Vogue Summer School London: Mock September Issue Pitch

Throughout this intensive course at Condé Nast College London, Mia lead a team as Chief Editor & Stylist through a mock September issue pitch for British Vogue. This included two professional photo shoots, one classics and one still life.

The issues overall theme was "a celebration of this seasons fashion through the feminine eye." Her team explored themes of the female gaze in fashion and the many ways in which people express that within their own wardrobe.

For the still life shoot, the team found inspiration on male sex symbols whose fashion sense reflected that of the traditional female gaze. Men such as Jacob Elordi or Harry Styles often experiment with traditionally feminine looks, all while maintaining their sexual appeal to the opposite gender. For this reason the team chose to shoot a purse that was based on a famous paparazzi photo of Jacob Elordi wearing a similar bag, in a dominantly masculine setting. Through its classic, masculine vibe. scenery, and color pallet, the image evokes a sense of desirability from traditional men.

For the classics shoot the team delved into the concept of complex women and their portrayal in the media. Heavily inspired by the movie Black Swan and the recent surge in "ballet-core" style, the team wanted to demonstrate a new take on fashion's classic little black dress. The model's makeup was chosen to mimic that of a worn out porcelain doll, a nod to the main characters self-destruction of her own body in the pursuit of perceived perfection.

The dress was sourced by Mia from a local designer in London as a more rough and intriguing ballet silhouette. Mia elected to work with a local designer on this shoot in order to find the perfect piece that evoked the feeling of a modern woman in a classic piece, all while still staying true to the issue theme of the female gaze. The dress eludes to a woman dressed by women, rather than a woman dressed to appeal sexually to men.

In the remainder of the pitch, the team outlined mood boards and concept proofs for the other key features of a September issue in British Vogue. It is Mia's hope that you find them as exciting as her team did!