Vogue India : The Anniversary, The Cover, The Controversy

The newest issue of Vogue India is special. It marks their 10 year anniversary, and to commemorate, Vogue decided to bring in royalty with a member of the First Family of TV. Yes, none other than Kendall Jenner graces the cover of the anniversary issue of Vogue India. With over 20 Million followers on Twitter and almost 80 Million followers on Instagram, Kendall boasts a massive fan following. Her supermodel status is well deserved, and the 21 year old fashionista has brands running after her for collaborations.

As soon as the cover was released, there was a lot of buzz around it in social media. The cover, and the photoshoot, both were mostly well-received, with multiple platforms praising Vogue for their masterstroke. There had been a lot of speculations earlier when the news hit the media that Kendall Jenner is in Jaipur. With the cover now released, those speculations stand answered.

The shoot by celebrated photographer Mario Testino captures the high-fashion looks of Kendall against the regal backdrop of the palatial interiors of Jaipur, making for a stunning visual born out of contrast. Apart from the cover, my favorite outfits were the ivory gown by Oscar de la Renta and the black blouse and skirt combination by Bottega Veneta.

Of course what stood out the most for me was the picture depicting the elegance of a white attire, starring Kendall Jenner AND our very own Sushant Singh Rajput. That one was a shocker because I could not have imagined these two interacting professionally, let alone star in such a prestigious photo shoot! I was pleasantly surprised, and immensely happy for the actor. He looks dapper in an Ozwald Boateng suit and Burberry shirt and tie. Even standing next to the international supermodel, he manages to hold his own and shine bright. Way to go, SSR!

The dance of couture with culture makes for splendid content for Vogue.

Despite that, the cover has come under fire by certain “Fashion Nationalists” who believe that it was unfair of Vogue to give the cover spot to Kendall Jenner instead of a model of Indian origin. Many people have voiced strong concerns stating that by putting Kendall on the cover, the magazine is reinforcing the idea that fair skin is sought after in this country.

The furore, in my opinion, is uncalled for. Honestly, it did not even occur to me that the cover could in any way be linked with skin tone. In fact, I think the collision of worlds is perfect. An international model in an Indian heritage city is quite the perfect analogy for a global magazine like Vogue completing a successful decade in India!

And it’s not like Vogue put her on the cover because she is white. She is featured on the cover because she is one of the most sought after supermodels in the world right now. At the end of the day, they are a business, and businesses care about how many people they can influence.

The Indian audience has become a little too sensitive. Imagine if the citizens of USA would have reacted the same way when Glamour magazine put Priyanka Chopra on their cover; they would have been labelled as white-supremacists and racists almost right away.

Though I’m pretty sure Vogue is having the last laugh. The ridiculous controversy has only increased their visibility and ensured that the anniversary special issue stays in the public memory for a long, long time! 🙂

– J

For the complete photo shoot and the cover story, go here , or grab the latest copy of Vogue India from the news stands! 

Image Source : Vogue.in