Alright busty ladies. I got my issue last Friday, and I am so pleased. I have poured over the pages and even managed to translate some of the editorial (woohoo for 6 years of Latin!) I’m just pleased with everything, from the piece on the Obamas (I’ve got a total girl crush on Michelle) to seeing a big pic of Lena Horne. Maybe I’ll write a thank you letter to Franca Sozzani because I’m seriously thinking this woman has really stirred things up with this magazine. I’m gonna go ahead and be an optimist, but I think this just has to mean something for black models in the future. Anyways, more of my musings to come. First question for you all!
Guess Veronica Webbs age!? You’ll be blown away.
The answer, my musings, and pics after the jump!
43!!!! OMGZ. isn’t that just crazy. like look at her legs. i’m just amazed.
Musings: As a black female, this magazine raises stirs all sorts emotions in me. I went to New England boarding school, and I’ll spare you all the nitty gritty –go watch Gossip Girl or read Prep- but I felt like I was living in a J. Crew catalog/Abercrombie store, and I’ve been privy to many insensitive comments. “Black hair is kinda gross because you don’t wash it,” “Tyra Banks is like obese,” “ew Beyonce’s butt,” or my personal favorite: “Do you get lighter at night?" (WTF?!) Oh such icky stuff! But I know this issue means a world to the youngins, like my sisters. As a 15 years old fashionista, Capri is in the throes of all that self-conscious brouhaha, and I know walking into a store, mall, browsing the internet, turning on the TV, or opening a magazine and not seeing anyone who looks like you can be a pretty shitty feeling. If anything I think it’s nice for her to also see the new younger models like Chanel Iman, Lily Taylor, or Sesilee Lopez. I mean I love Naomi and Liya, but I was starting to wonder where’s the new wave?
But what I found so refreshing about this Vogue was that it wasn’t just super skinny black models. And they didn’t do any jungle or safari themed things, thank gah. Just look at the Naomi and Toccarah shoots, where they’re curves are actually accentuate and emphasized. What the hell have they been waiting for? What have advertisers and designers been afraid of? That (curvy!) black woman too could deliver wicked powerful shoots and sell high-end clothing just as effectively. Silly Billys! And why had I been thinking of Naomi as a stick… she’s definitely look quite solidly built… There were ranges of skin tones too, because I definately thought it would only be the light skinned models who received coverage.
If there was any gripes I had with the magazine, it was that the first 100 pages of advertisements featured white models (the first one with a black model is Naomi for Kenzo on like 102 or something). But! Perhaps such deep social commentary demanded that the lack of black models be visually expressed through the juxtaposition of the norm against such a progressive movement led by Sozzani to foster a dialectic around modern day raced base prejudices and tensions in the fashion industry–hmm I’ll continue to muse on that, but for now, here’s some picity pics.
Noami looks jacked. She will totally ef someone up…
FIERCE! i just had to say it…
Toccarah is the hottest woman alive. period.
woosh. that was fun. enjoy! xo claire
