Brits have edge in battle of cover stars

The battle of the September issues now has its leading contenders, Rihanna and Beyonce, showing their wares.

Beyonce’s Vogue cover.

The battle of the September issues now has its leading contenders showing their wares. British Vogue was the first to reveal its cover — Rihanna, in a colourful close-up, pencil-thin eyebrows and finished with a floral headpiece. Now US Vogue has revealed its cover — Beyonce, pared back in a white Gucci dress and finished with … a floral headpiece. Oops.

So, the good news: two black megastars on the year’s biggest issues of these international fashion bibles. Tick. Tyler Mitchell becomes the first black photographer, Beyonce’s choice, to shoot a Vogue cover, and also one of the youngest. Tick.

Buzz was intrigued when tidbits started filtering through last week about the US cover. Beyonce was given unprecedented control over the shoot, she used her own stylist, Kwasi Fordjour (alongside exiting fashion editor Tonne Goodman), and she refused to do an interview, preferring to just “comment” on issues in extended captions.

British Vogue editor Edward Enninful has been making his mark in the near-year he has been at the helm, saying one of his remits is to show more diversity of all kinds. The Rihanna cover, shot by Nick Knight, is very much in line with his aesthetic, which often has a nostalgic nod to decades past. This one has a touch of the 1930s (those eyebrows!), 50s (that pose!) and 80s (that colour palette!).

Vogue’s cover of Rihanna.

Apparently Beyonce was going for a more natural look and is quoted as saying: “It’s important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies. That’s why I stripped away the wigs and hair extensions and used little makeup for this shoot.”

All good intentions, but the result is underwhelming and the photo itself soft focus in the extreme — even blurry. Buzz is siding with the Brits for this one. We have to wait another week for the first glimpse of the Vogue Australia September cover, and Buzz’s breath is bated.

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Speaking of Beyonce, the singing sensation is the first to debut the work of Riccardo Tisci in his new role as creative director at Burberry. Bey took to the stage in New Jersey last weekend in a custom-designed ensemble from Tisci, consisting of a bodysuit, cropped trench, over-knee boots and sunglasses — all in the brand’s heritage plaid. Who ever said matchy-matchy was passe?

There has been more drip-feeding about the new direction of Burberry under Tisci. Last week the heritage house unveiled its new logo — the first revamp in 20 years — with a more streamlined font and contemporary feel. It also revealed a new monogram for the house, to be used in collections alongside that plaid, featuring the interlocking initials TB, for founder Thomas Burberry. Despite being based on a 1908 monogram from the archives, to Buzz’s eye it has a whiff of the 70s about it, not least because of its beige — sorry, “honey” — background with orange and white.

The graphic designer involved, Peter Saville, has form — he was hired by Raf Simons to overhaul the Calvin Klein logo last year.

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Closer to home, Kellie Hush, Harper’s Bazaar editor of six years, caught many off-guard on Saturday with the announcement she was leaving — notably, of her own accord. Her press release said she would be pursuing a “long-held dream … to create a unique fashion brand”. Apparently all will be revealed in a couple of weeks. Buzz has tried to winkle some more information out of her, to no avail. “I’m definitely not launching Hush Puppies!” she replied, countering a suggestion from Buzz’s colleague, Stephen Brook, in Monday’s Media section. “Hush by name, hush by nature.” And once a journalist, always a journalist.