Fashioning Identity: Unraveling the Layers of Black Model Representation on the Covers of Vogue U.S.

Abstract

This thesis critically examines the history of Black female representation on the cover of Vogue U.S.. It explores how cultural change, political movements, and economic imperatives influence how Vogue assembles race through visibility. The thesis starts by examining Beverly Johnson’s cover in 1974, and how this moment was not only a fashion milestone, but also came in the context of post-Civil Rights U.S., as well as Vogue’s shifting editorial approaches to race. This thesis continues by investigating how the magazine editorialized Black celebrities during Anna Wintour’s reign at Vogue, in that Black celebrities were selectively included and tokenized to emphasize Vogue’s ongoing cultural relevancy in a time where celebrity culture and social media were on the rise. The last chapter examines how Black audiences begin to hold Vogue accountable in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, with accounts from Black industry insiders, influencers, and journalists vehemently critiquing Vogue and the industry’s approach to its own racism, as well as viral fashion digital activism, such as the #VogueChallenge. Throughout the analysis of these three chapters, I conclude that Black representation in Vogue U.S. has been continuously constructed with capitalist motivations by institutional powers, not true investment in diversity. Representation needs to be done through marginalized communities themselves by creating their own self-authored media and visual narratives. The study, ultimately, contributes to larger conversations around power in media, racial representation, and the politics of visibility, and can serve as a perspective on how cultural institutions may transform into, or continue to resist calls for representation equity.