US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris recently featured on America's noted magazine's cover page. In the two images that were released online, Kamala Harris is standing against a shiny pink and gold backdrop.
At first glance, the released pictures look pretty ordinary. However, several social media users labelled the magazine's cover as a "washed out mess." Many even suggested that the choice of attire and poorly lit pictures were "disrespectful" to the Vice President-elect.
The cover photo of Kamala Harris was shot by the magazine's first Black cover photographer, Tyler Mitchell. Several Twitter users questioned the image's authenticity, but the magazine confirmed that it was genuine by revealing a second "digital" cover showing Vice President-elect in blue Michael Kors suit.
Magazine's official statement:
Following the social media backlash, the magazine has reportedly denied to the New York Post that it had lightened US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' skin post the shoot. Sources close to Kamala Harris revealed to CNN that they had expected the powder blue outfit to be used as the main cover photo, with the casual Converse-sneakers one appearing inside the magazine. But Kamala Harris's team was reportedly "blindsided" when the cover picture surfaced online.
"The team at Vogue loved the images Tyler Mitchell shot and felt the more informal image captured Vice President-elect Harris's authentic, approachable nature – which we feel is one of the hallmarks of the Biden/Harris administration," the magazine said in a statement to USA TODAY provided by Remi Berger of parent company Conde Nast. "To respond to the seriousness of this moment in history, and the role she has to play leading our country forward, we're celebrating both images of her as covers digitally."
Social media reaction to Kamala Harris' magazine shoot:
Both the pictures of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris appeared earlier on Sunday and so far received backlash from several political experts. Many social media users have accused the magazine of falling short of its normally high standard photographs.
"Anna Wintour must really not have Black friends and colleagues. I'll shoot shots of VP Kamala Harris for free using my Samsung, and I'm 100% confident it'll turn out better than this Vogue cover," writes New York Times contributor Wajahat Ali on Twitter.
LGBTQ activist Charlotte Clymer took a sly against the magazine for not putting extra effort into the shoot, while adding, "the pic itself isn't terrible as a pic. It's just far, far below the standards..."
