VidFlip: Vogue Hommes No. 2

mondblog VidFlip: Vogue Hommes Japan No. 2 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Vogue Hommes Japan Issue No. I was no disappointment. Finishing the first flip through the premiere issue, you pretty much know it was a must-have and that you’d probably got a new favorite mag in your hands.. that you likely can’t read. The cover was so obviously foreign, so definitely refreshing and Hedi Slimane's photography, Nicola Formichetti's styling and the altogether moment in men's fashion seemed in sync with Ash in “Samurai Fiction.”

With last year's American presidential election gaining international attention and the last superpower falling into deeper debt/shit, one could’ve spotted the American trend just as Luis Venegas' decided on an all-American Electric Youth! Issue, Vogue Hommes Japan's staff drafted the The Americas issue's editorial calendar and Raf Simons sent down red, white and blue color-blocked suit.

To say the least, the issue is better than good. Department pages make references to designers like Romain Kremer, Bernhard Willhelm and Mihara Yasuhiro, and tell on Gang Gang Dance, Ricardi Tisci and American designers Tim Hamilton, Robert Geller and Patrik Ervell. Shun Watanabe styles the proclaimed "It Boys" Simon Nessman, Matvey Lykov, Jethro Cave along with, of course, one or two very exposed others and the Venetia Scott’s photography and Alister Mackie styling combination steals best editorial with simple, steel portraiture of some numb, resilient Euro-looking youth clad in — what else but — stars and stripes.

The "Go West, Young Man" ed' shot by Slimane, styled by Formichetti had its moments with Hood By Air masking and the captures of a brazen bald eagle and limp American flag waving somewhere up above. The main detraction was the modeling; it was — truthfully — awkward, amateur and came with no sense of personality. Some were, in fact, kind-of candid shots but their with all the options they had, why they had to put so many... dull, dead shots must be beyond me. It seemed the number of photos on the 28-page spread also diluted the series and elements just didn't seem to align well enough to leave too grande of an impression.

The "Generation Soul The Season 09" casting, though, was, man, so tight. Marcus Lloyd and Saleiu Jalloh from red alongside DNA's Marcel Castenmiller made a harmony in Josh Olins' studio shoot. Other models in the shoot, Shih Han, Ali Mehrabian and VNY's Robert, struck some effortless looks and poses in N.Hoolywood, Raf Simons, KTZ, Commes des Garçons Plus Homme, Damir Doma, Maison Martin Margiela, Number (N)ine and damn.. Patrik Ervell, Marc by Marc, John Lawrence Sullivan, Thom Browne.. I mean, fuck. What’s good? What’s there.

The minimal print design associated with many men's magazines isn't too exciting but still not at all offensive. Set designs by Gary Card, though, are some of the more striking visual appeals The Americas issue had to offer. The Tim Burton-inspired looking hands cradling designer scents is somewhere at the top of my list for shortest, most memorable editorials featuring zero models.

One strange, can’t help but notice promotion made its way as an editorial in Vogue Hommes Japan. My guess is Dior Homme paid for the six-page advertisement/editorial styled by Shun Watanabe and shot by Karim Sadli. The clothes looked better than ever before, and I was surprised to see something mildly hot help in heat up the issue. With sinking sales and dips in advertising, we'll likely be seeing the likes of these promotional editorials in other fashion publications. I still can’t decide if I mind. Guess not too much.

Well, check out the ‘flip and enjoy. And if someone finds the editorial feature on Raf Simons' Art List, please forward it my way. I'm missing out on so much not with Vogue Hommes Japan not knowing Japanese.