Black super models Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell are all featured on individual covers for the July issue of Vogue Italia’s first ever “black issue”.
With editorials led by famous fashion photographer Steven Meisel, this issue features photos shot by Miesel of some of the best models of color, new and old – including Chanel Iman, Veronica Webb, Iman, Tyra Banks, Alek Wek, Pat Cleveland, Karen Alexander, and even America’s Next Top Model contestant Toccara Jones.
The July issue of Vogue Italia debut on European stands next Thursday and will be on U.S stand later this month…
( Photos: NY Times / Vogue Italia)
#31 and #34 ARE ON IT! The women look gorgeous, we ALL know that but I do have reservations about this black only edition. I just hope that it leads to black women being represented in the traditional magazines and not relegated to a “black history edition” while everything else stays the same. We’ll see how it goes…
Second, it appears none of them are wearing their natural hair. To their credit, not many models are. I will just be glad when the day comes when black women can just be accepted with all of our natural beauty. But, we don’t even have that type of acceptance within our OWN community so can we reasonably expect white culture to see it? I don’t know.
2008 and it’s the first black cover? we have not come a long way-but in order to make up for that they need to have women of color on all of their covers for a year or two, the same way white women are on every cover of every magazine every month. LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL SISTERS ARE.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!
Nice cover, only gripe. Chanel Iman is by far and away the number one black model in the world, I would have like to seen her with a cover!
Jourdan Dunn is a stunner to be reckoned who’s not too far behind Chanel Iman.
And then there is Arlenis Sosa Peña………who has exploded onto the scene faster than any model…….EVER…..black or white, and she’s poised to outshine them all.
It’s a great time for black models. It’s true they may have not gotten their due before, but Jourdan, Chanel, and Arlenis proved that the right girl and skyrocket to the top regardless of race. This trio can’t be denied!
Now thats what I am talking about! This is making me look at Italy in whole other light…Let me find out that I might have to study abroad there or somthing,lol…… The pictures are flawless!……..Black is Beautiful!!!!!
hmmmm whateva am STILL NOT BUYING a single copy!! next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cute pics though
I so agree w/ # 47 totally, support our black models and buy Vogue. Make Vogue take notice and know that we are willing to spend our money on them if they cater to blacks.I will definitely be buying all 4 copies!!!
2008, damn. this is way past due.
i love chanel iman!
naomi is badddd!
wish i had money to buy all 4 so i guess i have 2 pick 1 lol
It is kind of annoying that the magazine has “the black issue” written on it. It is like February is Black History Month so let’s only deal with it then. This should be common place rather than one special issue so then after this “black female” highlight everything goes back the way it is w/ no diversity on the future covers.
Luvs it!
I wanna see Tocarra’s pic. That’s the only reason I clicked on this post. Also to #23, your “slave mentality” statement is ASS-BACKWARDS. Ppl are talking about them wearing straight weave/hair because majority of A.A. women DO NOT have straight hair naturally and you know it. The slave mentality aspect your were TRYING to use has the ideal “nappy hair is wack and straight hair is great.” So if you think its okay for black models to wear straight weave, then you are the one feeding into the slave mentality, not the other way around.
You would what would have been cool; if they would have did a edition showcasing A.A. women EVERYWHERE. Kinda like a regional thing. All these pictures say to me is diversity in the A.A. modeling and not in the actual community. I guess that’s too Ebony and not Vogue lol. Nm then… but I still think someone should do that!
@Chiara that’s false. ethiopians range in hair texture but most don’t have straight hair. i have an ethiopian friend who has nappy hair.
i think i’m getting the liya kebede cover. that woman is incredibly gorgeous. love her. when does it officially come out though?
these pics are looking good (though i clearly see the photoshopping ahem naomi lol doesn’t matter she still has a sick walk)
@73- You could have saved the drama. That’s not what was meant. But you can add your one cent. I DON’T GIVE A F#$K WHAT THEY WEAR. Now, thank you good night.
PLease update when its on shelves here!
One thing I want to know: where can I buy this mag?
FINALLY
)
I never buy Vogue but I must cop this Issue if it comes to Canada. The ladies are lookin fierce! I see you Tyra!
UMMMM BLACK IS SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL….
GO HEAD! WAT! GO HEAD! WAT! NOW I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS GOING DOWN IN THE MODELING INDUSTRY MORE OFTEN.I’M SO PROUD OF THESE BEAUTIFUL LADIES DOING IT UP BIG IN VOGUE!!
We have to stop WAITING for THEM to put us on THEIR magazine covers. We be FIERCE. We need to acknowledge our own beauty and stop waiting for them to dust us off every now and then and acknowledge us. Also Ethiopia comprises about nine different ethnic groups ranging from very darkskinned to somewhat fair. Their hair textures range from fine textured to coarse, even within the same family. My Ethiopian and Somalian friends told me it took them awhile to figure out what black Americans mean by “good and bad” hair because in Ethiopia if you are born with short kinky hair you proudly rock that Afro or even braids and if your sister was born with very long fine textured hair then she wears it in curls or braids and go on about your business.
