The #VogueChallenge is turning women of colour into cover stars

15 June 2020, 16:00

Tessa Thompson shares peaceful Black Lives Matter protest video

By Sophie Thompson

The #VogueChallenge is trending on Twitter following criticism about a lack of diversity at Vogue magazine.

If you've been on Twitter over the last few days (of course you have, you can't leave the house), you'll have no doubt been greeted by an incredible selection of Vogue covers featuring men and women from all over the world - except, they're not actually real.

They're part of the currently trending #VogueChallenge which is seeing black women redesigning the cover images of the iconic fashion magazine in order to see themselves represented. The challenge follows the criticism Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has received for failing to support diversity in the workplace and in the content she publishes at Vogue.

Using images shot both at home in lockdown and professionally, people of colour are now using the challenge to demonstrate not only the amazing work they don't get credit for, but just how important it is to see people that look like them in mainstream shoots and campaigns.

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It comes in the wake of the apology from Anna, known for her iconic bob haircut and sunglasses, after former employees complained of "the most challenging and miserable" times of their career at the magazine, and is being held accountable for the serious lack of diversity within the brand.

One of the women who took part in the challenge, Sadé, admitted she feels the challenge is a step forward in showcasing black talent on a wider scale. "Everyone should be fighting for inclusivity, not just black women," she says.

"My good friend Rachel, raised an awesome point, that black women are the gatekeepers of pop culture, past and present, and yet rarely ever credited, represented or really seen for their huge contribution.

"I look forward to seeing more black creatives involved in Vogue."

You only have to take a look at some of the results for yourself to be sold...you're telling us these are home-made?

Pretty cool, right? And as Black Lives Matter protests continue worldwide, and large brands are being publicly called out for their lack of diversity, it's so refreshing to see what we can only hope is the future of magazines covers.

Want to try it for yourself?

If you're not a Photoshop wiz, don't worry. If you type ‘Vogue cover template’ into Google images, you should find a huge selection of templates which you can merge with one of your own photos to create the finished cover.

Apps such as PHO.TO will do all of the work for you in helping with your final creation, and then it's over to you to post to social media with the #VogueChallenge.

Are we looking at some of our next cover stars? We sure hope so.

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