For Vogue India's latest issue, editors decided to shoot some of the country's poorest citizens modeling such luxury goods as a Hermes Birkin bag and a Burberry umbrella. An older woman -- missing her upper teeth -- held a baby wearing a Fendi bib which cost as much as she might earn over a several month period. (Remember most of India still lives on little more than a dollar a day.) The juxtaposition has a number of Vogue readers (and non-readers) astir. In a place polarized by caste and an exceptionally apparent disparity of wealth, one would think Vogue might have been a little more discreet. Perhaps most infuriating about the photo spread is that Vogue didn't even get the names of the men, women and children posing. They are simply referred to as "lady" or "man" while the cutline goes into great detail about the various objects they model -- people as props, handbags as the main story.
The real shame? That somehow poverty never quite goes out of fashion.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-03-2008 @ 9:51PM
coco said...
my question would be whether they were even paid for this, or simply treated as 'props' to for the shoot. and if vogue was looking to make some kind of statement, it should have benefited these people. i get the 'artistic' nature of it... but it sounds like it was done in poor practice.
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9-04-2008 @ 10:54AM
Valerie said...
I agree and thought the same thing.Thank you Tracy for a very touching reply on this story.I think Vogue should be ashamed of this.Of course models are all props to make companies money,but they get well paid for it.I wonder and doubt that Vogue did anything to help these people.Tracy please keep us up to date on this.
9-04-2008 @ 10:55AM
Bill said...
I get the feeling that Vogue India was making a socio-political statement with this. And, if that was their true intent, then I must say, it's very well done.
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9-04-2008 @ 10:55AM
Bill said...
I also wanted to point out that since the "models" are anonymous, it's adds a certain poignancy to the statement.
If one gets aroused by the sight of anonymous beggars modeling designer goods, then Vogue India has made their point, and driven it home.
9-05-2008 @ 2:04AM
mike said...
it's a stretch to believe that a business which exists purely to sell luxury goods would make any "statement" that's critical of them or their purchasers.
9-05-2008 @ 12:31PM
Bill said...
Vogue exist to comment on fashion, not to just "sell" it. Although selling is definitely a part of what they do with designers whose work they like and wish to promote. Therefore, while it may be a "stretch" for some to believe that Vogue is making a statement, it's not so for others.
10-06-2008 @ 10:42AM
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