Vogue America will publish a limited print edition of its February issue, featuring Vice-president elect Kamala Harris, with a new photo following a widespread backlash against an original cover image for appearing too casual and “washed out.”
The most liked alternative cover, which features Harris in a light blue suit against a gold background, was originally created for the magazine’s digital edition, but will now appear in a limited print run, said the official website and social media handles of the magazine on Tuesday.
“In recognition of the enormous interest in the digital cover, and in celebration of this historic moment, we will be publishing a limited number of special edition inaugural issues,” the magazine wrote on its website and on social media handles.
The original cover image, showing Harris wearing Converse sneakers and casual clothes, received backlash on social media with users questioning the magazine for choosing the image over the more formal online cover.
Washington Post’s senior critic-at-large Robin Givhan, wrote that while “there’s nothing inherently wrong” with the picture, in selecting the more informal one as its cover, “Vogue robbed Harris of her roses”, reports Cnn.com.
Others said the image made the Vice President-elect’s skin appear “washed out” and was out-of-keeping with Vogue’s glamorous aesthetic.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour previously said that the magazine’s creative team had felt that the casual look was the right for the current climate.
“When the two images arrived at Vogue, all of us felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the Vice President-elect really reflected the moment that we were living in. We are in the midst … of the most appalling pandemic that is taking lives by the minute, and we felt to reflect this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture, something that was very, very accessible, and approachable…” ,” she said in statement to the New York Tim
