Earlier this summer, we were offered a glimpse into the glamorous world of fashion with the satirical film Absolutely Fabulous, but now British Vogue has trumped Patsy and Eddie's comedic duo with Absolutely Fashion, a BBC2 documentary that will give us access inside the hallowed halls of the 100-year-old magazine.
For the first time in British Vogue’s history, the magazine has allowed TV cameras to film behind closed doors, as documentary filmmaker Richard Macer spent nine months inside Vogue House and beyond while the publication prepared for, and began celebrating, its 100th birthday.
Speaking about the filming process of the candid two-part documentary, Alexandra Shulman, Editor-in-Chief explained: “At Vogue we are more used to being behind the lens than in front of it. The process of being filmed over such a long period of time was intriguing although at times, testing.”
We meet Shulman who has edited the magazine for the past 24 years, in the first episode, having just returned from the SS16 shows. Macer follows Shulman and several of the magazine’s senior team, including Fashion Director Lucinda Chambers, who has worked at the magazine for almost 40 years, Creative Director Jaime Perlman, and Fashion Features Director Sarah Harris.
As well as introducing the team, the documentary also casts a spotlight on some of fashion’s most recognised and popular faces, including Edie Campbell, Mario Testino and Kate Moss who has covered more issues of British Vogue than anyone else.
This year marks many momentous occasions for British Vogue with countless celebrations to commemorate the centenary. There was, of course, an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, a big birthday bash in May, attended by the biggest names in the business, a cover with the Duchess of Cambridge and now this documentary as the chic cherry on the glistening birthday cake.
If you liked The September Issue, the now cult 2009 film which followed the making of the sacred September issue of American Vogue or even the fly-on-the-wall documentary Posh People: Inside Tatler, which aired in 2014, we can only assume you're going to love this.
Episode 1 of Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue airs Thursday 8th September at 9pm on BBC 2.