Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Vogue redefine the art of the magazine cover

The US Vogue cover, shot by Annie Leibovitz. The US Vogue cover, shot by Annie Leibovitz. Source: AP SELECTING a photo for the cover of a pop-culture magazine used to be a simple equation. The cover star needed to be as recognisable as possible, but not so recognisable that he or she had nothing left to tell readers. Plus, they needed to be white (magazine editors have for decades believed that black people don’t sell magazines), and not wearing sunglasses.

Other than that, the decision was usually a simple balance between popularity and intrigue. This week, all that changed, as US Vogue’s cover of Kimye (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West) is proving. It is either a disaster or a publicity stunt that confirms longstanding editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s publishing genius. Her explanation for the cover choice, published in her editor’s letter, foretells the controversy it is now causing: “Part of the pleasure of editing Vogue, one that lies in a long tradition of this magazine, is being able to feature those who define the culture at any given moment, who stir things up, whose presence in the world shapes the way it looks and influences the way we see it. “I think we can all agree on the fact that that role is currently being played by Kim and Kanye to a T. (Or perhaps that should be to a K?) As for the cover, my opinion is that it is both charming and touching.”

If the shot is charming and touching, thousands of readers missed it. In what might be a first for a fashion magazine, the cover has inspired its own garment – a T-shirt with Anna Wintour’s face behind a red circle and line on it. There is also a hashtag, #wintourisover, and even an online petition urging readers to boycott the issue. The magazine’s official hashtag, #worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple, mostly features criticism and Photoshopped spoofs of the cover. Cara Kelly in The Washington Post said the cover of US Vogue had been gradually acquiring kudos beyond the fashion world since Hillary Clinton graced it in 1998. Kardashian threatened to undermine that. “Does a reality TV show and an impressive social media following rise to this bar?” she asked. “Is Vogue telling people that a sex tape and a gig with E! are desirable goals for young women?” Even Naomi Campbell questioned it, albeit implicitly. Asked by Kylie Gillies on The Morning Show what she thought, Campbell replied: “I do not want to comment. I’m a fashion model and I’ve been working for 28 years. When you get a Vogue cover, it’s a build to your career… I’m a fashion model, what more can I say? I'm being politically correct. That’s Anna Wintour’s choice to put them on the cover of her magazine. Who’s to question it?” The answer to that is, everyone.