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‘Disrespectful’, ‘Amateurish’ and ‘anti-black’: Kamala Harris’ US Vogue cover sparks social media outrage

 (Tyler Mitchell)
(Tyler Mitchell)

US Vogue has announced Kamala Harris to be its February 2021 cover star, however controversy surrounding the images has eclipsed the Vice President-elect’s Vogue debut.

Revealing the news on Instagram on Sunday, US Vogue posted a cover image featuring a full-length shot of Harris wearing a casual brown Donald Deal suit and Converse trainers standing in front of what appeared to be a pink satin drape hanging on a green wall, colours emblematic of her sorority at Howard University Alpha Kappa Alpha.

The picture has been called “a washed out mess of a cover” by some social media critics, who suspect Vogue of whitening Harris’ skin when editing the image, something that Vogue denies. “Kamala Harris is about as light skinned as women of color come and Vogue still fvcked up her lighting,” said one Twitter user.

Others have questioned the decision to feature the first female vice president as well as the first Black and Asian American to be elected to that role wearing Converse, despite Harris’ love of a sneaker on the campaign trail. They described the photo as “amateurish,” “disrespectful” and “anti-black.”

Others are simply underwhelmed by the quality and styling of the image, shot by Lensman Tyler Mitchell, who found fame when he became the first African American photographer to land a Vogue cover when he photographed Beyoncé for US Vogue in August 2018.

“Folks who don't get why the Vogue cover of VP-elect Kamala Harris is bad are missing the point,” said another Twitter user. “The pic itself isn't terrible as a pic. It's just far, far below the standards of Vogue. They didn't put thought into it. Like homework finished the morning it's due. Disrespectful.”

Vogue and Harris’ team are said to have worked closely together on the shoot. Vogue has also released an article explaining the nod to Harris’ sorority colours in which they confirm that the styling choices were “her own.”

The magazine later released an additional photo, a portrait of Harris wearing a powder blue suit by Michael Kors, standing before a table with a gold table cloth and golden curtain. This image, while still simple, feels glossier and more powerful.

There is general consensus that this image would have been the stronger of the two, and best used as the print cover version in February. Vogue however has chosen the more casual outfit featuring Harris in the brown suit and trainers to feature in print, despite the fact that, according to CNN, Kamala’s team signed off on the blue suit image as the one to be used.

A Vogue spokeswoman told WWD, “The team at Vogue loved the images Tyler Mitchell shot and felt the more informal image captured Vice President-elect Harris’ authentic, approachable nature, which we feel is one of the Biden/Harris administration. To respond to the seriousness of this moment in history, and the role she has to play leading our country forwards, we’re celebrating both images of her as covers digitally.”

However, some have interpreted that casual choice as a signal of disrespect. “Anna Wintour sabotaged the next Vice President! This is antiblack!” said one user. While another said: “Anyone shocked by the poor quality of Kamala's Vogue cover hasn't paid attention to Anna Wintour's bullshit w/people of color. It spans decades. Team Kamala should've known better.”

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, Anna Wintour penned a letter to Vogue staff apologising for her “mistakes” in publishing photographs and articles seen as insensitive to minorities. “Vogue has not found enough ways to elevate or give space to Black editors, writers, photographers, designers, and other creators,” she wrote. “We have made mistakes too, publishing images or stories that have been hurtful or intolerant. I want to take full responsibility for those mistakes.”

The image has even reignited calls for Anna Wintour to step down. “Anna Wintour needs to go,” said one Twitter user. “If the only time her team can properly style a black women is when she’s covered in couture then her tenure has ran it course.”

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