Author: neethi

I stood in line in front of Michigan Theater staring at a glass covered poster. The background was white and clean. A pair of dark sunglasses sat neatly atop a thick platform. Words in black and crimson typeface were organized into discrete pockets of space on the poster. I tried to make out the words behind the glass pane, but the cold night air made my eyes water. Before I could make my way closer to the poster it was my turn. “One ticket for ‘The September Issue’ please.”

The tag-line of the movie reads “Fashion is a religion. This is the Bible.” Though this may seem like a gross exaggeration, it is in fact the truth. Fashion is not only a form of artistic expression, but also a multi-billion dollar industry. Each issue of Vogue serves a forecast of sorts, determining the trends in business and retail that will affect the coming seasons. In fact to say it is anything but a holy text is an understatement. It is the golden standard of fashion and has catapulted the careers of many designers. But, you may ask, who is in charge of this revered publication? Her name is Anna Wintour and she is almost as legendary as the magazine which she runs.

The film “The September Issue” tries to uncover the mechanics of putting together the September issue (the biggest one of the year), while also introducing audiences to the people behind the publication. However, for ninety minutes, the documentary does not go beyond the surface with Wintour’s character and ultimately fails in shedding new light on her persona. Instead, the audience is treated to a constant parade of colorful clothes and even more colorful personalities. Though the larger than life Andre Leon Talley and witty Grace Coddington serve as consolation prizes for the audience, they both provide a window through which Ms. Wintour can be examined. However, this examination is purely professional rather than personal. The only scene where the audience gets a slight sense of  Wintour’s humanity is in the waning moments of the film. It is during those final moments where you see Wintour’s hard exterior crack as she describes her sibling’s negative attitudes towards her and her work. It is then that the audience starts to feel sorry for her and begin to see an almost insecure shadow of Wintour. However, this fleeting scene unfortunately does not make up for the 85 minutes spent recording the same chaotic scenarios of botched photo shoots and mismatched clothing.

To be honest, I was thoroughly disappointed in the execution of this film and left the theater wanting more. Though the movie achieved the easy goal of elucidating the process of publishing, it did not delve into the most interesting part of the fashion industry- the people, more specifically, Anna Wintour. As a fan of Vogue, I would have loved to learn more about the woman in charge and her own personal thoughts on the industry rather than witnessing her formulaic display of professionalism. However, I do believe that any fan of fashion and art would find parts of this film highly entertaining. If you end up checking out this movie let me know what you think in the comments section below. Have a great week!

P.S Check out the trailer here

It happened a few days ago and it was utterly magical. I was sitting at my desk underneath a warm sky of flickering Christmas lights (a dorm necessity!). Every so often, the heater next to me would loudly croak, letting out soft puffs of air which tickled my nearby toes. Both hands cradled my face as I tried to make sense of reaction mechanisms. In an attempt to keep myself awake and focused I had decided a little bit of Taylor Swift would do the trick (don’t judge- you know you love her too). It unfortunately didn’t, as I still managed to doze off a half a dozen times. I finally gave up and felt completely defeated by the fact that organic chemistry was still a mystery to me. Hopeless and tired I went to shut my computer off and that’s when I saw him. His tiny face was smiling back at me from below the related videos section. Curious as I was, I clicked on the link. That’s when I fell in love.

His name is Gabe Bondoc and he is ridiculously talented (did I also mention ridiculously adorable-check out his kick ass glasses!). Most wannabe singers on YouTube belt out covers of the latest top 40 single with a downloaded instrumental in the background. Gabe doesn’t (that’s right- I’m on first name basis… at least in my head I am…). He accompanies himself on every song with his guitar (occasionally with a ukulele) and sometimes creates unique versions of the songs he covers by using his own lyrics (listen to his cover of “Love Story” to see what I mean). Part John Mayer (the talented guitarist and musician, not the self-obsessed tool) and part John Legend, Gabe is a breath of fresh air in the usually tired realm of YouTube covers. Plus, those of you who have a musical taste as eclectic as mine (my iPod playlist has stuff ranging from Ravi Shankar to Ray J) will definitely find something to your liking in Gabe’s collection of covers. My personal favorites have to be his cover of “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” “So Fly,” and ”Part of Your World.” He even manages to make the music of the Jonas Brothers sound soulful! If you get through all of his amazing covers, be sure to check out his original songs (Listen to his song Dorm Room and try not to hum along). In addition to having a great voice, Gabe can most definitely write. His originals have the melodic temperament and lyrical intelligence that can be best described as a hybrid of Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait. Plus, on a completely unrelated side note, EVERY video is done in ONE TAKE- how can you not be impressed?!

Gabe Bondoc is truly a fantastic artist and is one of the few YouTube cover artists that has the potential to have a successful professional music career. If you become as obsessed with Gabe as I am be sure to check out his Myspace (MySpace.com/ImGabe), Tumblr (GabeBondoc.Tumblr.com), or Twitter (Twitter.com/GabeBondoc). Let me know what you think of this “Youtube Star” (which by the way is the title of one of his originals) in the comments sections below. Enjoy and have a great week!

P.S. Dear Gabe- in the off chance that you search your name in Google, find this post, and read it I just want to say “Ello” 🙂

To get started check out the video that started my obsession