The September Issue
The September Issue

DALLAS, Aug 15, 2009 / FW/ — To the general public, the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is just another award-winning movie; but to the fashion set, Miranda Priestly, (played by Meryl Streep) is a fictionalized version of Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue.

Since she took the helm at Vogue 20 years ago, Anna Wintour had treated the enclaves of her magazine like Fort Knox, allowing outsiders only glimpses of its operation, i.e. until now. In a surprise move, the Vogue ediatrix gave filmmaker R.J. Cutler unprecedented access that allowed him to create a documentary which was aptly titled “The September Issue.”

As every fashionista know, the September issue of any fashion title is the most important issue of the year. Like the holiday shopping season for retailers, the September issue puts the publication in the black.

Whether it was by providence or just a coincidence, R.J. Cutler captured on film the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue, which today remains the biggest ever, weighing over 4 pounds, selling 13 million copies and impacting the $300-billion global fashion industry more than any other single publication.

An intimate, funny and surprising look at Anna Wintour and her team of larger-than-life editors as they create this must-have Bible of fashion, Cutler explores the untouchable glamour of Wintour’s Vogue to reveal the extraordinarily passionate people at its heart.

Cutler takes the audience behind the scenes at Fashion Week, to Europe, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally demanding process.

At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable Creative Director and fashion genius. They are perfectly matched for the age-old conflict between creator and curator. Through them, we see close-up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field.

For those of you who loved “The Devil Wears Prada”, at “The September Issue” you meet the real McCoy. This time, it’s for real!

The September Issue will be released on August 28, 2009 in New York, with expansion to other cities on September 11, 2009.

[MARI DAVIS]