Vogue, Harper’s and Elle turn the spotlight on razzle dazzle and bright colours as we emerge from Covid gloom
In an unusual move, the cover of British Vogue features the time the photograph on it was shot: 4.57am. The image, of actor and activist Gemma Chan reclining on a boat on the Thames as the sun rises, is symbolic of a new dawn in this September’s glossy magazines. The biggest, bulkiest and most important of the year, they signal what can be expected in the industry in the months ahead. This year, though, they herald not just a new season but what can be expected from post-pandemic dressing (even if the pandemic isn’t yet fully in the rear-view mirror).
From Vogue to Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, this year’s offering, which is slimmer on the ground than in recent years, since Marie Claire stopping print in 2019 and Katy Grand exited Love Magazine last year, seem to be on the same page in terms of laying out new sartorial spirit. Now is the time, they say, for sequins and silver and dressing up for parties and going out-out rather than dressing down for sofas. Just as, after the first world war and the 1918 flu pandemic, the 1920s brought flappers and flamboyance, this new dawn is the 21st century’s own roaring 20s. And the vibe is one of hedonism and creativity after the Covid restrictions caused stasis and the rise of elasticated waists.