The fashion industry and therefore also the fashion magazines have for a long time been dominated by young, thin, and white models. However, with the rise of movements like the Body Positivity Movement and Black Lives Matter the fashion industry has been forced to respond and change its old ways to include more people of different races, sizes, and age. But how far have the fashion magazines actually come in 2020? Are they truly diverse or are there still room for improvement? These are the questions I will try and answer here by looking at some of the front covers of the biggest fashion magazine in the world: Vogue.
Vogue health initiative
In 2007 the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) with the support of Vogue US announced a Health Initiative with the purpose of urging everyone in the country’s fashion industry to take responsibility for the models wellbeing by encouraging a healthy and vital physique. Then in 2012 all of the Vogue editors around the world joined the initiative and pledged to "work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image" and to "be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image" (Milligan, 2012). Anna Wintour addressed this initiative in the editor of the June 2012 issue of Vogue where she also wrote: “For an industry that should be about empowering women of all shapes, sizes, and ages, too often the image of attractiveness it has projected has been entirely at odds with that message.” (Wintour, 2012). This is why it is interesting to look at what Vogue has done in recent years and is doing today. For are they promoting a healthy body image and empowering all woman or are they the ones who have acted in conflict with that message themselves? They are after all a big part of the industry.
Vogue US in 2020
So, let us take a look at the front covers of Vogue US in 2020. What is interesting here is that so many covers are featuring black women (or a painting of a black woman) especially in the last few months where Simone Biles, Lizzo and Naomi Campbell were on the covers. However, it should be noted that they are very personalized by putting their name in the center as to explain why they are on the cover. On the covers of non-black models, the name is written in a much smaller font size. The April cover also features two black models and a third non-black model and is especially interesting as it is the only group photo but also because it does not try to dilute or personalize the models and the black models are the center of attention. When black people have been featured in group photos on the cover of Vogue before this one, they have usually not been put in the center like here but been placed next to and diluted by white models.
When it comes to representing different sizes and body types there is some variety as two of the cover’s features a plus size woman actually showing of their curves. But there is also the August cover that shows a very muscular woman, which are not often seen in magazines.
Vogue Italia – the special issues
Vogue Italia has on multiple occasions been front runner when it comes to challenging the fashion industry and its norms, also when it comes to diversity. In 2008 the former editor of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani published an entire issue featuring for the first time only black models. And then in 2011 she published the curvy issue featuring only plus size women. Both before becoming a part of the health initiative.
In comparison none of the US covers featured a black model in 2008, only the black sports athlete LeBron James was featured on a cover that became quite the controversy. It was also not until 2017 that a plus size model, Ashley Graham, was put on the front cover of Vogue US (although not as noticeably as she was hidden between thinner models and posed to look thinner).
In 2020 for the important September issue, Vogue Italia published the most diverse cover probably ever seen with their “100 covers, 100 people, 100 stories” front covers. What is so special about these covers is that they do not just feature models and celebrities but also artists and “ordinary” people - all of different ethnicities, ages, sizes, professions, and lifestyles. They are showcased side by side on their individual cover with no filters as a way to embrace diversity, beauty and hope (Vogue Italia, 2020).
Conclusion
So to answer the questions asked earlier, I think it is safe to say that Vogue (and probably also the rest of the fashion magazines) are definitely on the right path when it comes to being more diverse and promoting a healthy body image, but there is also still room for improvement. It is all about finding the right balance. The 100 covers show that it is possible to be truly inclusive, but it is also not enough to just make special issues if a lasting change cannot be seen in the rest of the magazines. When it comes to promoting a healthy body image, I would argue that they are overall succeeding at this in the way that they are at least not promoting an unhealthy one. Most of the models on the covers are still thinner than the average women but not in a super unhealthy way. There is still a lack of inclusion of plus size models and even just average sized women though. The biggest change right now can be seen in the inclusion of more black women on the front covers of Vogue from what can be seen on the 2020 covers compared to years before, but it also interesting to note how it is done.
I think it is important to ask what the consumers actually want? Does average sell magazines? Maybe the covers are not the most diverse, but they still include different women that consumers in one way or another can find inspiring and empowering even if they look nothing like themselves.
References
Milligan, L. (3. maj 2012). The Health Initative. Hentet fra Vogue: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-health-initiative-vogue-model-health-wellbeing
Vogue Italia. (27. august 2020). Vogue Italia’s September issue: the 100 covers. Hentet fra Vogue : https://www.vogue.it/en/article/vogue-italia-september-issue-100-covers
Wintour, A. (18. maj 2012). Taking a Stand: International Vogue Editors Join Forces to Support the CFDA's Health Initiative. Hentet fra Vogue: https://www.vogue.com/article/the-health-initative-june-issue
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