British Vogue's 'real people' issue is a one-off, but it reflects a shift
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Version 0 of 1. In one sense, the new issue of British Vogue is on the money. A whole issue with no actual models. In 2016. And after Alexandra Shulman previously said no one wants to see real people on the front of her magazine. Non-models are increasing on the catwalk to the point that they have a name – nodels – and they are becoming the norm. Eckhaus Latta’s show last season cast the musician Dev Hynes and poet Grace Dunham, who is the sister of writer and actor Lena. Nasir Mazhar has been street-casting models for years (essentially attractive people who don’t necessarily fit the requisite modelling dimensions) and the Balenciaga show featured head designer Demna Gvasalia’s boyfriend, friends and muses – as well as “proper” models. Still, the fact that Vogue’s “real people” issue is being talked about in the news suggests some of the motivation behind it was publicity. The September issue makes headlines; others not so much. It may also have been a way to confound the critics: showcasing the people you said no one wants to see before a petition forces your hand. Of course this is Vogue so they can do what they want, and next month it will be business as usual. But there has, undeniably, been a shift in awareness and Shulman is no fool. Who has the power in the fashion industry – the designers, the magazines or the consumers? We buy fashion magazines for aspirational reasons but we also, sometimes, want that aspiration to feel attainable rather than the stuff of fantasy. The issue, out on Thursday, is likely to still feature plenty of pages of advertising, so casting it as a “model-free issue” feels a little misleading. Likewise, Emily Blunt is on the cover because the fashion world would probably have drawn the line at a civilian in that spot. And who knows how well it will sell? Seeing a successful ice-cream maker in a buttery Hermes suit makes it feel within grasp to real women … even if we still can’t afford the suit. |