Vogue Japan just hasn’t been the same since Mitsuko Watanabe departed the title back in 2021. Tiffany Godoy has since been installed as head of editorial content, and we miss the days of Luigi & Iango shooting each and every cover with a selection of supermodels. Covers under Godoy just haven’t quite managed to hit the spot over recent months (with the firm exception of October starring Mona Tougaard). The unveiling of the mag’s last offering of 2023 for December, sees models Abény Nhial and Mary Ukech come together via the lens of photographer Hugo Comte, who twin in complimenting looks from Miu Miu’s Fall 2023 collection in the Patti Wilson-styled cover shot.
Needless to say, member of theFashionSpot forums weren’t feeling it. “The wigs are distracting. Vogue Japan can do so much more than this,” commented lanvinray.
“Their expressions are terrible and all that white space clashing with the bottom makes the cover look super cheap. December, uh?” an unamused WAVES voiced.
“Awful photography, awful styling, horrid wigs and a horrid cover. It’s like something from the late 90s/early 00s but in the worst possible way, I like the blue masthead and that’s it. You just know Luigi & Iango would’ve smashed a cover shoot with Abény Nhial and Mary Ukech!” declared vogue28.
Fierceification felt the need to share: “Like a 90s RnB album cover, but not a major label group aka Total or Zhané standard, but rather one for a girl duo that managed to scrounge up the funds for an hour’s session with a professional photographer at his ‘studio’ in advance of releasing their independent label debut album that maybe 100 people bought and ended up retailing for $1/50p on Amazon Marketplace five years later!”
“It’s an awful amateur cover for me. I hate it with a passion: the wigs, the styling, the lighting – everything feels sooooooo cheap,” complained Bertrando3.
Await more from Vogue Japan’s December 2023 issue and join the conversation, here.
