Anna Wintour defends controversial Kamala Harris Vogue cover

Anna Wintour defends controversial Kamala Harris Vogue cover

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Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNN

Vogue chief editor Anna Wintour broke her silence on the cover of the February magazine with elected vice president Kamala Harris, which caused controversy when it leaked prematurely over the weekend.

In the picture, taken by photographer Tyler Mitchell, Harris stands in front of a pink and green curtain – a nod to the colors of his Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity – wearing his low-top Converse sneakers, along with a black suit and a white T-shirt. Critics took aim at lighting and style, calling the image “faded” and claiming that casual clothing was not appropriate for a historical magazine cover of the first woman and woman of color elected as Vice President of the United States. A source familiar with the discussions said that the Harris team believed that the cover would present a different image, showing it posing in a light blue suit against a gold background (this image was released as a digital cover, and was notably the only image Mitchell promoted on social media).
In a statement to The New York Times, Wintour said that there was “no formal agreement” on the choice of cover, but emphasized that “it was absolutely not our intention at all to diminish the importance of the vice president-elect’s incredible victory.”

According to Wintour, the magazine’s creative team felt that the casual look was the best choice for the current moment, making a connection with the country’s pandemic and tumultuous state. She did not comment on the lighting of the image.

“When the two images arrived at Vogue, we all felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the vice president-elect really reflected the moment we were living in,” she said in the statement. “We are in the middle … of the most terrible pandemic that is taking lives every minute, and we felt that we reflected this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture, something that was very, very accessible and accessible, and really reflected the trademark of the Biden-Harris campaign … “

“We want nothing more than to celebrate the incredible victory of Vice President-elect Harris and the important moment that this is in the history of America, especially for women of color, around the world,” Wintour said in a statement to the New York Times . Credit: Edward Berthelot / Getty Images

Wintour is not the only one to defend the choice of cover. André Leon Talley, former general editor of American Vogue, expressed his opinion in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“The (Harris) work uniform with its ubiquitous Converse sneakers is an aspiration. I predict it will create a trend for all young women worldwide, they will dress like Kamala Harris,” he wrote. “The knitting controversy is totally ridiculous.”

Wintour’s statement was read by Kara Swisher, host of the “Sway” podcast, for the prelude to an interview she had given on the cover days before it leaked. In the interview that followed, Wintour said that Harris chose his own outfit for the cover image, explaining that she has “a very safe sense of style”. She was optimistic about the next cover, describing it as “cheerful and optimistic”.

“I can’t imagine that there is anyone who will actually find this cover different from that and positive,” she said. “(It is) the image of a woman in control of her life that will bring us … the leadership we need so much. And for me, it’s just a very important, but positive, statement about women and women in power. “

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