Vogue: India's Editorial Faux Pax

Fashionistas sometimes take a particularly narrow view on the world. An idea or look that is given a strange adjective such as "fabulous" is transformed into an idyllic concept which lacks substance and true meaning. Some consider "high fashion" to be important in the realms of art, politics and human rights. Charity being a far stretch from the actual narcissistic truth of what the fashion industry is, can maybe be loosely associated with the money donated to certain causes that was raised in the name of fashion. Vogue Magazine's disassociated view of the world through the eyes of fashion has caused yet another controversy stemming around what some in their company consider some sort of social observation of fashion and the third world.

In the August edition of Vogue India pictures of Indians in squalid conditions are shown while the individuals in the photos are dawning expensive, designer clothing and accessories. One photo illustrated a small child from a poor family being held by a toothless woman. What would normally be fodder for a Save The Children campaign is instead turned into a sick joke by having the child wear a Fendi bib costing well over $100. Another photo shows a man and a woman standing in an open air with a small child squatting in the corner on a dirt floor of what appears to be a kitchen. The man is holding a $200 Burberry umbrella and the woman is holding a designer purse. They're making a good effort to appear jolly despite the apparent poverty they live in.

All of the captions below the pictures include descriptions of the products being modeled, but not one caption tells even the name of the subjected Indians. India as an emerging market has garnered a lot of attention from consumer product manufacturers who are looking forward to marketing their goods and services to a growing Indian economy. Despite the optimistic view the world is taking on India's growing middle class, the in-your-face abject poverty is still overwhelming virtually anywhere you go in the country. Over 456 million Indians live on less than $1.25 a day, never mind coveting designer goods made for people of wealth.

The only political or social statements being made by Vogue India by publishing this piece is that they are insensitive and divisive in how they used the subjects of the photos. Claudia D'Arpizio, a partner with the consulting firm Bain & Company based in Milan expressed her condescending view that pushing high end products on people who presently can never dream of affording them will "create aspirations." While creating aspirations is a noble cause in some people's minds, the means to and end can be a very scary idea. If some lucky person somehow gets a designer purse or shawl in a village, does that mean the village will mobilize to cultivate the middle class, create economic opportunity and prosperity? No, it probably means envy, distrust and maybe even violence will be expressed between the haves and have-nots. Material lust is certainly something not to have "aspirations" towards.

New York Times Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/business/worldbusiness/01vogue.html?_r=2&no_interstitial&oref=slogin&oref=slogin