Toccara??? One of these things is not like the others…
No: 3. I think (only think) that maybe they never used Eva because she is lighter skinned, and i think the industry would’ve got a beating if they produced a magazine with pages of lighter skinned black women so they seemed (from the pictures we have seen) that they have stuck to a similar skin tone. I could be wrong.
Sorry everyone if you have read a similar point already, i couldn’t be bothered to read past comment 5.
^ are u guys for real , there’s only one cover and LIYA KEBEDE landed it , the other 3 models are getting fold out covers…..shit do guys even read VOGUE…..do u think theyn will be publishing 4 diffrent issue’s .
Alek Wek got into the fuckin mag….and chanel iman landed the mag to…thats from very dark skinned to extremely light skin…so that shows that the magezine used a diverse range of skin tone……u guys are igonarante .
Okay So i LOVE the fact that Vogue is taking this step, regardless of the motive behind it (moral concern or just to sell mags), and hopefully theyll get enough support to see that this is the direction they need to continue to move in.
HOWEVER… (you knew it was comin) i am SOOOO NOT FEELIN all the “BITCH” referrences, let me remind you a bitch is STILL defined (at least in my webster) as a DOG and these are BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN oka. Vogue looks to be moving forward, how about we try to move forward in the way we address each other?
I blame BET lololol jk… but no really i do though
#64
Lets be real oka Naomi would have slapped the hell outta Iman or Jourrdan if either one of them would have gotten the cover LMAO oka you know she has an issue with containing her emotions
No but true story she probably wouldnt have done the shoot, and that would have been money/publicity lost for the mag, read through the comments look how many are talkin “Namoi” and how many are talkin “Iman”… although i do think Iman is great she just hasnt had the longevity, and thatll only come with time
ignorant or “igonarante” yeah bc i looked and thats not even a throw to the ignorant in Italian, which WOULD HAVE BEEN clever, however, it just came off as name calling… very childish
your welcome
BEAUTIFUL
I’ve been thinking. Why are we excited? We have been walking the earth for too many years, some of the most successful people in the world are black and we are suppose to be grateful for a “Black Edition” if they had spent time researching they would have realised that that black people have spending power, our people are using there clothes to set trends but this isn’t reflected on the catwalk, in campaigns or magazines. It’s almost insulting that instead of introducing more models into the magazines we get our own and we can be happy for another 50 years! we are in 2008. I say don’t buy the magazine for theses purposes.
FABULOUSNESS!!! I love it! It’s always great to see people of color doing their thing.
I’m sorry, but how on earth is this “all black issue” a good thing???
One step forward……………. TWO STEPS BACKWARDS…..
So, Vogue decided to do an all black issue, but guess what….in the next months issue you’re still going to be able to count the number of ethnic models with two hands, maybe even one….just like ALL the previous issues.
This issue is nothing more than a marketing scheme and a way to get everyone to shut up about the lack of color in the industry!
The people at Vogue knew that black people around the world would be rushing to the stores to pick up this issue and that = $$$$$$$$$$$
It’s 2008, I won’t be purchasing any Vogue magazine until I see people of ALL color in their editorials……………. on a regular basis.
With that being said……..Where is Emanuela De Paula?? Now, that’s a ridiculously beautiful model!
Sorry to be pessemistic but ain’t nan one of those models got a NOSE like mine…
Naomi is the baddest supermodel ever. She may have anger issues, and her hairline may be a thing of the past, but nobody can touch her modeling…Tyra can’t touch her in the look department.
Liya Kebedee is pretty too.
And whoever is hung up on black women wearing weaves, get it over, it’s here to stay, and black women didn’t start this trend, white women started wearing wigs and weaves, and do so in record numbers today. Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Jessica Alba, Jenny McCartney, Pamela Anderson, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Rod Stewart’s daughter, Kimora Lee, the Kardashian sisters, and so many more are examples of none-black women who wear weaves.
Black men need to stop being so stupid…black women didn’t start the trend of wearing weaves and extensions…white women did some 70 plus years ago, black women started wearing wigs about 45 years ago, and the weaves and extensions are of course within the last 20 years.
#98 Bravo to that post! Black women have, outside of the entertainment industry, have only been rocking weaves for the past 20 years, white females for over 50. A friend’s grandmother started doing weaves back in the 1940s and 90% of her clientele were white women. The only black women who could afford weaves were celebs. I know a lot of us think that the white man’s ice is colder. I am not saying that some black women don’t have issues with our hair, but women of other races and ethnicities have issues with their appearance too. The “man” has convinced us for so long that we were doo doo that many of us truly believe it. There are many Asian women out there who have eyelid surgery to achieve a more Western eyelid. You don’t hear (at least not in the English language) Asian men mocking their women. If they do, they do it in the privacy of the Asian community.
