The nationwide frenzy for this issue is still going strong despite all of the images being leaked onto the Internet. Condé Nast (who has been suffering from slumping ads sales lately) has decided to print an additional 10K copies bagged with “Most Wanted Issue Ever/First Reprint” taglines blazing across the front.
If this was a publicity stunt it worked. Everybody in the industry seems to be talking about the issue though for the most part they remain mum on if they will start using more black models in their publications.
According to Folio Magazine, ad pages "were up 30 percent for the July issue, but there was a 'glaring lack of black models' in them." Adds issue photographer Steven Meisel, 'I’ve asked my advertising clients so many times, 'Can we use a black girl?' They say no. Advertisers say black models don't sell.'
Oh the irony.
This brings to mind often repeated method used by fledgling television networks. Use black shows to lure in new viewers and once you've got them, replace all the black faces on the now established network with white ones.
Will the Black Issue turn out to be publishing industry's "Martin, " "Living Single" or "Moesha"?
7 comments:
"Advertisers say black models don't sell." I hope the editors of Vogue are going to rethink that assumption if black models are selling copies of the magazine. I was honestly going to run out and buy a copy, but after reading that, I'm not so sure. It's crazy the lengths we go to...to give people our money. We are practically begging them, and they don't want it. Guess it isn't green enough. You mentioned Colures magazine a while back. Is it black owned? Maybe I should buy a copy of that one instead.
I only bought the issue to support the black models in it, not to give its magazine my money. After all, I knew it wouldn't be perfect. The countless ads from major fashion houses with NO people of color was disgusting. These bastards obviously want to erase our existence. If I can name Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez off the top of my head, how can an agency claim not to know them or say they won't sell a magazine? A couple of Black girls buried inside a routine editorial shoot shouldn't bear the responsibility of its sales anyway. This Vogue Italia should have been more extensive, too. Beverly Johnson, Beverly Peele, Roshumba, all missing. The Grace Jones homage should have had Grace in it. And how pathetic was that special insert for the fall collections? In page after page, Liya Kebede was the only non-white face.
Thank God. Another thought provoking style blog. We obviously need all the help we can get after that statement in Folio.
How ridiculous is that. Again, it looks like we're going to have to make our own way, with our own fashion houses, more of our own publications with serious fashion savvy, more of our own agencies, and the like. I'm sorry if that sounds separatist, but it's the way of the world, AGAIN.
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well its true across the board. im currently interning with a publishing company
and if a black person writes a book- if they put black people on the cover, only black people will buy it
invariably, if a white person sees a book on the shelf w a negress on the cover- they assume its a 'black book' and moves on. even though black women buy books, magazines, and go to clothing stores where white people are splayed across the walls like nobodys business
Isn't it amazing that we can sell the magazine, but not the product? Funny how that works. Black models and celebrities alike have been boosting sales for products from make up to music to phones to fashion. Beyonce can sell hair color that she doesn't even use to white women, cable TV, make up, clothing, perfume, a phone, whatever. Liya's done it with fashio and cosmetics. Rihanna has done it with cosmetics, fashion just by what she wears out each day, umbrellas. Naomi can sell anything and everything. Queen Latifah can give new life to a cosmetics giant as a black, plus-sized woman pushing 40. Angela Bassett at (days short of) 50 is selling beauty and cosmetics products like hot cakes. I won't support a company that feels a black beauty is more than good enough to get people to buy the magazine but doesn't feel we're good enough to sell their product.
What a wasted opportunity for them. Perhaps if they weren't so short sited, they'd find their ads online with layouts from the magazine.
Do you know when they'll reprint it? And where to find it? I don't know if Barnes & Noble will carry it. I hope they do.
I think it's already been reprinted. Have you called around? You might be able to get on a waitlist.
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