End of an Era

That's how it feels after reading this news article.

For more than 3 decades, Anna Wintour was Vogue and Vogue was Anna Wintour. Thinking of the magazine without her is such a vague (get it, get it) prospect.

It's exciting to see who the new head of Vogue will be. And in the words of Emily in "The Devil Wears Prada,"

"You have very large shoes to fill."

Missing magazines

Back in 2018, when you visit a bookstore, you'll se racks and racks of magazines. There were so many titles, so many options, so many subsets, and so many choices. 

Fast forward to today, you walk into Fully Booked, and their magazine rack is reduced to this.

They're actually in a better place because National Bookstore has ditched magazines completely. 

Call me old, but I'm definitely missing the good old days of magazines.

December to remember

Woohoo! The December issue of Vogue USA is here!

Thanks to Ate Lissa who bought it, and Kuya Marv who brought it from the US.

Holding this issue feels bittersweet. Although it's great that I'm holding and reading the latest issue of US Vogue, the issue now is so different from the December issues of yore. 

Aside from the fact that it's super thin - maybe 1/3rd or 1/4th the thickness of the usual December issues, even the paper where the magazine is printed feels different.

Still, I'm glad to have this copy. And even gladder that Vogue is still around.

Here's the Issue

After what feels like ages, I finally bought a copy of Vogue's September Issue. The Philippine edition, that is.

It's actually been a while since my last magazine purchase. Which makes me miss the good old days when we'd regularly buy multiple titles a month. From local titles like Preview and Mega, to international magazines like InStyle and Vogue.

Whilst part of my wishes that there will be more printed issues of magazines, the dwindling readership issue is enough to keep that from happening.

Mag-nificent

It's been 4 years since I've seen a US Vogue Magazine IRL.

Aside from the fact that a lot of my former magazine haunts have closed, NBS whittled down their magazine offering to a few titles. Unfortunately, US Vogue was one of the titles they dropped.

But thanks to Biboy, I've held my first US Vogue issue in 4 years!

Oh, Vogue, I've missed you so.

Yeah, it’s Time!

 Michelle Yeon is Time Magazine’s Icon if the year for 2022!

Yo! This is well-deserved!

Hope the Oscars come next.

There’s nothing to it...

More than 2 years after buying and holding a new magazine, I'm so glad that my return to magazine reading is the maiden issue of Vogue Philippines!

It's awesome that their very 1st issue coincides with the biggest fashion issue - the September Issue. And leafing through this magazine, it's like reading American Vogue with its wonderful fashion spreads and broad range of articles.

So, in the words of Madonna:

You gotta get... Vogue!
 

Fashionable Farewell

The past years have seen print publications migrate to the digital platform.

With more and more people spending time online and less people going out to by physical publications, the move is expected.

Locally, Summit Publication - once the biggest publisher of magazines - shuttered down all their physical magazines and came out with digital editions. This was sad news for me because I'm a huge fan of their mags, buying Cosmpolitan, Preview, Yummy, Esquire, among many others, on a monthly basis.

Now, another fashion fave is also about to bid adieu. They announced this last month, much to my disbelief. But it's now a done deal, and it's something that I'll have to accept.

Yup, my go-to InStyle is printing its last issue by April 2022.

It's another end of a fashionable era. And this time, I'm hoping that I'll really get to grab a copy of the magazine from the US.

Seeing double

This is the first time I'm seeing this, but InStyle has a double issue!

Their December 2021 and January 2022 issues are now combined into one.

And a big issue deserves an equally big star on the cover.

Yup, Reese Witherspoon definitely fits that bill.

Gosh, if Emerald Magazines was still around, I'd probably still be subscribed to InStyle and would have this ish.

There’s nothing to it...

 

Vogue Philippines!

Yes, we’re going to have our own edition of Vogue!

Count me in! Where’s the Subscription form? 

Ch-Reese-Mas

The December Issue of InStyle is one of the issues I anticipate the most. This is the issue where they countdown the 100 best style moments - something that's always a joy to read about and look at.

So, just like the September and November issues, the December cover girl is also someone I look forward to. 

And this Christmas month's headliner is someone who I've always enjoyed watching - especially during her stellar turn in "Legally Blonde."

Reese Witherspoon!

Now, how to get my hands on this issue...

State of Zen(daya)

Every year, one thing that I look forward to is the November cover girl of InStyle US Edition.