We need to stop thinking that all other people in the world are perfect and don’t have issues cuz I know better.
Everyone looks good except for Tyra.. she looks sick
yes Vugue is having a black issue , but most people don’t know since all this publicity black models have been added on the runway’s quick and been all the major magezine’s……the main argument people are putting up is that black models don’t sell…..so if you people don’t magezine it will be like proof that high fashion is not for black people…and in 50 years we will still have this argument…but if you guys buy it , there’s going to be a change in fashion…..check out Models .com the last models on FEED and MODEL of THE WEEK were black american , afro latino , african , or afro arab….things are changing and if you guys make the choice to not buy the magezine , things will go back like it used to .
Toccara’s going to be in Vogue? Cool! But there’s no Beverly Johnson? She’s bangin’! There’s another model I would like to see who’s black/asian, but I forget her name.
lol @ 71 you do have a point.
lol and word @ 4
# 31 and 34 damn major points too….I had a little thought in my head hmmm black issue? -_o lol
Interesting article….. nice pics….. black women spend 20 billion a year ON CLOTHES gotdamn……..we got serious buying power….it’s only right to see women on runways and in magazines far more often than not that looks like me. Those are some beautiful pics btw…..Tyra looks like a sexy ass cancer patient tho.
@ 48 where in D.C. you at?! lol I’m in Anacostia and it’s hard to find prices 4.15…..more like 4.35 x-D
@ 93 great point but I didn’t read anyone’s comments as coming off as grateful for this Black Edition.
#4 stop the ignorance.
even white models use weave so stop that nonsense .
dont start that self hatred bull crap
if you want to get on to the issues with black women lets talk about the misrrepresentation of dark skin women. except in the high fashion world.
#98
KUDOS to you #98 .
You are well right. weaev is here to stay get USE TO IT .
*Passes out on to the floor*
I love Chanel Iman. She is the black supermodel of my generation. Her and Jourdann. I love these two and I look towards NYC Fashion week just to see them.
Besides all that, Everyone on this cover looks absolutely GOOORRRGGEEEOUUUSSS. All them Fashion Designers and stupid Casting directors, Magazine Editors, need to take note. Honey, this is real beauty. Not them sickly,ghastly, emancipated, clumsy looking, walking like zombies, so-called “beauties”, astrocious looking Eastern European girl yall got stanking up the runways. Fashion has lost its appeal, glamour, artistic, edge, personality and beauty.
I’ve said my peace.
And, Yes I WILL BE BUYING THIS ISSUE!!!
I’m literally counting down the days until this shows up stateside. I can’t wait to see the rest of the photos and I am really curious about Toccara’s pics. You know Tyra is going to try to take all the credit for that one.
LIYA KEBEDE LOOKS FAB!!! LOVE THAT GIRL!
i have read most of the comments.My only problem is that i would like a copy of the black vouge magazine for myself and to show others what we too have achieved. I feel it was good that they decided to do that but said to learn not all countries hace a copy including England. Please please could you give me some sort of idea when copies are coming to England.
like many of the comments about the magazine it is good to know we of colour have our own edition. I have heard about it by text and chinese whispers so i went on the web to find out.
please could you contact me by email when copy is coming to a town near us.
England
Can’t wait to show my daughter, this could be the begining of more to come.
Has anyone actually managed to put their hands on a copy yet?? I am based in the UK and the major bookstores are telling me to come back in August! So much for it being on news stands in Europe on June 26th. My feeling is that after all the fuss, all those who would want to buy won’t be able to and it will be reported that it was the worst selling edition ever…cause the black women who are clamoring for it don’t live in Italy…sad sad state of affairs…this edition poses more questions than it answers –
I think it is out over here now or should be soon. I saw some scans and Toccara looks so pretty. They all look really good. Chanel Iman worked it too. I am proud of them all.
I must say that I bought a copy of the magazine in London today from the Borders near Tottenham Court Road Station. So it is definitely out! The staff at Borders informed that alot of people have been purchasing it. As it is Vogue Italia, the copy that I purchased is in Italian, and my Italian is practically non-existant! If they put out an English language edition, I will certainly purchase that one too!
The pictures are gorgeous! I think the point is that the photographer, Steven Meisel, decided that he wanted to shoot all black models. It is certainly a positive and showcases black beauty.
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via high five tyra and I guess vogue on some kind of progress
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Let’s face it that vogue italia all black issue was bs. I applaud the gesture but when I look at the magazine, the models were looking ridiculous! horrible styling, ugly ass pictures and put tyra and toccara? what a joke…that whole issue was a joke never I have seen a high fashion magazine with such horrible clothes and pictures…
It could have shown black beauty at its best instead it made those black models look bad.
And instead of putting an all black issue once in a lifetime, why don’t they use black models regularly in their magazine? That is so hypocritical!
question :why is Chanel Iman hailed as the biggest black top model right now when she doesn’t even look black? at all!??