I’m still sorting through the May issues of various magazines, most of which were shot and organized before everything went into lockdown. The May issues are almost entirely just regular issues, with some late-editorial mentions of the pandemic here and there. It’s the June and July issues we have to worry about. They’re going to be a MESS. Vogue got the ball rolling and I have to give it to Anna Wintour, honestly – she shut down the Vogue offices pretty early in the crisis and allowed for her staff to work from home. Pitch meetings were probably crazy. No photographers were going to break quarantine to shoot a Vogue cover. And Vogue is the magazine with the resources to lead the way. So here they are, showing the other publications what can be done in this “new normal” – a two-month issue and a cover image of a stark red rose.
So what is the cover story? “Postcards From Home: Creativity is a Time of Crisis.” The magazine profiled models, entertainers, creators, designers, etc, all at home and shooting their own photos and making videos and short films and whatever they could do. You can see the cover package here. Here are some of the parts I enjoyed:
Florence Pugh in LA: “For the first few days I felt low. Then my dad reminded me that I needed to dance and I needed to cook and I needed to do all of the things that make me happy,” says the actor. “I instantly started shimmying and boogeying in the morning and I felt so much happier and just…bubbly all day. I’ve also turned toward chopping and cooking and flavors. I have this vegetable patch that I put in in autumn of last year, so that’s where I’m getting all my cabbages, and my leeks—and my elephant garlics! I’m totally finding a sense of calm in all the greenery. Meditation doesn’t really work on me. I get very frustrated that my brain thinks about too many things. So I tend to turn to cooking and stirring. Last night I made a little kind of one-pot dish just to use all things in the fridge, and it completely calmed me down.”
Alessandro Michele, Rome: “I’ve rediscovered knitting and the sacredness of manual work: Knitting is my way of praying,” says the Gucci creative director. “I’m also learning how to play my classical guitar, feeling the connection with my dad’s love for music. I’m aware of the privilege I have—I can slow down, while lots of other people are working tirelessly to help each and every one of us make it through these agonizing times. We would not be here, thinking about what this pandemic is teaching us, without their priceless effort. From my windows, I can hear the birds singing as I’ve never heard before; seawater in Venice is clear once again. These are the little signs we need to look at once we go back to inhabiting this fragile world.”
Lizzo, Los Angeles:“I have my crystals that I charge, and I have my single-note bell, and I have this flute; it’s called a toot. I light sage, or I light Palo Santo or a candle or anything that can bring some sort of texture into the air,” Lizzo says. “Then I just like to sit and connect with people. I know a lot of people use meditation as a form of calming down and centering themselves, but recently I’ve been using meditation as a form of connectivity, to where it’s like I can mindfully and metaphysically connect with all of the people in the world. You know what I mean? I’ve been using meditation as a form of bringing myself closer to everybody and to the heart of the world, and it’s really worked. It’s really worked for me.”
There’s so much there, and I actually really enjoyed the feature. I found it especially inspiring to see how artists – photographers, designers, graphic artists – were dealing with the lockdown, and it basically seems like many of them were just creating little projects in their homes or backyards, photographing their kids or partners, knitting or making collages. It was oddly comforting. Vogue… did a good thing?
Cover and IGs courtesy of Vogue.
It’s difficult for me to get enjoyment from reading about privileged people’s creativity right now. I don’t mean to insult them, I’m sure in their world this is also a tough time.
I guess its all relative though isnt it. A Syrian refugee would probably feel you are privileged too. Personally, I am greatful for what ever little I have. Gratitude goes a long way even when you dont have much. Have a beautiful day!
Well, i guess if I made a magazine highlighting my struggles and gave it out to Syrian refugees, they’d have a right to call me an asshole too
ditto!
I liked this one a lot and I’m also happy my favorite model Anna Ewers got included. At first I thought Anna Wintour would do like Farnetti (from Vogue Italia) did with those absolutely awful FaceTime “editorials”, so this was a pleasant surprise. Bella Hadid by Brianna Capozzi still haunts me, I can’t believe that got approved. But anyway, what a beautiful cover as well, the best one in ages.
It does take a village to put together a magazine number. It’s good that most of them are able to do it in a remote way.
Interesting to see what some of the photographers and artists are doing.
It’s an interesting group of people, but Kim seems woefully out of place.
Yeah she appears to have professionally applied make-up on. Are we supposed to believe this is just a candid pic of her at home with her kids lol? I really hope she’s paying her nannies, chefs, and maids extra right now.
I really like this idea. I realize celebrities are much better off right now than most people, but there’s something cool and connecting about seeing stars also hanging out at home.
Angelina Jolie is the one and only celebrity who spoke about the pandemic in a real, caring and compassionate way. I get that this is Vogue, but it’s still pretty tone-deaf seeing celebs pose in their gaudy multi-million dollar mansions. As has been said before, celebrities are truly showing us how useless they are in the world, and that we blindly worship false gods.
I really struggled and I still have really bad days. I finally realized I needed to do something creative and focus on something good and positive. So I made a YouTube channel (She-nanigans with Amy) and put up funny/silly skits. It’s helped me so much. I try to make one a week. 🙂
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=il6bAKQvXL4&t=2s
Hmmm, interesting how Kim’s complexion is the exact same as her kids’
Her face is so contorted, she looks like an alien in that photo.