Sep 03 2008
Vogue India’s Controversy
A recent article in the Vogue India August issue has caused some controversy. There are images showing average/poor Indians wearing designer clothing. Some clothes that they are posing in cost more than they make in a whole year. Many people have found this to be distasteful and disrespectful.
The editorial spread was “not just tacky but downright distasteful” said Kanika Gahlaut, a columnist for the daily newspaper Mail Today that is based here, who denounced it as an “example of vulgarity.”
When confronted with the issue, Vogue India editor, Priya Tanna, tells folks to “Lighten up…fashion is no longer a rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful.” It is a true statement that anyone can make fashion look beautiful, but the real problem is that this type of fashion will never be consumed by the social class these “models” are representing. The men and women used in the photo shoot probably do not even know what they are posing for. The magazine does not even acknowledge the people in these photographs.
I know that there are many wealthy people in India that will surely buy these type of items – shouldn’t we see them in these pictures?
I guess everyone’s opinion of art is different, but Vogue India has definitely stirred the pot with this one.
Read the NY Times article here.
Man with $200 Burberry umbrella. Child wearing a $100 Fendi bib.
Not only is the poor man holding a $200 umbrella… its not even raining! And the child is wearing a bib and not eating.. forget the poor/rich controversy, how about some logistical consistancy! Vogue India needs a good slap in the face! But on a serious note, that is pretty sad when they abuse their own country people to sell off their product…
This is distasteful to the highest level! I wonder if Vogue India or even if the photographers offered these people any money or compensation for the picture. And if so, was it as much as they would have paid a top model in the West?
I have been to India and I took many pictures of the locals. They were just happy that you wanted to interact with them and would take maybe 10 Rs. As a photographer, I can see how the magazine wanted to indicate the contrast between high fashion and poor developing people, but this is just in bad taste. I hope that people boycott such items.