At first glance, a Vogue cover photo Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in her Converse sneakers and a black jacket is nothing out of the ordinary. But it is precisely this casual nature of the photo that is drawing criticism from users of social networks.
“The cover did not respect Kamala D. Harris. It was very familiar. It was a cover image that actually called Harris by his first name without an invitation, ”wrote Washington Post critic Robin Givhan in a poignant critique. “By using the more informal image for the print edition of the magazine, Vogue stole Harris’ roses.”
The cover of the February issue of Vogue shows Harris in an outfit of his choice, standing with his arms crossed in front of pink and green curtains – probably a nod to his university fraternity Alpha Kappa Alpha. A tweeter called the leaked image “faded mess, ”And another condemned the“bad quality“Of the picture.
In short, many argued that the image did not live up to the expectations of the iconic sleek, famous for its ability to display celebrities and even haute couture politicians.
A second photo, a photo of Harris with his waist up in a light blue suit, was received more warmly by the public. It was this second photo that Harris’s team believed would be on the cover of the magazine, according to the Associated Press. A source told the AP that the Harris team informed Vogue that it was disappointed in the magazine’s decision about which photo to use on the printed cover.
In a statement, Vogue officials said that “the informal image captured the authentic and accessible nature of Vice President-elect Harris – who we consider to be one of the trademarks of the Biden / Harris administration”.
The photos were taken by Tyler Mitchell, who in 2018 became the first black photographer to make a cover for American Vogue. He shared images of Harris posing in the light blue suit on Instagram.
Social media users also pointed to the general trend of anti-blackness in the fashion industry. Last year, Vogue’s chief editor, Anna Wintour, apologized for publishing culturally “painful and intolerant” content and not doing enough to elevate black talent. The apology came at the time when the Black creatives started #VogueChallenge, in which they created their own version of the covers of Vogue.
In a published article, the editors of Essence declared that the vice president-elect deserved better than a “casual” cover.
“With everything happening in our country and with so many problems to be addressed and solved globally, the micro-aggression of visually diminishing its position with the chosen cover image is especially disappointing”, wrote the editors.
“She must be seen as an inspiration for all girls and women around the world to know that they can aspire to heights that are still invisible, but she must also be fully respected according to the leadership role she will play now.”
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