In light of the recent backlash it faced for its latest issue's cover image of the magazine featuring US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Vogue will be releasing a limited print edition of its February issue, it was announced on Tuesday.
The edition will be published online with a photo of Harris wearing a Michael Kors powder blue formal suit. This particular photo was released online but the magazine had gone with another photo of Harris, where she is seen wearing a pair of sneakers and seemingly not so formal wear and had irked people who saw it as a way to diminish Harris' achievements. Vogue announced the same on its Instagram handle.
Harris will be the first woman in American history to hold the position of Vice President. She will also be the first woman of colour to ever hold this high a political position in United States. But the critics believed the magazine cover along with the caption used "Be the people, for the people, the United States of Fashion" ended up disrespecting her despite all that she has achieved and made it look like just another informal magazine cover.
Many also felt the cover may have lightened her skin colour, either by post-Photoshop, or simply by strategic lighting, which was pointed out by several on Twitter.
Given that vogue is well respected, it’s hard to believe that this horrendous cover was ever in print. Kamala aside, the picture itself is not reflective of the first female vice president of the United States. Vogue should be ashamed
— James Wendel (@jawbonejw) January 20, 2021
The lighting is poor, she doesn’t look fully made up and the quality of the photography and angle aren’t up to the standard of Vogue covers past. It just isn’t quality. pic.twitter.com/Sn6hDsr2QY
— Brooke W (@MamaWetzel) January 10, 2021
Y’all need to stop dressing Kamala Harris. Her stylist needs to be dropped. What they did to her in that vogue mag was not IT.
— aмanda oĸanι (@All_In_One12) January 20, 2021
Vogue's editor-in-chief had also spoken about the controversy last week and defended the said informal cover photo of Harris. Giving her statement to the New York Times, Wintour had said, “Obviously we have heard and understood the reaction to the print cover and I just want to reiterate that it was absolutely not our intention to, in any way, diminish the importance of the vice-president-elect’s incredible victory.” She had added that she felt the picture was “very, very accessible and approachable and real”.
American photographer Tyler Mitchell had posted both the images on his social media.