Drenched in designer duds ranging from a Louis Vuitton skullcap to a jewel-encrusted vintage Piaget “tennis watch”, André Leon Talley, contributing editor for Vogue magazine, embodies the notorious side of fashion, a side which Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor in chief, acknowledges as being misunderstood by critics of the fashion industry.

Playing into the intrigue surrounding the fashion world, The September Issue, a 2009 RJ Cutler-directed film, delves into the lesser-known side of the industry and the eight-month toil involved in creating the September issue of Vogue, which millions of women receive every year.

Not only does the film give a behind-the-scenes view of the production of the holy grail issue of Vogue, but also provides a peek behind the iconic sunglasses of head honcho, Wintour.

Wintour’s warm side, usually concealed by her reputation as the “most important” woman in fashion, is revealed through a series of clips and interviews that also probe into her background and family life.

But more important than Wintour’s personal life, The September Issue examines Wintour’s relationship with Vogue’s creative director and former model, Grace Coddington.

Coddington plays the spirited counterpart to Wintour’s wintery demeanor. Through their tiffs the complementary nature of the duo reveals itself, as well as the fact that Wintour’s decisive, “ice queen” role is crucial to the publication.

Though the film still involves the infamous elements of the fashion industry like tossing a million-dollar page spread and models refusing to eat during photo shoots, The September Issue does a good job in presenting Vogue as a substantial operation.