Vogue is slammed by readers for ‘dreadful representation’ of ‘women in their prime’ after airbrushing supermodels for cover – as former editor says there was ‘no need’

Fans of Vogue magazine slammed the magazine for airbrushing supermodels, including Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington on the cover.

The 1990s greats came together for a joint cover of the September issue of Vogue and British Vogue, which initially delighted fashion lovers when it was announced on Friday.

But Alexandra Shulman, who edited British Vogue from 1992 to 2017, argued in the Mail on Sunday that the publication turned the stars into “cartoon versions” of themselves.

She wrote, “Why on earth did they have to be turned into a plasticized version of themselves, dressed in sombre black widow outfits and put through computer retouching to emerge as a cartoon version of what could be a glamorous older woman?”

Meanwhile, many on social media were quick to agree with her, with one person saying on Instagram, “I think it’s a pretty awful depiction of these beautiful women in their prime and what a sad excuse not to see them in all their middle aged glory.” to show. Let’s face it Vogue isn’t half as ambitious as it used to be!’

The greats of the 1990s came together for a joint September cover for Vogue and British Vogue in a recreation of this 1990 issue

Another wrote, “When I saw this cover it felt a bit clinical and cold. It would have been nice to see them a little more natural and recognizable, a little more human.’

A third added: ‘It’s another example of stupidity on the part of fashion. There’s nothing wrong with being older.

‘Nothing wrong with imperfection. Everyone is perfectly imperfect and everyone must accept imperfection.

If we were all perfect, what would the world be like? I’d like to know what people think.

“Surely they must have agreed to be presented like this? It’s all madness and symptomatic of leaf decay.’

One commented, “I agree that they are so naturally beautiful, but the article would have been so much more inspiring without the photoshopping.”

Elsewhere in her piece, Alexandra wrote, “It’s especially odd when you consider that Vogue has recently positioned itself around the idea of ​​inclusiveness and rejected the notion that conventional definitions of beauty are relevant to its cover choices.”

Those women are seriously beautiful. In their young selves, they inspired a generation of women to dream that they could emulate them in some small way.

Now in their 50s, they really are the stuff of middle-aged women’s sweetest dreams — most of whom can only wish for the bone structure, long slender limbs, and defined waistlines that not only this foursome on the Vogue cover show but also own in real life. They’re still great.’

The cover was released months after it was announced that British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful would be leaving his role amid rumors of a split with Anna Wintour.

The 51-year-old, who is British Vogue’s first male and first black editor, told magazine staff he will be taking on a new global role at publisher Conde Nast.

Mr Enninful made radical changes to British Vogue and under his control the magazine presented its first transgender cover model.

He also oversaw the magazine’s first male cover star – Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet, while disability activist Sinead Burke became the first visibly disabled person on the cover.

When the September cover was released, many criticized the creative direction taken for the covers – with the famous stars wearing dark colors against a silvery gray background.

But Alexandra Shulman, who edited British Vogue from 1992 to 2017, has argued in the Mail on Sunday that the publication has turned the stars into “cartoon versions” of themselves.

Despite boasting the “The greatest of all time” tag, countless fans took to social media to complain about their lack of excitement over the image.

One Twitter user wrote, ‘Creatively speaking they could have done ANYTHING, and standing all black in a corner with stupid lighting is what they came up with. is this a fake funeral.’

Another wrote, “This should have been incredible, this cover should shut us all up, but somehow it’s flat and that’s a real shame.”

“This latest Vogue US cover doesn’t give the best of all time, I’m afraid,” said one fan simply.

Another tweeted: “Not you making Thee Supermodels look like housewives in a September issue… The disrespect is too much.”

“This definitely could have been better on this cover,” commented another. “Four of the greatest supermodels the world has ever known and this was the cover choice? WASTE.’

Meanwhile, many on social media were quick to agree with her, with one person commenting on Instagram that it was a “terrible portrayal of women in their prime.”

One fan commented, “Fantastic models who know how to serve, so this cover is a choice.”

Another added, “That September Vogue issue looks disastrous, sorry.”

‘All these icons & you couldn’t have come up with something for a shoot that wasn’t much more interesting????’ complained one Twitter user.

“It’s almost disrespectful that the legends are so…blah,” one frustrated wrote.

Another fan wrote, “This cover does their legacy a disservice. Just lazy.’

Elsewhere, fans commented on Instagram: “NOW THIS IS A COVER love all these supermodels!!! but you didn’t pose them well lol!’

The posing is weird. It’s like they all did their shoots separately and then photoshopped them together,” one fan claimed.

Allegations of using photoshop were also a complaint, as some felt that Cindy Crawford’s famous face looked significantly different in the photo.

One fan wrote, “I didn’t recognize Cindy Crawford here given the stern expression and limp hair. I really thought she was Julia Roberts after a bad accident.’

Despite boasting the “The greatest of all time” tag, countless fans took to social media to complain about their lack of excitement from the image

Many were quick to criticize the creative direction taken for the cover, claiming that the end result was unimpressive

Another said, “Wait…. THAT’S Cindy Crawford??? What did she do to herself? If you hadn’t given her a name I had NO idea it was her.’

“What the hell did they do to Cindy Crawford’s face?” asked another.

Elsewhere, others shared their delight at seeing such iconic models in the spotlight for the September issue, as one person tweeted, “Finally, Vogue decided to return to the iconic covers and stop fawning over the Kardashians. These are blankets.’

Another added: “With the return of ’90s supermodels in this year’s September issue and the comeback of Karen Elson’s massive Vogue cover later this year, I realized how the Insta girls have changed the modeling industry for a few years now. ago also took over, these legends are still unparalleled.’

“The original supermodels showing the girls how it’s done for their Vogue edition,” one satisfied fan wrote.

The cover shoot, taken by photographer Rafael Pavarotti, was done to promote the model group’s upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries, The Super Models, which premieres September 20.

The iconic models were part of the ’80s and ’90s ‘it’ model crowd; seen with other supermodels on the cover of Vogue in 1992

The women will see their story in the new Apple TV+ docuseries The Supermodels

The four-part show focuses on the top models of the nineties.

The series is directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills, and executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries.

The Supermodels take fans back to the 1980s, at the dawn of their modeling careers, documenting how the four women from around the world came together and collectively achieved fame that transcended the entire industry.

The four-part series will also examine the work of today’s ladies, not just in the fashion industry, but also in activism, philanthropy and business, and how the quartet has paved the way for the next generation.