Of course, what I really mean is, ‘bizarre’. The latest (November) issue of Harper’s Bazaar proves that it is slowly fading into high fashion oblivion. When Glenda Bailey took over the reigns of this once legendary fashion bible, she excitedly promised to resurrect the magic and elegance of the grand Bazaar that once was. That was then- this is now. It is becoming harder and harder to tell the it apart from another Hearst monthly – Marie Claire– which is almost as far away from a high fashion glossy as one can get. Of course, Leslie Jane Seymour is not trying to be another Vogue or Bazaar– but more like a sister to Cosmopolitan– yes- another Hearst book, what with the barrage of sex related cover lines and features.
But getting back to Bazaar, the opening portfolio (‘Getaway Glam’) shot by Patrick Demarchelier, may feature bombshell Gisele (on second thought, isn’t she getting a bit ‘old’ these days?), and the high priced clothing may be credited to the likes of Stella McCartney, Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, etc., but it looked somewhat tacky nonetheless. And with the all too clichéd poses and dull styling, the pages could just as easily be culled from H & M or Bebe. The same can be said about Melanie Ward’s ‘Fashion Preview’ shot by Anthony Ward. Neither one of these portfolios, noticeably lacking any trace of elegance or polish, would have gotten past Anna Wintour- that’s for sure.
Harper’s Bazaar was once a revered and hallowed name, a name that really meant something, signified something, and stood for something. That is slowly but surely fading into oblivion.
– Posted by Marilyn Kirschner
