Monday 17th of February 2025

Nairobi, Kenya

The Vogue Challenge Is More Than a Hashtag

If you’ve opened up social media this week, you’re likely to have seen a slew of new Vogue “covers.” They might feature your neighbor, co-worker, or the art student next door.

The DIY front pages stem from the #VogueChallenge, a viral endeavor that reimagines what the glossies they mimic could be. The content offers a peek at photographers on the rise, aspiring models, and anyone willing to open up Photoshop and have a little fun.

Written by : Janelle Okwodu

The faux-covers envision Vogues from countries yet to have an imprint, a range of cover subjects more diverse than anything fashion has attempted thus far, and a wealth of painting and illustration. While this isn’t the first time people have taken it upon themselves to create their versions of existing magazines the early aughts saw similar undertakings on online forums like The Fashion Spot and Livejournal communities—this specifically highlights creators who were historically excluded from the conversation.

It’s no secret that the photographers behind the majority of magazine covers are white and male. Few women, people of color, and nonbinary individuals have ever been granted those opportunities. It was only two years ago that Tyler Mitchell became the first African-American photographer to shoot a cover story for Vogue with the September 2018 issue starring Beyoncé, and there are still many firsts that still have yet to come.

Likewise, the people depicted in fashion imagery tend to also reflect a narrow subset of the population. As the industry works towards changing for the better, a crowdsourced overview of new talent is cause for celebration. A scroll through the submissions proves that there is no shortage of willing and capable people, and artists must be fostered, supported, and granted the chance to enter the highest levels.

It’s fitting the challenge began with a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. Oslo-based student Salma Noor first posted a black and white shot of herself by photographer, Angèlique Culvin, with the Vogue logo and a headline reading, “being Black is not a crime” as a kind of protest. “I am a Black, young Muslim woman who wanted to create something new while speaking on something that is very important,” shared Noor. “I chose Vogue because it’s the standard one strives to reach, and it is one of my favorite magazines.”

Though she never imagined that the idea would become a worldwide trending topic, Noor is pleased to see a diverse set of creatives in the spotlight. “I was happy to see so many beautiful faces and talented photographers like Angelique that don’t get enough credit for their hard work,” she told Vogue. “I would [also] like to see more models of different ethnicities and skin colors, [exposure for] those without a big platform.”

The photographers who took part in the challenge echoed Noor’s sentiment. Hundreds of professionals participated as a means of showcasing their images, and though the execution differs, many saw the hashtag as an opportunity. Kenyan-born creator, Cedric Nzaka, utilized the thread to subvert gatekeeping. Already working with clients like Adidas, Netflix, and Fiat, Nzaka would like to see more pathways for advancement and advocates for creators of color.

“The value of having people in the industry to support and suggest you in boardrooms is a privilege that Black photographers don’t have,” he says. “We as Black photographers have to be 50 times better to get noticed in the first place and even when we do get noticed and reach those boardroom meetings, we’re frequently the only Black voice in the room, which can make it difficult to be heard and understood.” Such barriers don’t exist online where the democratic nature of the internet allows for greater connection.

His “Everydaypeoplestories” project captures the beauty of Johannesburg’s citizens with grace, catching the eye of thousands on Instagram. “Photography has always been my way to speak to strangers and feel less isolated in the world,” says Nzaka.“I decided to participate in the challenge because it showcases my ability to produce at any international standard, despite the current limitations for Black creatives, even well-established ones like myself.”

There is a proactiveness to the challenge: rather than wait for fashion to take notice, the entrants took matters into their own hands. “There’s a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson about manifestation that I adore. It says ‘once you make a decision the universe conspires to make it happen’” said Laré A, a London-based photographer whose portraiture merges the ethereal with the soulful. “I guess you could say [this] was a way for me to put it out to the universe and that some day it won’t just be a challenge.”

The importance of featuring models of color served as the impetus for many. As recent developments like Joan Smalls’ statement to the fashion community illustrate, models of color still face many hurdles. “I feel that there’s so much room to grow in the world of fashion,” says Brazilian photographer, Beatriz Valim, whose work focuses on BIPOC beauty.

Her stylized portraits detailed with illustrations feature casts that are truly global, something she hopes eventually becomes the norm. “I wish I could see more people of color and talent in front of and behind the covers,” she says. The need for subjects beyond runway stars was also made clear. “I would love to see more Black women,” says Laré. “Not just Black celebrities but normal black women I can relate to. One’s we can all relate to through fashion.”

