Teen Vogue May' 09 - Miley Cyrus on Cover

This looks so much 'acceptable' than the one for Glamour.

[More later - I've just come home from work :D ]

Glossy Bits - All the Pretty Things...

Uni started this week - back to routines and hello again to regular intake of caffeine. I've choked on the amount of work I signed up for this semester, but I hope everything will run smoothly and I have enough creative juices to last for all the works.

Glossy Bits...

Earlier this week, April issue of Vogue AU hit the newsstand - dominated with the orange colour and Louis Vuitton dress spotted in March Teen Vogue's Runway Our Way.

Emma Roberts gracing the cover of Teen Vogue for the second time, since she celebrated her 16th Birthday.

I'm not very excited about this one. Choice of covergirl: What's up with Emma Roberts - a bit boring, hey? Especially because she had been on Teen Vogue before. I was expecting to see Dakota Fanning which would still fit perfectly with the headlines "[Emma Robert] Grows Up". And in the last few weeks, I've been seeing a number of coverage about Dakota, in regards to her latest movie 'The Secret Life of Bees'

Other than that, Teen Vogue usually has a pretty fashion photoshoot for the Prom Issue.

And if you really want to see Dakota Fanning on cover, here's one:

I like her. She looks so naturally beautiful on the black and white photoshoot in J'alouse.

For something even more beautiful to colour your day, pick up Lula issue #8 - featuring Chanel Iman on the cover. Luella Bartley (love her design!), fabulous Spring/Summer 2009 designer pieces and just endless page of stylish and creative fashion spread.

Spent this afternoon flicking through Nylon, where I was amazed that Courtney Love is very popular among the celebs' Myspace (Diablo Cody, Cory Kennedy, Mark Ronson, Benji & Joel Madden, Pete Wentz). Skipped through Kristen Stewart long-winded interview (short attention span, sorry!).

And last night, for some unknown reason, I made a decision to buy ELLE this month. I think I'll get the UK one, but let's see what'll happen... :)

Have a great (long) weekend!

xoxo

Teen Vogue March'09 - Taylor Swift

If you're new to Teen Vogue, this issue would be a perfect serve for a lovely introduction, leading to the possibility of falling in love with the magazine. But for an avid reader, the March issue is lacking its Vogue-juiciness (I'm the avid reader needing stronger dose to get impressed.)

Welcoming Spring, the A to Z view and Shopping Spree are all about the trends and other highlights to get you ready for the upcoming season.

Not to be missed are the fashion spreads Beautiful Dreamer (introducing menswear pajamas as the next must-have fashion item!). I’m loving the pattern details – stripes and polka dot.

And the regular Runway – Ourway...

Stars featured includes cover girl Taylor Swift, Ed Westwick of Gossip Girl, model Behati Prinsloo and Disney’s Demi Lovato.

In her interview, Taylor confessed that she’s a big fan of Oscar de la Renta, she’s obsessed with high heels and has no definite plan to try acting soon. She describes herself as the girl next door – the girl whom “the hot guy is friends with and gets all his relationship advice from but never considered dating.”

My favourite must-read article would be the article “Key Players”, teen fashion bloggers special. The word ‘blogger’ and ‘fashion’ excite me. Here, Teen Vogue explores some well-known fashion style blogs created by girls from age 12 to … and how their opinion and sense of style have shaped the world of fashion.

This phenomenon has got the media & fashion industry talking – I remember reading similar articles in various paper and mags. As a blogger, I definetely find pleasures in browsing and reading these blog and sometimes I’m amazed how these girls can do it, and do it great.

Like I’ve said before, this issue is what (I think as) the usual Teen Vogue. Nothing extravagant, but enough to get and hold your attention.

Just a thought: I actually wondered if Teen Vogue would get a new Editor in Chief in the near future. Amy Astley has been a great one, but after 7 years as the leading lady of the magazine, do you think it’s time to give someone else a chance to ‘re-create’ the magazine?
Have your say & leave a comment.

xoxo,

C.

Teen Vogue February 2009: Leighton Meester

Alrighty, since I've been absent from posting review for the last two issues of Teen Vogue, this one comes as soon as I get my hands on the magazine. Read on...

