Vogue Responds to Cover Criticism

Vogue has responded to the criticism they’ve received for their recent cover featuring Vice-President elect Kamala Harris, who wore Converse sneakers, with a black blazer. There was an additional cover with Kamala wearing a powder blue suit, which was the digital cover.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the magazine said in a statement, “The team at ‘Vogue’ loved the images Tyler Mitchell shot and felt the more informal image captured Vice President-elect Harris’s authentic, approachable nature — which we feel is one of the hallmarks of the Biden/Harris administration.” They added that they will celebrate both covers digitally.

Meanwhile, Kamala’s team said in a statement, “In this moment where the country is so divided, where we need serious leaders, the blue and gold shot represents that. That would never have been approved, and Harris’ team is extremely disappointed.”

Meanwhile, Elaine Welteroth, former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and current co-host of The Talk spoke on the controversy, saying, “Here’s why the intention didn’t match the impact. There is a larger, cultural context here. Vogue has a history of not representing Black women in the best light, literally and figuratively. So there isn’t an innate trust within this community.” She added, “The problem is, what we’ve come to expect from a Vogue cover when they’re covering a presidential person is regal, elevated, sophistication…I think this was Vogue’s attempt at refreshing, modernizing, staying with the times, but I think Black folks haven’t seen ourselves like this on the cover…And I think a lot of people go, Vogue, they didn’t get it here.”