Vice-President Kamala Harris’ Vogue debut incites controversy

Vice President-elect Kamala, Harris has graced the coveted cover of Vogue magazine’s February Issue.

Kamila who made history in November as the first woman to be elected to the position wore her radiant smile and two sharp suits for the digital and print edition shot by Tyler Mitchel who himself made history as the first black person to shoot a Vogue September cover.

The covers which were shared on social media on Sunday was met with backlash and tongue wagging by sections of black social media.

“Making history was the first step. Now @kamalaharris has an even more monumental task: to help heal a fractured America—and lead it out of crisis,” the magazine shared on Instagram.

Netizens have described the images as terrible and accused the “Fashion Bible” of robbing her of her roses while others called it anti-black. 

In the print issue, she wears a black suit over sneakers behind a red and green curtain in a clear homage to her University sorority. 

The digital issue which has had more appeal saw her in a powder blue jacket with her arms folded. According the office of the Vice President-elect, the team had okayed the power blues suit over her look in black suits and Chuckees.

The controversy comes off the back of recent allegations against Condé Nast for its institutional racism, lack of diversity, poor payment of black creatives and the color blindness of its editors including Anna Win-tour who penned a rather less remorseful apology in the summer. 

Notwithstanding, the cover is a big slap on the face of outgoing First Lady Melania Trump and her husband who complained bitterly about fashion media’s apparent snub during their tenure.

Photographed by @tylersphotos,

sittings editor @gabriellak_j,

set design by @frau.juliawagner 

featuring @akasorority1908 colors,

written by @aokeowo, Vogue, February 2021