Teen Vogue Feb 2009 featuring the one and only, Leighton Meester.

My first reaction:

- Meester finally got the spot she deserved. Personally, I like her better than Blake Lively. And I also happen to adore Blair Waldorf. So everytime a magazine chooses Lively for a covergirl, I think it's only fair if they make it a double-cover edition with Meester for the other one. Nylon gave a good example last time.

- This issue is probably the thinnest issue of Teen Vogue I've ever had in my entire 3 years of scrutinizing it. Back to back, it's a total of 122 pages.

If you're an avid reader of Teen Vogue, you'd noticed that the Letter from Editor is printed on the right page of the magazine. Nothing major, but it's a noticeable change.

Covergirl Leighton Meester shares about her experience as Blair Waldorf (Meester doesn't wear headband, ever!), her childhood and her upcoming debut album. Read more.

Highlight of the issue:

People Watching - featuring the Olsen twins, Kristen Stewart, Lily Allen with her new look, Malia Obama, Emma Roberts, Alexander Wang & model Alice Dellal, plus Kate Bosworth.


Special Report on three Teen Vogue's covergirls last year: supermodel Chanel Iman, Karlie Kloss and Ali Michael.

You've Got Male: swept on Twilight frenzy - the Cullens, Jacob and James.

Fade to Blue fashion spread: I always love a group photoshoot. Love the basic colour too. Bright or fluoro colour, as featured in Neon Nation, aren't exactly my cup of tea.

Ads: Daisy Lowe makes her debut in Marc Jacobs ads and Taylor Swift in Got Milk campaign. Madonna posing for Louis Vuitton, yikes.

On the whole, this issue is worth having (if Leighton Meester on cover haven't won you already). Teen Vogue makes an effort to show us how to get more style with less money. Although I must say, it's not its strongest point - a few affordable pieces here and there, but not many of us go to school with a bag costing $348.

The story about Marrisa Ayala in the article Life Safer is a great read. I find it slightly different that what normally Teen Vogue would present, but it could be the fact that it is written by a new refreshing talent, Angela Wu - a classmate of Marrisa Ayala.

Love, C.

First Flick: Teen Vogue Dec/Jan 2009

Teen Vogue's December/January 2009 issue is out, starring Kristen Stewart (Twilight) on the cover. So far, it looks quite good - photo shoot includes Gabe Nevins from Paranoid Park.

Update (What's inside):
-The fashion photo shoot starring Gabe Nevins and model Sigita Nedvecka in Venice, Italy is my favourite by far
-Nylon's It Girl and New York DJ Harley Viera-Newton got a mention in Style Blogger. I guess I'm about to find out who she is.
-Photos from the TV Young Hollywood Party
-Alexa Chung is the Girl of the Moment
-Teen vogue top 10 in 2009
-Articles on Taylor Swift and Kristen Stewart
-A few articles about Hair styling.
-Nikon cool pix ads featuring Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester (Chair! Chuck & Blair!)

Laters.

Peeking at Vogue UK and Teen Vogue November Cover

It's all about group photo shoot in UK Vogue November issue! I was drawn by its cover featuring Jourdan Dunn, Eden Clark and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Inside, there is a fashion photo shoot inspired the UK fashion-savvy teens. I only recognised Nicholas Hoult from the whole group. He is the actor from the movie About a Boy (when he was little, of course) and also TV series Skins. Mick Jagger's daughter, Georgia Jagger is another one of the featured teens.

It almost feel like I was looking at Teen Vogue instead of Vogue when I browse through this issue. It smells like teen-spirit, like they've mentioned in the introduction to "New England" photoshoot. Model Karlie Kloss also scored a fashion spread titled "All Night Long".

Vogue's Editor-at-Large Fiona Golfar comments that the idea of the "New England" shoot came out when she saw that our generation (yes, we...the Gen-Y) are stylish and very fashion-savvy. She also thinks that our generation is very confident. Go us! :)

Teen Vogue November'08

Meanwhile, in Teen Vogue land, Rachel Bilson is the star of the November's Fashion at Work issue. To buy or not to buy; that's what I have been thinking. Teen Vogue has gone incredibly bland in choosing their cover girl (or boy in the case of October's issue).

