Fashion plummets to an all-time low with tasteless Vogue India photo-shoot

Kimberley Foster writes...

As you can probably imagine, after reading on Monday about Vogue India's senseless decision to recruit a group of impoverished people, including children, and dress them in Hermès and Burberry for a glossy photo-shoot, I like many of you, have been left pretty freaked out.

While frighteningly this isn't the first time a fashion magazine has forgotten itself all for the sake of 'art', or if you like, publicity (see our story on this Chinese magazine) these images are arguably some of the most alarming to be published. Particularly this shot of a young child (left) in the arms of a toothless woman, wearing a bib designed by Fendi, worth about $100. Considering the average Indian person lives on less than $1.25 a day, congratulations should go out to Vogue India for reducing fashion to an all-time low.

Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised, as Jezebel points out: "it's a Western-owned fashion magazine in a country that values Western beauty, where skin lightening is big business". I guess it explains Vogue India's editor, Priya Tanna's, response to the backlash, she says: "Lighten up. You have to remember with fashion, you can't take it that seriously."

Of course not, I mean, why not use people as props to sell luxury goods, as long as everybody is having a jolly ole' time in the process, right? Who knew that Zoolander's 'Derelicte' fashion label would one day be taken so literally, and dragged out into real life.

Tanna also adds that "fashion is no longer a rich man's privilege". In that case, does that mean that the folks in this shoot got to keep the Hermès Birkin bag or Burberry umbrella? Since they weren't even referred to by name in the credits, just lady or man, and since only a fraction of India's population can actually afford these items, I think Tanna might be slightly confused.

Frankly, I don't know what is worse, knowing that these pictures were actually published, or hearing someone try to defend them. Either way, writing about it is simply giving it more undeserving publicity, so I'll stop right now.

[Photos: via NY Times]

Somya

I, as an Indian, would love to support Priya Tanna when she defends her choice of common man as a model of the most prestigious brands the world has ever seen.

What's with women earning billions and starving themselves to look like a stick? Status being synonymous with brands and wearing any blah in the name of fashion - We have many A list celebrities in India who could have sported these accessories in the most acceptable yet banal way so that people like you could have felt better that things are not changing.

So what if the editor and Indian team decided to let people have a flavor of the luxuries that they might not get to see in this life? What's with all the negativity? Why undermine people for their 15 seconds of fame and how do you not know if they were paid for this shoot or not? What is it that you know so well about the Indian scene other than some googled statistics? Look at the rich girls in the west turning anorexic and placing themselves under the sun lamps for fake tan? If fair skin is valued in India it's because it's rare - Just like tan in the west.

If you do not like the issue, don't read it but I can vouce for at least most Indians when we say that we loved this Vogue gesture and if you cannot understand it then it's probably Vague, not vogue, that you should be working for.

N.Watt

in one way i actually applaud Indian Vogue for this shoot. Come on, who would actually pay $100 for a bib?! it simply highlights the fact that so many people in the world live in total poverty, as you stated in the article, yet some people seem to think that paying $100 for a baby bib is perfectly fine. its not bringing fashion to an 'all-time low', its trying to make people wake up and realise the huge gap that exists between rich and poor these days. by the way, im only a teenager, i even i can realise the ridiculousness and selfcentred-ness of the fashion world.

Jule

Well done, Ms. Foster

Claudia

This is shocking and disguising, however I do not agree with you trying to blame this photoshoot on the fact that the publication is linked to ‘a Western-owned fashion magazine’. The bottom line is that it’s Indian run with an Indian editor at its helm who takes responsibility for the ‘creative decisions’.

I am sure that Anna Wintour did not phone her up and instruct her to do something like this!!

By trying to blame Western influence and media it merely serves as a scapegoat for people like Tanna to get away with this kind of sick behavior. Bottom line is the Indian Editor needs to take responsibility and apologize for her lack of humanity towards others firstly and secondly towards the Indian community for preying on vulnerable adults and children in this manner.

This Priya Tanna is truly outrageous and I am disguised that she is trying to justify her actions. If it was up to me I would boycott Indian Vogue until this person is replaced by a competent editor.

Will Reid

Hey Kim!

It's Will here- writing from Bombay (Mumbai) in a hotel with a 5-star rating. Only, I look out my window and literally on the other side of a brick wall (painted in glossy white on the hotel's side!) is a Shanty town.

This is just an example of something I've ben really shocked by in my first 3 weeks in India- there's a ridiculous separation between the wealthy and the poor.

I was in a car the other day with a group of guys from my school out here and this one boy (native Indian,) who wears a different Ed Hardy t-shirt everyday and Prada loafers, suddenly rolled his window down and poured a can of Coke over a homeless person asking for money at the traffic lights.

I was shocked and so upset by it all- maybe I shouldn't be asking why I'm having such a hard time settling in and making friends over here.

Will