Comments on: Welcome to Vogue India: it’s about time http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/ Behind the scenes at the various editions and businesses of Lucire. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:43:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Jack Yan http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-445 Jack Yan Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:25:12 +0000 http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-445 KD, thank you for your contribution. I particularly agree with this part: ‘we should be extra vigilant to the messages that the media sends children of color and protect them from deception.’ And, speaking with some personal bias, I think very, very few men would consider Gemma Ward to be more attractive than Aishwarya Rai. KD, thank you for your contribution. I particularly agree with this part: ‘we should be extra vigilant to the messages that the media sends children of color and protect them from deception.’ And, speaking with some personal bias, I think very, very few men would consider Gemma Ward to be more attractive than Aishwarya Rai.

]]> By: kd http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-442 kd Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:06:10 +0000 http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-442 As an Indian American I was thrilled when I first heard that Vogue was branching out to India, however the thrill soon turned into disappointment when I saw the inaugural first issue. It was bland and boring, the inaugural issue of Vogue India. Unfortunately, I don’t see much of anything distinctly “Indian” about it. I see them highlighting Australian model Gemma Ward, flanked by two Indian women, who may as well wear signs saying “sidekick” around their necks. To add to the affront, the Indian models both have blue eyes. I know that most will say that it may not be too much to worry about because most Indians have bigger fish to fry like poverty but Vogue had a greater responsibility to do right by India and it failed. Sad to say, this isn’t the first time. Vogue pulled the same stunt, with the same model on the cover of Vogue China’s inaugural issue I’m sorry but when I look for a Vogue India, I want to see beautiful Indian models all over the magazine; I want accurate representation. Gemma Ward pales in comparison to the lovely Aishwarya Rai, so why isn’t Miss Rai on the cover? What about Shilpa Shetty? Looking at the other models, they didn’t even need Ward on the cover. Their beauty speaks volumes. Unfortunately, their beauty wasn’t allowed to grace the cover without Gemma in the middle. What does speak volumes is Vogue’s subliminal message that unless a Caucasian female is associated with it, it’s not beautiful. The use of models with blue eyes (or possibly color contacts?) further cements Vogue’s idea of what women of color should look like in order to be considered pretty enough to stand next to a white woman’s beauty. If this the way Vogue is going to operate when launching magazines for perspective countries, I shudder to think what Vogue Kenya may be. I can just see it now. This is why we should be extra vigilant to the messages that the media sends children of color and protect them from deception. I wouldn’t bring this magazine into my house to line a bird cage. Vogue’s message is loud, clear and pathetic. If this is the best Vogue can do, they should be ashamed of themselves. Gemma isn’t the standard of beauty in this photo, in all reality, she barely makes the cut. As an Indian American I was thrilled when I first heard that Vogue was branching out to India, however the thrill soon turned into disappointment when I saw the inaugural first issue. It was bland and boring, the inaugural issue of Vogue India. Unfortunately, I don’t see much of anything distinctly “Indian” about it. I see them highlighting Australian model Gemma Ward, flanked by two Indian women, who may as well wear signs saying “sidekick” around their necks. To add to the affront, the Indian models both have blue eyes.
I know that most will say that it may not be too much to worry about because most Indians have bigger fish to fry like poverty but Vogue had a greater responsibility to do right by India and it failed.
Sad to say, this isn’t the first time. Vogue pulled the same stunt, with the same model on the cover of Vogue China’s inaugural issue

I’m sorry but when I look for a Vogue India, I want to see beautiful Indian models all over the magazine; I want accurate representation.

Gemma Ward pales in comparison to the lovely Aishwarya Rai, so why isn’t Miss Rai on the cover? What about Shilpa Shetty? Looking at the other models, they didn’t even need Ward on the cover. Their beauty speaks volumes.
Unfortunately, their beauty wasn’t allowed to grace the cover without Gemma in the middle. What does speak volumes is Vogue’s subliminal message that unless a Caucasian female is associated with it, it’s not beautiful. The use of models with blue eyes (or possibly color contacts?) further cements Vogue’s idea of what women of color should look like in order to be considered pretty enough to stand next to a white woman’s beauty.
If this the way Vogue is going to operate when launching magazines for perspective countries, I shudder to think what Vogue Kenya may be. I can just see it now.
This is why we should be extra vigilant to the messages that the media sends children of color and protect them from deception. I wouldn’t bring this magazine into my house to line a bird cage.
Vogue’s message is loud, clear and pathetic. If this is the best Vogue can do, they should be ashamed of themselves. Gemma isn’t the standard of beauty in this photo, in all reality, she barely makes the cut.

]]> By: Jack Yan http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-71 Jack Yan Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:17:18 +0000 http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-71 Thanks, Michelle! Your blog is very swish, I must say! Thanks, Michelle! Your blog is very swish, I must say!

]]> By: Michelle http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-69 Michelle Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:13:18 +0000 http://lucire.com/insider/20070930/welcome-to-vogue-india-it%e2%80%99s-about-time/#comment-69 While I understand your reasoning "Vogue India is evidently a magazine that appeals to the global nature of the Indian consumer"... I still wish they hadn't included her on the COVER and instead focused on "Indian" beauty without any distractions. Ps. I agree that despite her being in the center, my eye was drawn to the gorgeous ladies on her sides. Which makes me wish she wasn't in the middle even more! :) Great Blog by the way! While I understand your reasoning “Vogue India is evidently a magazine that appeals to the global nature of the Indian consumer”…

I still wish they hadn’t included her on the COVER and instead focused on “Indian” beauty without any distractions.

Ps. I agree that despite her being in the center, my eye was drawn to the gorgeous ladies on her sides. Which makes me wish she wasn’t in the middle even more! :)

Great Blog by the way!

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