Teen Vogue used to impress me by coming up with fresh faces and be able to 'dictate' other teen glossy, "Here! This is the rising and upcoming stars". But where has that capability gone now?

Anywho, Rachel Bilson is definetely a much better choice compared to Zanessa. She recently launched her own line Edie Rose for DKNY and will star in the upcoming movie NY, I Love You.

As this is the Fashion at Work issue, Teen Vogue promises to bring out the best tips from the fashion insider. On the cover: Our interns share their on-the-job style secrets.
Let's just hope it does not only feature the rich & famous people, but some inspiring role models or fellow hard working girls we could look up to.

Zero Hero

GWAS posted a great article about Teen Vogue and how TV is still embracing the super-skinny body image.

"The generic beauty ideal that Teen Vogue serves up for readers month after
month via its fashion, beauty and even 'real girl' editorials certainly eschews
the well-endowed (Vogue is no place for boobs – fake or real; suppress your
womanhood like a good girl, an androgynous, svelte 13-year-old boy figure is
what you want... "

I could not agree more. I can say that I'm an avid Teen Vogue reader. I used to buy every single issue but had stopped earlier this year because:
-I like buying other magazines and I simply don't have the dosh.
-Kimbal Hasting left and I don't seem to like Andrew Bevan.

I think Teen Vogue takes the advantage of them being a "Vogue" (dubbed as the fashion bible) as an excuse to their super-skinny policy. You know, it's like "Our magazine is the fashion bible so we do it the fashion-way. Who cares if you're a size 14." Unlike many other magazines, Teen Vogue has never had an editorial dedicated to "every body shapes".

Sometimes it's nice to buy a magazine where you can actually say, "Yeah, their clothes would fit in me (and don't break my bank account)."

Glossy Bits...

-November issue of Dolly is out! Miranda Kerr (for the third time in a month, I think) is a cover girl. And unlike Teen Vogue, Dolly has actual readers with various body shapes to model in the summer bikini photo shoot. Also, there's a Twilight pin-up. Yay!

-Rumour says: Channel 10 decided to cancel the new teen drama, 90210 due to poor ratings. Ch.10 said they planned to stop airing the show and instead save it for the summer program. Since its beginning, 90210 has received mixed response from the audience. Some like it, others don't. I watched the first hour of it and stopped - found it too dramatic, for some reason. The media has also been re-naming the show as 90210 - size 0, in response to their super-skinny actresses. I read somewhere, that one of them only weight 90lbs (40kg)

Teen Vogue: Young Hollywood Issue

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Yet I still can't get over my disappointment to see Zac Efron on Teen Vogue Young Hollywood issue.

My reasons:

1. Young Hollywood issue should give the spotlight to the fresh, new talented faces.
Zac Efron is a bit 2006 and erm, overrated?

2. Teen Vogue's readers are mostly female (91%). We would like to see someone, preferably female, who we can aspire to from the Young Hollywood issue. Or probably someone who has an enviable fashion style.

3. Vanessa, Zac Efron one issue after another? Doesn't look right to me. Talking about Disney Invansion.


So when I picked up my copy, I immediately jumped to the Editor's Letter, demanding a good explanation why Zac Efron is in the cover.

What I found: Nada. Not a single word about Zac Efron is mentioned.
Instead Amy Astley decidated a paragraph about Kat Dennings & her upcoming movie.
"Rising star Kat Dennings... Starring alongside Juno's Michael Cera in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, one of fall's smartest comedies."



Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist also scored two-page advertorial, courtesy of Teen Vogue Chic Clique.

The article titled "Everybody Loves Zac", told us about his upcoming projects and the attention he gets from paparazzi, that Zac hasn't quite got used to.

The Young Hollywood stars includes the boys from 90210 (Dustin Milligan certainly looks amazingly good compared to his role in "In the Land of Women" (2007)), Selena Gomez, Eleanor Tomlinson (Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging) and Harry Threadaway.

