Harvard alumnus R.J. Cutler's new movie explores Anna Wintour's Vogue

A new documentary by R. J. Cutler '83 takes viewers behind the glamour of a fashion powerhouse.

The new documentary film The September Issue, directed by R. J. Cutler '83, takes viewers into the hallways, offices, and meetings behind Vogue magazine.  Cutler, who produced the documentary The War Room on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign (it was nominated for a 1994 Academy Award), shot 300 hours of footage to record his portrait of Vogue and its famously icy editor, Anna Wintour, the model for Meryl Streep's imperious character in The Devil Wears Prada.  The nexus of The September Issue is the relationship between Wintour and Vogue's creative director, Grace Coddington, the Welsh fashion model of the 1960s who has spent more than 40 years working for the British and American Vogues. Coddington, far the more engaging character, becomes the real protagonist of a finely crafted documentary on a subject that everyone talks about, but next to no one understands.

The Boston Globe reviewed the film on September 11.

You might also like

Harvard Students Restore the Old Burying Ground

Members of the Hasty Pudding Institute help revive the graves of former Harvard presidents.

At A.R.T., the Musical “Wonder” Explores Bullying and Friendship

Auggie Pullman’s story comes to life through an inventive space metaphor 

Five Questions with Michèle Duguay

A Harvard scholar of music theory on how streaming services have changed the experience of music

Most popular

Martin Nowak Sanctioned for Jeffrey Epstein Involvement

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences announces disciplinary actions.

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

How Measles Causes Immune Amnesia

Michael Mina explains “immune amnesia” and the lasting impact of infection.

Explore More From Current Issue

Four men in a small boat struggle with rough water, one lying down and others watching.

The 1884 Cannibalism-at-Sea Case That Still Has Harvard Talking

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens changed the course of legal history. Here’s why it’s been fodder for countless classroom debates.

Four young people sitting around a table playing a card game, with a chalkboard in the background.

On Weekends, These Harvard Math Professors Teach the Smaller Set

At Cambridge Math Circle, faculty and alumni share puzzles, riddles, and joy.

A stylized illustration of red coral branching from a gray base, resembling a fantastical entity.

This TikTok Artist Combines Monsters and Mental Heath

Ava Jinying Salzman’s artwork helps people process difficult feelings.