Honestly, I never thought that it’d be this difficult to get this year’s September issue. I usually see the following month’s issue two weeks even before that particular month arrives, but I was surprised how tasking it was to obtain US Vogue September 2012.
Since I finished my exams on the 23rd, I resolved to buy an issue because buying it prior to the exam was a sure way to distract me from reviewing, given that it will be the largest ever in their 120-year history, surpassing 2007’s September issue by 76 pages (of advertisements).
National Bookstore Trinoma
I was puzzled when Fully Booked (Gateway) did not have them, because I usually buy my copy from them, and even other book stores did not have a stock. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d hate seeing Marion Cotillard’s face everytime I comb the magazine section.
Last Saturday was my ultimatum. Mon and I went to Trinoma: first, Powerbooks and they did not have one. Next, to National Bookstore and I was first happy to see these fabulous ladies holding copies of the issue:
But then I realized that there were only TWO copies on the rack and they already got them. I asked the Customer Service but the magazine was already out of stock. WTH. I can’t hate on these ladies for being fast and getting there before me, but man, I was almost already there! We then went to Filbar’s in Landmark but they only have back issues. We asked the concierge for another bookstore and we did not know that there was a Fully Booked inside the mall, by the basement. Again, nada.
Mon suggested to go all the way to SM North’s National Bookstore to check if they have one. While walking, I was furiously thinking WHY on Earth it was THAT difficult to find one? Did they print it in limited amounts? Or they distributed the same number of copies but the choice of the girl à la une rendered them extremely salable? I was predisposed to believe the latter. If Gaga were not on the cover, would it be easier to obtain one, the same way I had effortlessly gotten Kate’s the year before? Ugh.
When we reached SM North, I was fervently praying for their National Bookstore to have even one copy available. To my astonishment, there was really JUST one on the shelf. I immediately grabbed it because any second of delay might cost me this copy. LOL
US Vogue September 2012 issue
It was really heavy, and it did not help that National Bookstore packs books inside brown paper bags and before I even get home, the poor bag was already frayed and wrinkled.
US Vogue September 2012 issue
I’m no big fan of Gaga, but I got to admit — she looked extremely ravishing on the cover in Marc Jacobs and styled by Grace Coddington. I sensed a bit of RuPaul as well, with the-bigger-the-hair-the-closer-to-God realness. I just did not like the red banner, but whatever.
Lisa Fonssagrives by Irving Penn and the first issue ever from 1892
I saw pictures of this foldout online and I was eagerly anticipating to see it in person. Irving Penn’s photo of Lisa Fonssagrives was very iconic, but it was much nicer to see the first ever cover from 1892 in greater detail. I was particularly interested in how much it cost before.
Comparing Gaga’s two issues, and September 2011 with 2012
And out of curiosity, I took Gaga’s previous issue from March 2011, as well as the previous year’s September issue and compared their thickness. Gaga’s second issue was almost twice as thick as the first and I was afraid that the magazine’s binding will fall off due to its sheer weight. Of course, this was not Gaga’s biggest magazine ever, as earlier this year, ELLE Indonesia ran a thousand-plus-page issue.
(Photo from thelavalizard.com)
Well, this commemmorative issue of Vogue was teeming with advertisements — that was kind of expected already. But what caught my eye was this beautiful bag from a company called Fontana from Italy. It was wonderfully structured, with a kickass detachable leather strap.
Exquisite Fontana bag
Much has been said online over the editorials and fashion features of the issue, but even if most people criticize that it has lost its fashion mark and became more of a lifestyle magazine, I still like reading non-fashion related articles. The article written by Ann Patchett, as a sort of eulogy and musing over her departed dog ‘Rose’ was an extremely good read. I am very fond of my pet dogs and I even cried months ago when I saw the more than a decade-old video footage way back from 1997 of our beloved dogs Rasha and Kimmy playing and running around. My nephew was even puzzled why I was crying. Embarassing but I really missed my dogs.
Ann Patchett’s dog ‘Rose’
Ann Patchett’s eulogy over the death of her dog ‘Rose’
It was the last thing I’ve read before sleeping, and it was not surprising that I dreamed of one of my dogs dying. >_< Mon told me that I was crying because I really thought that it was real. Ugh. Anyway, I think that the last sentences of the article sum up the whole morale of the author’s story.
