I used to be so crazy about Vogue, and now I can't be bothered to even lift it from the shelf. I think Mrs Abdul, of the Taj Gift Shop in Shaw Towers, thought I was crazy.
You crazy, she cawed from behind her cough drops and newspapers and Vitagen fridge.
Nod chad come out la, she crowed from underneath her powder pink tudong.
My eyes would trail the shelves at Borders everytime I detoured there on my way to Chanel, Cartier and Hermes. And then again when I walked out. I eyed the cashier stands, and the wall displays.
Ali, from Takashimaya's basement 2 shop, the man with hair growing exuberantly on his ears, gave me his number - out of pity.
See you like that also feel sorry for you you come everyday also no use, tomorow you just call me la.
More than once I went all the way to Holland Village to look at the mama-store at the corner. I descended to the underground newsstand at the Raffles MRT station, by cab.
It's not the same anymore. I don't care anymore.
I think it's the lack of inspiring stories now, a lack of really startling image that was produced when all three of the greats were still working for Vogue. Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton are dead, and of this iconic trio, only Irving Penn is still contributing, but less and less.
One day he will simply cease to take pictures.
didn't know you were such a sucker for vogue back then. the guy on the left looks like an indian, less like an ang moh. i've stopped reading women's mags too when i use to be such a sucker for them. so many changes i didn't realise.
ReplyDeleteThat's Richard Avedon, one of the giants of fashion photography. The photographer played by Fred Astaire in Funny Face is based on him. His grandson, who looks like him when he was young, is a model. Vogue was a big big part of my life and imagination back then. I have the 14 boxes of old Vogues as proof, sitting all around me in my office. I simply have no place to store it at home.
ReplyDeletethrow them away. i shall be your muse. why dont you pose a series of shots done by each of these 3 greats so we can also analyse their particular style? or even better, tell us what makes each distinctive? consider it as blog homework.
ReplyDeleteGood idea. I shall.
ReplyDeleteTell me about it!!!! I did not even buy Dec and Jan issues leh!
ReplyDelete