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The February 2022 cover of British Vogue, featuring nine African women, claims to be redefining what it is to be a model, but the image has sparked fury and dismay on social media over the magazine’s unnatural styling choices.
British Vogue’s Twitter account posted the cover, which featured models Adut Akechangh, Anok Yai, Majesty Amare, Amar Akway, Janet Jumbo, Maty Fall, Nyagua Ruea, Albé Nhial, and Akon Changkou, with straightened hair, under what many are calling unflattering light.
“With a new generation of African models in the spotlight, fashion is at last embracing what it is to be truly global. With British Vogue’s momentous all African February cover, meet the young women redefining what it is to be a model,” the caption read.
With a new generation of African models in the spotlight, fashion is at last embracing what it is to be truly global. With British Vogue's momentous all African February cover, meet the young women redefining what it is to be a model: https://t.co/I5J2Yps09I pic.twitter.com/WAPV2feNob
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) January 13, 2022
The criticism poured in from social media users, ranging from calls to “do better” from some, while others expressed downright disgust. Here’s a small sampling of those responses from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BAFrazier/status/1481991953893916673?s=20
I see what they tried to do here, but why the wigs? Their natural hair needs to be embraced too. The lighting is poor too. https://t.co/nQSMMONLVt
— Melea VanOstrand (@MeleaVanOstrand) January 14, 2022
The photo is too dark. You can't see the models' facial features — just blackness. Any good photographer knows that lighting faces can be challenging. In this case they decided on NO lighting. Even their black clothes show no texture b/c of no lighting.
— Lawrence Aaron (@LawrenceNYC1) January 16, 2022
https://twitter.com/Rollon2or8/status/1482911958227722244?s=20
Momentous indeed 🙄 'global' fashion presenting the African ideal as a fiasco of synthetic hair and appalling coats. And if this was meant to cut across the assortment of variegated colours for which the continent is known, what a shoddy job you've made of it. https://t.co/ZoCkPotmuG
— The Cleric (@Luqmanul_hikmah) January 14, 2022
what an insult! what happened to african hair? https://t.co/xqYs0XOJ13
— I3HVQ (@svd33q) January 14, 2022
https://twitter.com/KMarieTimez/status/1482079959879405569?s=20
https://twitter.com/roselinenya/status/1481881881260011522?s=20
In a follow-up tweet, Vogue also posted a behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot, which only seemed to fuel the controversy.
“Rows of rails laden with the season’s most sought-after looks, more jewellery than a jewellery store, and a year’s supply of hairspray. Just a flavour of what you can expect on a British Vogue shoot,” the tweet read.
Rows of rails laden with the season’s most sought-after looks, more jewellery than a jewellery store, and a year’s supply of hairspray. Just a flavour of what you can expect on a British Vogue shoot. Watch as the cover stars prepare for their moment: https://t.co/Ytc453EcnW pic.twitter.com/f0XKDvy7uH
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/sylviaajacob/status/1485612574670471173?s=20
https://twitter.com/xxo_tia/status/1482563203166920704?s=20
https://twitter.com/MondeKiara/status/1482531728765956101?s=20
What could have truly been a “momentous” celebration of African beauty has, sadly, become little more than a momentous disappointment, leaving many to ask British Vogue one simple question: Why?
https://twitter.com/ComrieQuinn/status/1482519856289304579?s=20
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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