Beautiful images are posted online every day, but the symbolism of the Vogue logo adds another layer. While the scope of the challenge extends far beyond any entity, invoking one of the most recognizable names in fashion sends a message. “A Vogue cover would make me feel like anything you could ever imagine would become a reality if you work hard and believe in yourself,” says Valim.

More than a singular achievement, it also can stand for the kind of perpetuity all artists seek. “A cover image is a publication making a statement of values and seeing your image there is a form of immortalizing your work for life, no one can ever take that away,” says Brian Siambi, a Kenyan photographer who transformed one of his existing series the Dark Matter Project into striking front-page images.

“People often forget [the] images inside a magazine, or on social media but never a cover. It is the one platform where your image is standing alone to be celebrated….I felt inspired seeing fellow African creatives sharing their amazing work. It’s beautiful seeing the level of work being produced despite the challenges in our African continent.”

The four cover challenge participants that we spoke with stressed the importance of systemic change. Instead of viewing the art created as a viral blip, they suggest it serve as the impetus for a more inclusive and welcoming system of talent discovery, one that allows for more than a select few to succeed. “We need new faces on covers and to recognize up and coming photographers,” says Noor.

For Siambi the best way to address fashion’s diversity problem is to change hiring practices and let a wider range of creators tell their stories. “Authentic storytelling and giving more opportunities for Black photographers to be published,” he says. “[It’s] capturing their culture and creating a level playing field. Inclusion shouldn’t feel like that one Black character on a TV show. It should be understood that each of us is talented in our own way and equally able to create world-class content.”

This article originally appeared on Vogue

 

Vogue Challenge Cover

People are putting themselves on the cover of Vogue to promote diversity

People around the world have been re-creating Vogue covers to promote diversity in fashion, posted under the hashtag #VogueChallenge, the mock-ups aren’t just the latest social media fad they imagine what a more representative fashion industry could look like.

The challenge was started by Oslo-based student Salma Noor earlier this month, after she tweeted an alternative cover featuring a shot of herself under the headline “Being black is not a crime.”

Noor posted the image just as anti-racism and Black Lives Matter protests began gaining momentum in the US and beyond. The challenge has since gone viral, with the hashtag appearing over 100,000 times on Instagram.

“I am a black, young Muslim woman who wanted to create something new while speaking on something that is very important,” she shared via social media.

Speaking to CNN over email, she said: “To bring so many people together for something like that is truly amazing… I had no idea it would reach so many people including Vogue.

“I think the fashion industry isn’t diverse enough yet. We need people with different opinions, backgrounds, religious beliefs, heritage, and life experience to be highlighted.”

Posting 20 of the covers online as part of a feature about the challenge, Vogue’s senior fashion news writer Janelle Okwodu acknowledged that “few women, people of color, and nonbinary individuals have ever been granted those opportunities,” adding that “the photographers behind the majority of magazine covers are white and male.”

British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful meanwhile selected 10 of his favorite homemade covers. “Scrolling through all the entries, I’ve been struck by beauty in all shapes and sizes, represented in all colours and creeds,” he wrote, revealing his choices. “It has shown me that there is so much talent and creativity in the world if you are willing to look for it.”

Vogue has often been criticized for its under-representation of people of color, with American Vogue only featuring its first black cover star, Beverly Johnson, in 1974 (more than 80 years after the magazine first launched). And it has been less than two years since Tyler Mitchell became the first African American photographer to ever shoot one of the magazine’s covers, when he captured Beyoncé for the September 2018 issue.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBR0KNfljsU/?utm_source=ig_embed

“I noticed the challenge on my timeline and decided to read more about it,” said Nairobi-based TV personality and media executive Kalekye Mumo, who took part with her own covers.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a challenge to uplift and amplify black faces and voices in the fashion world,” she said in an email to CNN. “Being a fashion enthusiast myself, I picked one of my photos from a previous personal shoot I did to support local talent and made a cover.”

Mumo said that social media users in Kenya have been creating new spin-offs of the #VogueChallenge, making their own covers for black-owned publications like Essence, and turning the challenge into a celebration of black culture and spaces.

 

“I did this challenge to not only use my voice, but use my face to show the beautiful, talented black people across the world, let alone Africa and Kenya … that could grace the magazine with finesse,” she said. “My hope is that the fashion industry will begin to embrace black faces of all shapes and sizes especially since I am a fabulous plus-size woman.”

“The world is being robbed of a variety of beauty and this should change,” said Noor.

Julie Gichuru media personality  also joined the #VogueChallenge and posted on her instagram page

” Good morning ❤
Today be thankful for the seen and unseen miracles that happen every day. So often we don’t notice them. But they are there. Accept the love and grace”

Content courtesy of CNN

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