PRESENTER
C.E.R.
FROM
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEATURING
A&F MAGAZINE, FALL 2004
As a token of appreciation for having aided him with his university thesis, a kind friend of mine, studying in Budapest, presented to me as a gift a vintage, now-collectible copy of the A&F Magazine Fall 2004. Considering me, you know I was stoked. Particularly because the Fall 2004 issue, released 14 July 2004, is the premier issue of the then-new A&F Magazine which ultimately represented the start of something fresh, in attitude for Abercrombie & Fitch, after the December 2003 cancellation of the A&F Quarterly. Furthermore beautifully, the issue was the first to be used as an advertising vehicle for the Ezra Fitch higher-end clothing line which had made its debut that fashion season. To my friend, you know who you are, and I'll always cherish this for cultural and sentimental value...
I vividly remember the first time I skimmed through the pages of this A&F Magazine issue this late-May 2013 and thought to myself, "Oh, the tales this thing could tell." Really, because, as you can only imagine, this copy has had itself quite the journey since it was first purchased at whatever A&F store here in the States where it was originally on shelf. I'll forever wonder who that person is who walked out of that Abercrombie & Fitch store with it in shopping bag....because it – their copy, now being mine – has now ultimately found itself on The Sitch on Fitch. And nine years later, too. Nine being my special number.
What's furthermore incidental is that this issue came to my possession nearing nine years later as the Back-to-School (BTS) 2013 season was being finalized for imminent launch...with this BTS 2013 harkening back to the tradition of profiling young stars on the rise. The BTS 2004 campaign was themed 'A&F Rising Stars', the first of such a themed campaign, and the premier A&F Magazine profiled Michelle Trachtenberg (Ice Princess; 17 Again; Gossip Girl), Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace), Justin Bruening (All My Children; Knight Rider; Ringer), Taylor Swift, and Olivia Wilde (The O.C.; Tron: Legacy) among many others while featuring campaign photography including actors Kellan Lutz (Twilight) and AnnaLynne McCord (90210) and high-profile model Hilary Rhoda (face of Estée Lauder beauty; Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues 2009, 2010, 2011). And so coincidences of 2013 – believe me, many more than just these I've noted – sprung into realizing this progressive, yet nostalgically-juxtaposed, BTS 2013 season on THE HOTTEST BLOG of #StarsOnTheRise and A&F classics and tales of vintage.
This A&F Magazine Fall 2004 was meant for me to share with you at this point in time, and so I can only oblige with fate. There is much to share. Thus, the issue will be presented on The Sitch on Fitch in special edition installments of Tales of Vintage. While the series is originally a Thursdays-weekly affair, we will be making an exception. Today, we start with The Intro...
Top: The cover featuring Kellan Lutz.
Center: Introductory 'Editor's Letter' by a supposed grandchild of Ezra Fitch.
Bottom: Clockwise, Hilary Rhoda w/"Sky", and "Nature" and "Grass".
While the Back-to-School 2004 campaign was labeled 'A&F Rising Stars', the premier A&F Magazine was subtitled "Sky. Nature. Grass."
"With the help of some frogs, owls, deer and, yes, even bears, we photographed A&F's fall line of clothing at the expansive farmlands of Hidden Valley in California. These grounds have served as the backdrop for many movies, making them an ideal place to showcase [...] the rising stars of tomorrow." – Excerpt from 'Editor's Letter' mock-signed by the supposed grandchild, Ezra Fitch
Considering that Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is steeped in romanticism and fantasy in juxtaposition of its authentic spirit, the mock-signature may well be just that...fantasy.
The Tales of Vintage special edition posts for A&F Magazine Fall 2004 will be broken down into three parts: The Intro (August 29), The Interludes (September 5-7; Parts I, II, and III), and The Profiles (September 12). I sincerely hope you enjoy this exceptional exploration of another classic Abercrombie & Fitch gem...
Stay FIERCE!
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A
SERIES OF POSTS HIGHLIGHTING EXCEPTIONAL ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO.
PIECES
WITH PERSONAL STORIES FROM FANS ACROSS THE PLANET.
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Images and written content © C.E.R., The Sitch on Fitch. Original photography in A&F Magazine Fall 2004 by Bruce Weber for Abercrombie & Fitch.