In one week we’ll release our annual magazine cover diversity report, but in the meantime, here’s a little preview. After tallying 677 cover model appearances across 48 top international fashion publications, we found that only 6 (0.9 percent) of the leading ladies were plus-size. Which is why, when British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman tapped curve model Ashley Graham to front the glossy’s first issue of 2017, we welcomed this small but promising start.
Of course, rarely do body positive triumphs come without troubling caveats, and Graham’s first Vogue cover is no exception to the rule. In her January editor’s letter, Shulman reveals that brands were reluctant to provide clothes for the Patrick Demarchelier-lensed cover shoot. Shulman praises Stuart Vevers of the newly rebranded, financially flourishing Coach for stepping up to the plate and drags (though not by name) those that “flatly refused” to contribute.
Here we run into the same arguments that industry insiders set forth when Leslie Jones found herself without a designer dress for the Ghostbusters premiere. Sample sizes run between size zero and size four, and larger requests require more time, effort and resources to construct. Thus, brands (supposedly) can’t accommodate “last-minute” shoots and can’t be blamed for operating according to well-established industry rules, right? Wrong. Just ask Tim Gunn.
And, while our forums did note that Graham’s look was more “high street” than “high fashion” — new Coach is known for chasing a downtown vibe — the model certainly did look great in her olive green boiler suit, backwards leather newsboy cap and DIY jacket. She, Shulman and Coach crushed their attempt, haters be damned. Still, it’s scary that even fashion bibles and A-list models aren’t immune to this kind of BS.