I’ve waited a long time for this to happen. You see, I love Jourdan. Growing up, I’d seen her in several magazines, but after discovering her online cooking show Well Dunn on YouTube a couple of years ago, a serious girl crush began to develop.
Aside from her stunning looks, I loved her infectious, fun-loving personality. I also admired the way she has boldly spoke out about racism in the fashion industry.
So, I’m over the moon that she’s British Vogue’s February 2015 cover girl. It’s long, long, long overdue. IT’S ABOUT BLOODY TIME that Jourdan got her first solo British Vogue cover (which happened considerably later than her white contemporaries) because a solo black model hasn’t fronted the magazine in 12 years. T W E L V E Y E A R S. Not since Naomi Campbell in 2002. It’s kind of ridiculous, isn’t it? Embarrassing, even. The fashion industry should fully represent their audience and the diverse world we live in.
The announcement of Jourdan’s cover came not too long after The Fashion Spot that in 2014, white models had five times more cover appearances than black models did and several magazines including Vogue UK (shocker!) did not feature a single model of colour on their covers last year. Meanwhile, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne both had two British Vogue covers each… *side eye*
I’ve never brought the “black faces don’t sell magazines” bullshit that is sometimes said by those high up in the industry. To me, it’s just a lame excuse to try to justify discrimination. I’m not a Vogue reader. The last time I purchased a copy was when Jourdan covered Miss Vogue’s second issue in April last year. Her cover this month is undoubtedly a big triumph and it’s incredibly beautiful. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another decade or more to see a model of colour grace the cover of British Vogue, but we’ll see. I won’t hold my breath.