Vogue Italia’s “all-Black” issue has been selling out on New York newsstands and around the globe, prompting Condé Nast to reprint the issue with “Most Wanted Issue Ever” and “First Reprint” banded across the front.
As reported by UK news source The Guardian, in the past four weeks, the issue has caused such a phenomenal demand at news-stands in Britain and the United States that Condé Nast, the publisher, has rushed to reprint and distribute 40,000 more copies.
Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani says she was inspired by Barack Obama: “America … is ready for a black president, so why are we not ready for a black model?” she asks.
MICHELLE OBAMA & KANYE MAKE THE CUT
The future first lady, Michelle Obama tops Vanity Fair’s ‘The International Best-Dressed List’ for 2008 and superstar Kanye West also made the cut. Peep what they wrote about both of the popular figures.
MICHELLE OBAMA, 44, Because she’s our commander in sheath.
Residence: Chicago.
Occupation: Vice president for community and external affairs, University of Chicago Hospitals, on leave.
Notable ensembles of 2008: Maria Pinto purple sheath, with a black Azzedine Alaïa belt, worn when her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination; Donna Ricco black-and-white print dress on The View.
Causes: “Youth leadership programs, education, talking with women about work/family life balance.”
Kanye West, 31, Because, yes, he Kanye.
Residence: SoHo, New York City.
Occupation: “Ripping stages apart!”
Personal style: “I like to have fun and push the boundaries of what everyday outfits should look like.”
Favorite fashion purchase of 2008: “A special-order red Epi leather Christopher backpack from Louis Vuitton.”
Most frequently worn item: “My bape camo boxers.”
Dress up or dress down: “It’s way harder to dress down than to dress up. Casual is the true test of an outfit master. Old men dress the best. They’ll just be sitting in the park with a Missoni sweater, some tonal khakis, and some New Balance sneakers, and you’re like, Damn, that outfit is perfect.”
Cause: Education—the Dr. Donda West Foundation
I heard about this Vogue selling out. I wanna get me a copy but unfortunatley I can’t.
Yay Michelle! Idk bout Kanye.
Occupation: Ripping stages apart lol. Idk bout Kanye just cause sometimes he seems like he’s too much. Like he’s trying too hard. I mean I know he was the reason that hip-hop switched it’s style up from tall t’s and baggy jeans to polos, sweaters, etc. but sometimes it’s just too much. I agree w/ what Pimp C, I think it was, said about him. Sometimes he just doesn’t seem masculine enough for my taste. I can’t get w/ a metrosexual, ya know.
I’M HAPPY THAT KANYE MADE THE LIST HE’S ROCKS THAT EXCLUSIVE FRESH SHIT!
Congrats to Vouge is this the one with Jay in it?
Go Michelle Obama she has a good fashion taste and she upgraded her stiff hairdo
Kanye I heart him he dresses great at times but sometimes he tries to hard.
I ordered one from EBAY.. Way to go Michelle. Kanye
@ #4. That’s exactly what I was talking bout.
i love tyra but shes lookin wierder and wierder in pictures lately.
kanye is definitely a trendsetter, i would say he changed the wardrobe for the last few years for all the young men.
Obama 08′!
Ye got his own swag- much respect to that in this monkey see monkey do business.
I had such a hard time getting an issue of this Vogue. I ended up getting a co-worker whose brother is on vacation in Italy to bring me back 2 and then I ordered 1 on Ebay. I just need the Naomi Campbell one now!
LMAO!!! at Idk bout Kanye.
ON THE VOGUE ISSUE…THATS WASSUP BUT ITS LIKE PULLIN TEETH FOR THEM TO PUT A AFRICAN AMERICAN ON THE COVER (OR ANY OTHER ETHNICITY FOR THAT MATTER) instead, they keep puttin the same ol white people on there
spoken like a true fashionista-dressing down good is harder-go head kanye!
Yeah, I agree “TS LIKE PULLIN TEETH FOR THEM TO PUT A AFRICAN AMERICAN ON THE COVER .” And we know it’s our culture that makes this stuff look hot.
http://www.FollowDaLeader.com
http://www.FollowDaLeader.com
Michelle is class exemplified
Yess kanye is super fresh! I love michelle obama too!
i would love to have that issue of vogue…where can you cop out here in l.a.?!?! angel, let a sista know somethin!!!!
I want that vouge magazine but trying to find it is like tryna get blood out of a rock, i cant find it anywhere.
My favorite black supermodel Naomi is included..Yeah. I commented on another blog that the reason why this book is selling so is because we have only seen one version of black beauty. I found it hillarious how many whites felt that this was a form of discrimination against anyone who is not black. I explained that whites have had an opportunity to define the beauty of other races…How fair is that? For Blacks, Latinas, and Asian women, the typical beauty choosen is one that has as few “ethnic features,” as possible. Is that fair that this is the only version seen? For example in Hollywood, a Jennifer Lopez and an Angelina Jolie who are on the whiter side of Hispanic are given more opportunities than a Eve Mendes. Eve Mendes is even forced to work with black men only due to her complexion. Is that to say that our lighter sisters in these races are not beautiful, HECK NAH. But, we must realize that images do matter, and they do send a message, and they can be a hurtful message. I just congratulate Italian Vogue and pretty soon French Vogue for embracing black women period. Lets embrace black beauty of all shades.
