Why one month’s magazine has long been the heaviest, and most important, of the year.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 15 November 2026
Why is September so important?
Because it marks the start of the autumn season, when the Fall/Winter collections reach stores and brands spend the most on advertising. For fashion, September has traditionally felt like January: the new year. Magazines pack their September issues with the season’s trends, the biggest shoots and the most ads.
How big did they get?
Enormous. American Vogue’s September 2007 issue ran to about 840 pages, and the September 2012 issue, with Lady Gaga on the cover, to more than 900. Most of those pages were advertising. Since then print advertising has shrunk, and September issues are thinner, but they remain each magazine’s showpiece.
What is The September Issue documentary?
R.J. Cutler’s 2009 film followed the making of that 840-page 2007 issue. It showed Anna Wintour’s decisiveness and Grace Coddington’s battles to protect her romantic shoots, and made Coddington a star. It is still one of the best films about how a magazine works. See fashion documentaries and books.
Which September covers made history?
Beyoncé’s September 2018 American Vogue cover, for which she chose the 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell, the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover. In other countries, September covers are equally prized; landing one is a sign that a model or star has reached the top.
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