Barely a month after the Pepsi fiasco, Kendall Jenner has found herself at the heart of another social media controversy.
VOGUE India revealed this week supermodel Kendall Jenner as the face of its 10th anniversary edition, which resulted in huge social media backlash from the public.
The magazine itself aims to represent the Indian culture and showcase the best of India’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle- which is why Indian readers were baffled at the editors’ choice of a white American supermodel for the cover of such a prestigious anniversary.
The pictures themselves were beautifully shot by Mario Testino set in a Palace just outside of Jaipur and also featured Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. However, many people argued that this was yet another example of ‘a missed opportunity to celebrate women of colour’.
Critics of the cover expressed their opinions to Vogue India’s social media, one user wrote; “Why not an Indian model when there are so many?…This doesn’t create the sense that India has its own beauty and character.”
I am utterly disappointed in this Vogue India anniversary cover. There are so many deserving Indian models that should've got it. pic.twitter.com/GvVp0jxazq
— M. (@MEENAVOGUEE) May 3, 2017
Other critics argued that VOGUE India’s choice reinforced the cultural misconception that ‘fairer skin is better’.
Brown. Women. Are. Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/uffIGAUC2a
— Nabela Noor (@Nabela) May 3, 2017
Controversy aside, there is some good coming from the photo shoot. One of Mario Testino’s photos of Kendall at the Indian palace is being sold as a limited edition print, with a portion of the profits going to ‘Girl Rising India’- which is a campaign that funds and promotes education for girls around the world.
What do you think of the cover? Let us know your thoughts at BritAsiaTV.
