Poet, activist and style icon @amandascgorman is the latest cover girl for Vogue Magazine and she’s smashing some glass ceilings in the process.
The May cover is a historic as one because this is the first time a poet has been made a cover star for the fashion magazine.
Gorman, 23 was photographed by Annie Lebovitz in a Kente cloth by Louis Vuitton, styled with a gold belt as a dress by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
READ MORE: Virgil Abloh pays tribute to his Ghanaian roots in Paris Fall/Winter for Louis Vuitton
Unable to hide her joy and gratitude, the youth poet laureate shared the cover on her Instagram feed. She wrote:
“The first poet ever on the cover of @voguemagazine. I am eternally grateful & do not expect to be the last—for what is poetry if not beauty? What a joy to do this cover while wearing a piece designed by groundbreaking Black designer @virgilabloh that honors my heritage.”
The are other covers of the Harvard Graduate in a tulle dress and Dior dress marking the start of the Spring Fashion Season with the caption, “FASHION, WE MISSED YOU” boldy inscribed on the cover.
Kente Fabrics are synonymous with Ghana and made of handwoven cloth strips of silk and cotton. In the past, the fabric was worn in a toga-like fashion by royalty among ethnic groups such as the Ashanti and Ewe, a tribe from which Louis Vuitton designer, Virgil Abloh traces his roots.
In an interview with Vogue on Zoom, Abloh called the collection his “personal story”
““My parents are looking at these Vuitton shows. They’re reading the BBC News articles about my use of kente cloth [but] I’m looking at a photo of my grandmother in full kente that inspired the look.”
Abloh adds, “I grew up as a teenager seeing my dad wear kente cloth to occasions that were heightened experiences and I had to grapple with how come my friends in America thought my dad was wearing something super foreign that they couldn’t relate to. What does that make me feel about my own personal heritage? Do I highlight that or do I keep that within? The amazing power that fashion has is: Let’s take away the feeling of being shy about our personal heritage just because it’s not pop culture. In turn, we can educate using a garment; we can educate using a selection to be on the Vogue cover.”
Photography: @annieleibowitz
Hair:@laceyredway
Makeup:@raisaflowers
Assisted: @juliocesardelgato
Fashion Director:@virginiafsmith
Visuals Director:@nicburdekin
Creative Editorial Director:@guiducci
Stylist: @gabriellak_j
Outfit: @virgilabloh@louisvuitton