So will Vogue take a cue from this and use a WIDE MIX OF DIFFERENT MODELS, from now on????
And as for white people yelling out political correctness, or affirmative action…um virtually ALL Vogue (and other major fashion magazines) are virtually 100% ALL WHITE, EVERY DAMN ISSUE.
Thats bullshit that black girls can’t sell. The industry DOESN’T WANT US TO SELL AND FEEDS IT INTO THE MINDS OF READERS. It’s the clothes that sell, not the model.
I mean, we were all going all wet in the panties for that Nelly photo for Sean John…..HOWEVER, Diddy as a black man has NEVER used a black woman in any of his ad campaigns.
I bought 3 of the Naomi mags. I love that heffa even if she is crazy and won’t leave the green contacts alone…however I was deeply outraged and damn right pissed to see the first 200 pages were still all white faces and all white ads for the biggest names in fashion. I actually would have been happier if theissue only consisted of the last 100 pages. Then they included a runway booklet with NOT ONE DARK FACE…I felt used expecially since they made it out to be this big deal. I go out and buy it and it’s the same shit? The worst part is that all those big names plastered throughout the book will get a major boost in sales and guess who will be the one’s buying their sh*t…Women of African Decent that’s Who! We make up the largest percent of the population spending money on fashion. This is true and has been going on for a long time. WOmen of color suffer from low self esteem in the society and we make up for our low status by buying and shopping and looking good on the outside…YET WE ARE INVISIBLE IN FASHION MAGS? Let’s not forget about Latina Women….THEY ARE NEVER IN FASHION MAG…NEVER…atleast we got our 3 or so models… they have none
and somebody questioned the truth about my comment that “people of color spending the most on fashion and accessories” on another blog so here’s an example of one of many articles on the topic…complete with statistics and numbers…
“To examine spending by racial groups, Roussanov and his colleagues studied data collected from 1986 to 2002 for the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Blacks and Hispanics spend up to 30% more than whites of comparable income on visible goods like clothing, cars and jewelry, the researchers found. This meant that, compared to white households of similar income, the typical black and Hispanic household spent $2,300 more per year on visible items. To do that, they spent less on almost all other categories except housing, and they saved less.
Visible items are those others can see when one is in public. The researchers found that blacks and Hispanics do not spend more than whites on items, such as home furnishings, that could serve as status symbols but aren’t seen by as many people…”
“The research indicates that spending habits are heavily influenced by a deep-seated yearning for status rather than transient fashion following. That could make the behavior harder to change, assuming that education, health and savings should come before shoes and jewelry.”…
“The fact that saving and stock market participation is lower among minorities could be potentially linked to their greater spending on cars and other visible items.”
YES WE ARE A VERY economically repressed group of people but our spending habits don’t do much to help the problem. We let our low self-esteem get the best of us…
http://knowledge.wharton....rticle.cfm?articleid=1963
AND NOT JUST BLACKS, LATINAS (LIKE AFRODITE SAID) ARE ALSO LACKING IN ENOUGH MODELS, AS WELL AS INDIANS, ASIANS, ARABS…..
Oh YES!! I purchased 2 of the Vogue Italia “Black Issue” they’re both reprints too. I have the one with Naomi on the cover and the other with Jordan Dunn.
I’m itching to open one of them, the other I will keep sealed for a long time to come, but I can’t decide which one!! They’re both still on my coffee table in the shrink wrap. Any suggestions?? Which one should I open??
@ 20 Lauren London is in Diddy womens ad and Diddy did have a fashion show awhile back were he used all black model.
I agree we should have more models who represent the world we live in. I wonder what other races feel about the issue. I never really hear Hispanics or Asian reported on a level that we do. Could be they just want to assimilate into the white culture.
Anyone looking for the mag., try a major bookstore. I found mine at a Barnes and Nobles in Philly. They keep them behind the counter though…not on the shelf, so if you don’t see it, ASK.
congratulations to vogue its about time we saw some black models instead of black RnB singers and video girls posing on front covers now wouldn’t it be nice if we started to see some trained black actors and actresses as opposed to singers and rap stars looking to make more money
Thank you so much Franca…we made history right there. Unfortunately I was unable to get my copy of Vogue, but thankfully they’re repreinting so I’ll try and get a copy of that.
Yes!! The Black Italian Vogue Issue, I knew I had to have it ordered it a couple weeks ago from ebay, paid 30bucks for it but think it was worth it, most definitely a groundbreaking collector’s item… Must Have!
Phillyfashionista I would keep the Naomi Campell one sealed. I have the issue with Liyah Kebede on the cover, mine came from ebay with the plastic wrap still on but slit on the bottom
Hay Fawn, you’re like the 5th person the said I should keep the one with Naomi wrapped…so Naomi it is!! You can probably take your copy to a store and have it rewrapped.