Overall, the issue has not much to be excited about (unless you're a fan of Zac Efron, then squeal excitedly for the photoshoot).
I've got a feeling I have seen the fashion spread somewhere sometime ago.
Good effort for the snippets on new TV series - The Privileged, 90210, True Blood (vampire reigns) and Fringe.


And lastly, I'm a bit over the fact that Teen Vogue often put 'people with the top-end connection'. The article "Super Fan" is about Colby Jordan, Philip Lim's luckiest interns.


How did she get the internship? Her mother's friend, who happened to be the president of Bergorf Goodman, called Philip Lim and tada, she's got an internship.

Inspiring...not.

Hopefully they would not put less this kind of tale in the upcoming Fashion at Work issue.

Teen Vogue Sept'08

This issue is my comeback issue to Teen Vogue. I stopped buying Teen Vogue regularly few months ago because I simply don't have the money...

I thought Vanessa Hudgens was wearing a berret for the Teen Vogue covershoot. Until I got the actual copy and stared into it for a long one minute before I realized the berret is her hair, styled in such a way that it resembles a berret. Duh.
I probably had a dejavu from last year Teen Vogue September issue where Anna Hathaway did had a berret on.

This year's Fall issue is 70 pages thinner than last year's; but again, maybe last year issue had more ads. I didn't count.

A lot of the A-Z Fall Fashion is cramped into half page with little report details. Not fun. Room of My Own doesn't make the cut in this issue as well.
Anything special from the issue? Hmm, not really. Not that I have found one yet in the past few hours...

Now, attention, muggles, these aren't in your local paper...

The release date of Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince is pushed back all the way July 17th, 2009 from the original plan in November.

Blake Lively, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke, Scarlett Johansonn in one world, one dream one movie.
Yes, star-loaded New York, I Love You, the sequel to the award winning movie Paris, J'etaime, would be released in February 13th, 2009. The movie follows the same style to Paris, J'etaime that combines a few different love stories and of course, those many famous actors in one movie.
Paris, New York, and later, off they go to Shangai (2010).

Last year, I was smitten to a broadway musical called Spring Awakening. The lead actor, Jonathan Groff, has just left the production to concentrate on his role in other production and replacing him in the role is Weeds' Hunter Parrish. I'll be keeping my eye on YouTube (you know, how it's Broadway and never made its way to Down Under. Ack.)

Alrighty, I shall now go back to scrutinize Teen Vogue.
Or read the required readings?

Russh, Frankie, Vanity Fair and Teen Vogue

After a short period of 'dullness' in my magazines shelves, I finally get some refreshment as these four magazines hits the newsstand (a while ago but I just had my chance to flick through it): Russh, Frankie, Teen Vogue and Vanity Fair!


Russh and Frankie are my subtitute magazines for everything not-so-commercialized. Both magazines have fresh features that other magazines rarely focus on. Leslie Arfin makes her 2nd column in Russhh, talking about things she enjoys at home after being away for a while. Frankie has an awesome art poster that makes me want to buy the magazine, just for the sake of it. And also for their review on Biscuit Dunk-ability.

Teen Vogue August issue is usually among my favourites throughout the year. Maybe because I could easily relate myself with the word "School". As per normal, the 'Preppy' style is the main idea for the issue. This year, it's about mixing prep with boyish looks and punk(?).
Amanda Seyfried makes the cut as cover girl.

Vanity Fair brings the Hollywood Next Wave, featuring Gossip Girl star, Blake Lively, and Twilight Kristen Stewart alongside Mamma Mia/Mean Girls Amanda Seyfried and Emma Roberts. I always love star-studded issue! Other Gossip Girl cast is undoubtedly a part of it, also Hunter Parrish, Jonas Brother and Juno's Olivia Thrilby.

One missing actor that I think should have been included is Twilight Robert Pattinson. With Twilight by far already creating quite hype, and Robert (his role as Edward Cullen) dazzling the fans, I bet he could own the next 10 years. VF should really consider Pattinson to be in the list. But hey, the magazine doesn't have enough pages to put everything we wanted. And that's why they put the complete Gossip Girl cast to make it up.