And, even I'm surprised.

In one of the first scenes of The September Issue, Andre Leon Talley, the fabulously entertaining Vogue editor-at-large, laments Fashion Week that season was a "famine of beauty." He is sitting around a conference table with Anna Wintour and Vera Wang, who nod their heads in shared disappointment.

This set the tone for a film that was informative--sure--but also really fun!

Before seeing the movie (which will be out in New York on August 28, and in Los Angeles and select cities on September 11), I knew little of Vogue editor Anna Wintour beyond what I had seen in The Devil Wears Prada. And, being that movie is--at least allegedly--fiction, such hardly counted.

I do know, obviously, that she is one of the most powerful "fashions" in fashion. She, with the nod of her head, has the power to make or break careers. And while some think that makes her an ice queen, I think that makes her sort of ... awesome.

The September Issue, though, gave me a whole new insight into Anna--as an editor, yes, but also as a really fabulous woman. The movie is essentially a reality-based biopic which follows Anna throughout the making of the September issue of Vogue, a season-setting fashion bible that topped over 800 pages.

In a rare glimpse inside the "icy" Anna's world--a universe where her word is paramount to scripture--we learn it's not all about sitting on her perch. Her own family thinks fashion is silly, and she works alongside a staff that even while having a grudging respect, grumble behind her back. She's also expected to know the answer to everything, always, and never be wrong. Even for the queen of fashion, that's a tall order. At one point in the film, a Neiman Marcus board member complains that designers deliver their clothing too slowly, and she should do something to help them. Anna responds, "What do you want me to do? Rent a truck?"

In one scene Tom Florio, the publisher of the mag, says, "She's busy. And, she's not warm and friendly." And that's just the point. She has created an empire. What more do people want from her?! Anna points out in one scene that people assume that because one cares about fashion, they are dumb. And that they make this character assassination mostly because they, themselves, do not understand, or downright fear fashion as an entity. I think she may be right.

Just for giggles, here's the video of Anna Wintour on Letterman last night to illustrate another point. She's really witty! I am, officially, a fan.

Image credit: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

--Aly Walansky

Early Tuesday morning, the Council of Fashion Designers of America gathered to debate the state of the fashion system, essentially questioning whether or not the fashion industry's cycle makes sense anymore. CFDA president, Diane Von Furstenburg, basically said that the issue to be discussed was the modern relevance of Fashion Week. Has Fashion Week, in the age of the Internet, essentially become irrelevant, because showing clothes at least 6 months in advance of the season does nothing but confuse consumers, cause early markdowns, and create endless opportunities for knockoffs?

Because slideshows of runway shows are made available immediately after they take place, consumers know what looks to anticipate and want, while designers dress celebrities in clothes not yet available to the public. Then, clothes arrive in stores before the season begins, only to be discounted by the time they are actually in season! As a result, the industry is losing money because there is too much supply and not enough demand.

I mean, should we be buying coats in August? Because by the time fall rolls around and we go to buy a coat (if we haven't already), we're looking for ones on sale, and the designers who spent all their money on runway shows aren't making profit.

Donna Karan suggested that maybe runway shows, instead of being as much as 10 months in advance, should correspond to the season, and Anna Wintour asked if they could make a rule that would restrict when retailers can go on sale (which is illegal, but Wintour protested, "We have friends in the White House now!")

Although no conclusion was reached, DVF reached out for help in making the right move.

What do you have to say, ladies? Should fashion cater to the industry, as it is now, or to us, the consumers?

--Venus

It's time for Miranda Priestly to say goodbye--and Anna Wintour to say hello.

As much as The Devil Wears Prada's "Runway" magazine made (not-so-subtle) inferences to Vogue, and Miranda Priestly's character to Anna Wintour, all that will change when The September Issue is released on August 28th--this is the real Devil Wears Prada.

Directed by RJ Cutler, the highly-anticipated film documents editor in chief Wintour's influential role not only at Vogue but also in the fashion world at large. It does so by centering around Wintour and her team of editors in the creation of the September issue, because "September is like January in fashion."

Sometimes she sounds as terrifying as Priestly was in DWP, but we do see her smile, get excited, and even take off her sunglasses for the camera! We are so excited.

Watch the trailer below:



--Venus

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The most powerful woman in fashion and editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, was recently profiled on 60 Minutes. If you're into fashion at all, you're already familiar with her--sunglasses, haute couture, power and all! The segment kind of told me what I already know. It's no surprise that some have referred to her as "Darth Vader in a frock," that Conde Nast picks up the bill for her hair and makeup everyday of the week, plust the rumored $200,000-per-year clothing allowance, and that yes, she can be a bit of a b#%&$.

But, what I hadn't realized before is that there is a part of her that's very much like any woman (nevermind age, finances and lifestyle). Yes, ladies, despite what you think, y'all can relate. Wintour is ambitious, driven, needy and a perfectionist. I think that's practically in all of us. Most of us strive for something amazing, at times we can be attention-hungry, and we find pleasure in everything being in its right place. Not to mention, she says what she thinks. I know that's something I tend to do (whether people like it or not). And you?

Just like you, she says, she likes "looking at my clothes rack in the morning and deciding what to pick out."

She describes Vogue as "a glamorous girlfriend." And really, that is who Wintour is to many of us who read the book on a monthly basis. Yes, we love the fashions beyond our budgets (and some of us might even break the bank to get it). It's like we're competing with that b#%&$ of a rich girl in our social circle. We hate her, but want to be her. If you didn't have fashion in common, you'd likely be sworn enemies.

--Ysolt