Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Vogue's "Vogue Black" Site

Posted by Ms. P at 1:34 PM
All things Black is the focus of Vogue Black, a branch off from Vogue that not only pays homage to legendary and today's rising Black models, but also to all things black in film, music, and popular culture.

VOGUE BLACK 
currently features:

The iconic Grace Jones and Pat Cleveland

Up-and-coming model Jeneil Williams

Old Vogue articles that feature iconic and well-known Blacks (currently on the site is the November 2008 article with Naomi Campbell interview with Nelson Mandela)

Feature on Forrest Whitaker and his wife as a black couple in Hollywood and films with black actors and that focus on the black experience such as Invictus starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela

There is a particularly interesting article on the allure of uunsi, an African incense used by women. I'll be asking one of my African American friends more about that one!

Now for my downside about the site.

The launch of the Vogue Black site seems like a step in the right direction, however I'm a little unsettled. The whole thing is feeling a little "separate but equal." Why couldn't appreciation for Blacks in the fashion industry, particularly black models and celebrity fashion icons just be incorporated into the regular Vogue Site? I'm not completely opposed to the idea of the site, however the site's credibility will dwindle if appreciation for multicultural beauty still isn't seen on the regular Vogue site, and most importantly in Vogue magazine issues abroad.

I was not impressed with the site. The site is not appealing and seemed a little helter skelter, and very much a sophomoric attempt at web design. It's just very blah. Check it out for yourselves and let me know.

The site pays homage to old and new Black models in the fashion industry, and currently namely the ones pictured above.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 4, 2010 at 1:51 PM

    So---I read this article and feel a certain kind of way. HOW DARE VOGUE! One, I really use to enjoy reading their mags until this recent issue with not including the Black Actresses in the photo shoot. To top the cake they decide to come out with an "off brand" mag. This is as bad as what I saw in Wal-Mart recently. I don't know why I never paid attention to this until now.... "Black Haircare" is what the sign read when I went to pick up some shampoo/conditioner. Why is it that we/they are still separating ethnicities? We have a bi-racial president. Is it that they are seriously unaware that they are doing it at all or is it being done on purpose to prevent "black women" from purchasing their product? This is the same type of thing that happened with the brand Tommy H. Is Vogue really willing to risk the audience they have?

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  2. JMarch 5, 2010 at 1:57 PM

    This is ridiculous. I guess this is Vogue's attemt to "right their wrongs."

    Interesting points @ prettygirlwith20pearls...
    I haven't noticed a "Black Haircare" sign in the Wal*Mart here... I'll have to look. However, I HAVE noticed that the haircare products are CLEARLY separated. Hmmmm...

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  3. Ms. PMarch 5, 2010 at 2:29 PM

    @prettygirlwith20pearls
    As far separating hair care products I actually don't mind. I like being able to go straight to what I need without having to browse through a bunch of products that aren't made for my hair anyway. However, separating hair care products is more of a convenience., while this Black Vogue site just keeps things away from their mainstream audience. That beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and COLORS, and recognizing black icons and culture are concepts that shouldn't be separated from their mainstream audience of readers. To really change the mindset in the fashion industry and beyond, it's going to take embedding these concepts in every Vogue issue, and they don't have to be in your face about it.

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