I've written about that for several years, and some of the women who headlined that issue include Taylor Swift, Tracee Ross-Ellis and Kristen Stewart.

And this November, it's her turn:

Zendaya is the cover girl for this November's "Best Dressed" issue.

Can't wait to see this magazine IRL. Just like I can't wait to see her in Dune.

Beauty. Queen.

The star of "The Queen's Gambit" makes her debut as the cover girl of InStyle's Beauty Issue!

Much deserved since Anya Taylor-Joy has that classic beauty that you can look at for hours and will never tire of it.

Now I've seen the cover. I wonder when I'll see the actual issue.

Fashionable Spread

Back when magazine shops were abundant and it was easy to grab the latest issues of magazines, most of my afternoons or after-work walks would lead me to Bufini, National Bookstore, Mag:Net and Filbars. They would be my sources for issues - both the latest ones and back issues - particularly of fashion magazines.

One of my favourite magazine cover formats would be the "fold-out spread." It would usually be a special issue and the cover would fold out to 3 or more panels to reveal an impressive array of models, actors and actresses, or influential people.

The magazines that do this often are Vogue and Vanity Fair. Sometimes, InStyle would do it, but they'd usually feature one model in different looks per panel.

While browsing through the September issue covers of magazines online, it was awesome to see how American Vogue is continuing this tradition.

Their cover is a spread of models-du-jour, and they showcase diversity in their choice of cover girls. Another innovative move from Vogue, and this is something to be expected from a fashion pioneer like Anna Wintour.

Diversity has never been this fashionable!

J. Lo and behold!

This is just a hunch, but i've got this feeling that J. Lo is the celebrity that appeared on the cover of InStyle most times. 

I've got a lot of issues at home with her fronting the magazine, and she's fronting it again this May!

Even if Julia Roberts is my favourite cover girl, J. Lo comes a close second. After all, it was J. Lo on the cover of the issue where I made a small appearance. (Harhar!)

As much as I'd like to buy this issue and expand my J. Lo cover repertoire, I'm not sure where it's available these days.

The Joy of being Kate

Effervescence and Joy are 2 things that best describe Kate Hudson.

From her personality to her roles in a lot of her films, she's always that bubbly, joyful gal who lights up the room with her smile and demeanour. Thinking of her in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days" and "Bride Wars" still brings happy memories until now.

That's why she's an apt cover girl for InStyle's March 2021 issue which banners Joyful Optimism. 

We all know, of course, that there's almost no way to get this new issue here in Manila. *sigh*

Then again, seeing her on the cover is already something to be joyful about.

P.S. Gosh! She looks like she doesn't age!

Ciao Bella!

Although her turn as Bella Swan was decades ago, and it's a chapter in her life that she long closed and would rather not go back to, I'll always remember Kristen Stewart for this role.

So much has changed in her personal life and career since then. But one thing hasn't changed, she's still a forefront when it comes to fashion and style.

That's why it comes as no surprise that she's the cover girl of my birth month's InStyle Magazine.

Now, how to get this issue, that's the question. After all, I'd like to have this molto bella issue.

Take me Back (Issues)

One thing I miss doing is going to branches of Book Sale and scouring the racks for back issues of InStyle US Edition.

Since Bufini closed and my other magazine haunts folded up, it's so hard to find current issues of InStyle. I'd often get them abroad, but even that is difficult now with all the travel bans in place.

So, my only recourse is to look for back issues at Book Sale. Which I usually get to do often at the Makati Central Square branch because they have a good selection there. But the last time I checked that store out was March. That's 7 months ago!

Thanks to the internet, though, I found them online and found out that they have these magazines on their racks.

Now that I've found them, the only thing to do now is take them!

Soon. Hopefully soon.

In(Style)terrupted

An epiphany came to me after looking at the August 2020 cover of InStyle US featuring Drew Barrymore.

I have not seen nor bought an issue of InStyle since October 2019!

It's a combination of non-availability, the lockdown, and the fact that my brother wasn't able to come home to MNL this June. (He was supposed to bring my stash for the first 6 months!)

This is the longest time that my reading of InStyle was interrupted.

And I can't wait to resume reading this magazine soon!

Cover rewind

In celebration of their 25th anniversary, InStyle has a digital series where they ask their covergirls to look back at all their covers and react to it.

Needless to say, it was a joy to watch. Especially Jennifer Aniston!



I'm still waiting for the Julia Roberts version.