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If you thought sex and drugs and rock ’ n ’ roll – or even TV – had won the race to replace God , think again . “ Fashion is the new religion ,” says film director RJ Cutler . “ And this is the Bible .”
The Good Book he ’ s referring to is Vogue , which this year celebrates 100 years of continuous publication as the indispensable chronicler of the times . In its first issue which hit the news-stands in September 1916 ( price 1 shilling , 5p ) it promised readers “ amazing things , you would never believe unless you saw them in Vogue .’
Big calling card ! But glance at the magazine ’ s most iconic feature over the years – its covers , and you ’ d have to agree it was no idle boast . Vogue had become the Bible of Style , and a cultural phenomenon that reflects trends in taste and the clothes we wear to look our best .
And Vogue ’ s unabashed pursuit of the glamorous and the surreal has proved inspirational in our dangerously image-obsessed age . Hollywood has been unable to resist the elevator pitch of chic clothes , sexy models and even sexier lifestyles , churning out more than a dozen films featuring fashion frolickery .
That includes RJ Cutler ’ s 2009 eye candy documentary The September Issue , shot fly-on-the-wall style , chronicling the glacially frosty Anna Wintour putting an American Vogue ’ s autumn issue to bed , all 840 pages ( 727 of them ads ).
The most recent feature , Zoolander 2 , premiered at London earlier this year – and even that was a sequel . And among the red-carpet guest celebs was Alexandra Shulman , British Vogue ’ s longest serving editor .
Of course , the film ’ s stars were all there in their sartorial finery – Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson , Will Ferrell , Kristen Wiig and Penelope Cruz . The men , of course , wore Dolce & Gabbana , and the women Yves St Laurent ( vintage ) and Versace . Even
Hollywood couldn ’ t make this stuff up !
And as if that wasn ’ t enough publicity overkill , Stiller and Wilson graced the February cover of American Vogue pouting the “ blue steel ” look that showcased their characters ’ debut in the 2001 Zoolander .
That satire on male modelling had the tagline : “ 3 % body fat , 1 % brain activity ”. Its culminating set-piece saw David Bowie refereeing a “ walk-off ” between our two “ blue steel ” heroes . The 2016 sequel lets fashion in on the joke , and even features a cameo by American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour !
“ Vogue has been synonymous with fashion and photography for 100 years . It ’ s the style bible , I mean , that old cliché does come into play ,” says former Vogue picture editor Robin Muir .
The magazine has never been shy of putting itself about in its relentless pursuit to define lifestyle , art , beauty , youth and
Image : Norman Parkinson