioned in the same film, let alone in the same sentence, ever again. R.J. Cutler, you listening?

Anyway, back to the Vogue issue. While flicking through the pages of the hard copy, I stumbled on an ad by Nordstrom that I'd forgotten about, and thought I'd share with you. I'm in love with these illustrations. They almost beat the cover.