There was a time when magazines would not sell when black models were on the cover. Maybe now more black models will be able to get work and more covers.
hmmm @ Vogue…. I’m not impressed by any of the hype!
Michelle has stepped up her style game a tad, she’ll get it right for Mr. President….
Kanye is like “Revenge of the Nerds” lol…. loves him
black folks making moves,you cant tell us were not moving forward,we still have to push other walls down but we have broken through most of them
Michelle and kanye working it huh…well i know for a fact that kanys IS the flyest dude around….Ms.Obama is very mod the way she dresses,sort of like jackie o lol
Michelle really is a fashion queen. Did anybody hear about her being on the cover of Ebony magazine’s special September fashion issue? The dress she has on is banging!
WHY do people keep saying Kanye’s a fashion this or that? Kanye dresses so stupid and kiddish. He doesn’t look any better than Skateboard P or any other backpacker, but yet they give him shine for fashion? You gotta be kiddin’ me. He gets attention because he acts like a brat and expects everyone to ride him like he’s the G.O.A.T. of producers and anyone who goes against him or if he doesn’t win an award, it’s all hell breaking lose. Kanye’s a joke to me and completely overrated. And he’s a BUM. Ryan Leslie’s killing him right now.
yeah,yeah michelle obama rock the fashion world with the conservative because our hoochie nation really needs the new image and makeover!!! CONGRATS MICHELLE!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
I still feel that the BIGGEST fashion magazine that not only represented women of color but the art of our culture is SUEDE!!!!! SUEDE wads thw sh**!! We got to get it together I’m still hoping that magazine drops again. I even had white designers begging me to get them a copy when it was out. It was a great fashion mag period. I have every copy that came out!!
Ok, we really need to get beyond fashion and entertainment and start learning more about our people who are committed to doing things of substance. Yes, we need our entertainment, escapism and relaxation, but that’s all we are ever fed. This (in my opinion) seriously holds back African Americans. The true problem is not with the Black model per se. But the fact that the agencies, magazines, fashion houses, pr firms, etc. have so few Black employees. Also, we do not use our collective talent to start “placing” people internships with these companies AWAY from the visual/entertainment component of the organizations. How many of these people have advocated for interns of color to work and learn about the BUSINESS aspect of these companies? Same with the film industry. Until we get people in the ranks that can move up and learn the orgs, we will only get excited about the momentary displays of affection.
But kudos to Italian Vogue, if this mag can be inspired Barak, let us all be inspired to take our lives to the next level.
Credit must be given to ConcreteLoop for uppin’ the game by mixin’ in some historical and serious info on the site from time to time. Thanks for exposing and sharing info and knowledge with the peeps.
Also, let’s not get stuck on Chell’s dress and hair and look at all this woman has accomplished in her own right, conquering both Princeton and Harvard, as well as becoming an executive with the University of Chicago. Let’s start inspiring our kids to achieve those same goals without it seeming like such aims are more an impossibility, than a concrete reality.
Sorry for my Oprah moment, think I’ll go and burn a tree know.
typos and grammar errors all mine!
I agree that Michelle s/b on the list but Kanye? He always looks a mess.. lol
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I bought the Italia Vogue also. I agree with the post about the ads being all white. That was a little shocking since such a big deal had been made about it being an all black issue, but it is far from that. The black section was very well done and Naomi has a beautiful layout.
Michelle always looks beautiful and classy
ok, I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned that the Vogue Italia isn’t in English. Which was a shock to me, I was expecting to read the articles about Michelle Obama and Toccara. Overall the models took some beautiful pictures, but I’m pissed that I cant read this damn magazine.
y the fuck is kanye on there?!?
yea i have the liya kebede copy!! whoop!!
I agree with 47, I was pissed when I went into wh smiths today and skimmed vogue. Firstly the first 100-200 pages only had white models in ads, and then finally at the back were the black models.
Furthermore they didn’t even bother to make an english translation of the mag for this particulary monumental issue.
I must also add that one of the best things in this vogue issue was Tocarra jones who looked incredible, She really could be the first black supermodel plus sized to be a huge star because after seeing those stunning pictures she is just as great a model as sophie dahl.
ONLY PISS ME OFF PART:
Quote: Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani says she was inspired by Barack Obama: “America … is ready for a black president, so why are we not ready for a black model?” she asks.
My Response, Bitch You could had a Black Model on the cover whenever youwanted your the freaki editor for crying out loud!!! my goodness. Dont try and compare to excuse your racism. B* Pleaze
Thats how I feel — Im glad they FINALLLy decided though.
agree with # 27. I wonda
-M*
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Are you stupid or what?? Of course vogue italia is not in english it is in italian coz that the vogue published in…..Italy! Why is that F…g Americans believe that EVERYthing revolves around them and they are surprised that in this world not everybody speaks english!
Ha ha so stupid!!!!!!!
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