Open Letter to Vanity Fair

Dear Vanity Fair Magazine,

I bought your September issue with Giselle on the cover in the hopes of reading a brilliant and exciting article about Brazil, as promised on the cover.

I'm half-way through your sensationalist article, and rather pleased with the photographs as they build in energy and show off a lot of leg.

Here is a simple request:  You feature one of the most beautiful Carnaval headdresses I've ever seen and it stands out as the focal point in one of your full-page photos.  While all fashion designers are properly credited down to the shoes and belts, all that is mentioned of the headdress is, sadly, "in a carnaval headdress".

Did you not LOOK at this thing?  You think that is something Brazilians pick up at the mall or put together in an afternoon?  You think this piece takes any LESS effort to create than one of these lousy little cocktail dresses that a designer clearly sleep-walked into sketching as a filler for their summer collection?

Carnaval is couture.  PERIOD.  It takes an insane amount of craft and patience. And the work is no less intricate a process than what takes place in the revered houses of seamstresses in Paris.

If you doubt this I invite you to revisit our article on Jair Oliviera.

Hopefully you will print this in your letters section next month with proper credit to the creators of the headdress that adds so much beauty to your fashion feature on Brazil. 

Yours truly,

Marcy Mendelson
Editor
Root Magazine

Comments

[Marcy]

To read some more opinions about the Vanity Fair photo spread and article go here:

http://madeinbrazil.typepad.com/madeinbrazil/2007/08/more-on-the-bra.html
and here:
http://madeinbrazil.typepad.com/madeinbrazil/2007/08/viva-brazil-or-.html

[FalsaBaiana]

marcy,
a proper headdress, not unlike that one in the shot with luiza brunet can be found in rio de janeiro, saara neighborhood, at a wonderful store that has ALL the carnaval gear your heart can dream of, called casa turuna. the only caveat: you must speak portugues to get your point across ;o)

[andrea]

very well put! I personally did not like that most of the Brazilians that were featured were fair skinned which is such a false representation of what you would find in that country. I was very disappointed.

[tonya]

I agree with Andrea. I flipped through the magazine in the airport, inspired of course by the cover, and couldn't even find the article ... since it looked like a typical fashion spread I'd missed it. It didn't look like anything I've seen from Carnival pics! I hope you sent this letter to them.

[Marcy]

Oh yes indeed Vanity Fair has my letter. I hope they publish it!