Tis' the Season

Time does fly so fast! Was it only a couple of months when the year started, and now we've reached the last of the 12 months, counting the days before Christmas.

December is not exactly my favorite month of the year (well it used to be, but I don't know what happened. Conflict of interests I guess.LOL) Fashion wise, it is a month when people get dressed with all the gatherings that abound. For someone like me who's an avid reader of fashion magazines, it is the time when most publications concoct their fabulous fashion spreads in line with the month of merry making.

The December issue of Vogue is one that I anticipate, next to the September and October ones, as this is when I get the chance to see what fashion story they've come up in line with the Holiday season.

Through the years, I've seen the December issue evolve and it seems to get bigger and bigger with editorials inspired by Alice in Wonderland (2003) and The Wizard of Oz (2006). However, a personal favorite came from 1998, with the "extraordinary Hillary Clinton" on the cover.

I first saw a glimpse of the December issue in the Talking Back section of March 1999 Vogue. There I saw an inset photo of the "Four Calling Birds" from their "12 Days of Christmas" editorial. Upon seeing it I said to myself I NEED TO HAVE A COPY OF THIS! Fast forward a couple of years later, I managed to find a back copy of the December issue which I still have until now. So, without further ado let me present "The 12 Days of Christmas" Vogue-style with photos by Steven Meisel.

"A Partridge in a Pear Tree" with one of my favorite models, "The Shalom Harlow".


With Justin Chambers, who years later will play Alex Karev in Grey's Anatomy, recreating "Two Turtle Doves".


I just love the pun on "Three French Hens".


The photo that triggered my fascination. "Four Caling Birds" in Balmain, Givenchy and Gaultier.


"Five Golden Rings"


"Six Geese-a-laying" with Shalom Harlow wearing a dress by Isaac Mizrahi which was part of his last collection before he "left" the industry. He would, of course, return a couple of years later.


"Seven Swans a Swimming" with Shalom Harlow and a corps de ballet from Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake".


A tableau that features models and motherhood recreating "Eight Maids a Milking".


"IT Girls" having a good ole time for "Nine Ladies Dancing".


Androgyny for "Ten Lords-a-leaping".


Shalom leading the band in Gaultier Paris for "Eleven Pipers Piping".


And finally the "Twelve Drummers Drumming".



Cheers! :)