The internet is a buzz with the reveal of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s April cover for Vogue magazine. Shot by Annie Leibovitz, the couple looks simply gorgeous in photos that steer clear of any cliche or stereotype that can be associated with one of the most talked about couples in pop culture.
Response to the cover has been mixed, ranging from some celebrating the cover for featuring a mixed couple to angry talk of cancelling subscriptions along with complaints of Kardashian’s celebrity status not being good enough because of her association with a reality show and her rise to fame on a sex tape.
Personally, I’ve looked to Vogue for luxury, style, aspiration and inspiration, but have never expected it to speak to a stamp of perfection, rather one that reflects noteworthiness. And the truth is,Vogue used to be iconic in the fashion world, but over the years the magazine has failed to keep up with ethnic diversity and pop culture by granting covers to an unbalanced amount of white female models, actresses and occasional pop stars as opposed to women who have made significant contributions to the arts, style and fashion. The list of women who should have been on the cover of Vogue is long.
In part, the April issue seems to reflect editor Anna Wintour’s attempt to play catch up with her own cover legacy by using two cultural icons, who have absolutely shaken the popular culture landscape. Whatever one may think of how Kardashian rose to fame, the level of popularity she has achieved has shaped body perception, fashion and beauty worldwide. In the case of West, he is considered an icon for a massively popular music movement that Vogue embarrassingly has barely covered.
On a more practical note, it should also, be noted that Kardashian has a following of 13 million fans on Instagram and 20.3 million on Twitter. West has 10.3 Million followers on Twitter. Meanwhile, Vogue only has 1.3 million Instagram and 3.6 million Twitter followers. Do the math…#worldsmosttalkedaboutcover