How could you not have recognised Tyra?
I guess the lack of big hair threw you :)

yea guest at 9 am, i kinda agree

I agree with 9:000…the people at work looked and said “Those are black girls? Really?”

anonymoose – there are two magazine stands downtown that i particularly like – there’s one at the corner of 6th ave and (i think) 11th st. (it might be 12th, i can’t remember, i just know it when i see it.) there’s another at the corner of lafayette and spring that hayley just introduced me to that definitely sells vogue italia.
the thing is, international magazines take a little while to get here, like maybe 3 weeks longer, i think, just fyi.

Um to all the above comments, not all black people/girls are LITERALLY BLACK. Jesus….
Now if they had photoshopped Alex to look that light then you can all start shouting.

Amen 10:20! So what exactly should a black girl look like then to all of those posting these ignorant statements?

I don’t think people are necessarily saying that all balck people have to look dark skinned.
However, I do think that the industry tends to embrace light-skinned black models, many of whom could easily pass for white.

um i don’t think any of those 4 women except tyra banks can be called “light skinned”
(a term i abhor)

Is there anywhere one could get a copy outside NY??? I need it to LIVE!!!

There’s no doubt Chanel belongs in the issue.
But I would’ve been pissed if she got the cover.

Beautiful!

sometimes i wonder if it’s them trying to lighten up black models OR is it just that the people who do colour-correction have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to non-white skin tones?!
i had a brief stint as a model and i’m a different colour in every photo/ad/catalogue i’ve done!
sigh, i should just get a user account already.

To gust @ 3:29:
Arlenis is in the ed. You can sort of see her name on the side :D

These are gorgeous. And so classic. I can’t wait to buy the magazine.

I’m a little bit confused by why we’re suddenly using the descriptor “of color” to denote persons who are “black” or “African but not Arab descent.” Last time I checked Asian, Indian, Latin, and Arab models are vibrantly pigmented and are also hard to find on fashion’s most prominent runways and magazines as well. I’m ethnically Chinese and when the designers made an effort to incorporate Asian models for the Fall 2008 collections, I was struck by how present it made the clothes feel.
Maybe I’m too young to understand the struggle of black models. After all, I’ve only know a world where Naomi Campbell, Iman, and Tyra routinely stomped the runways and graced the covers of the finest magazines. No doubt also, I’m all for black models having their own magazine feature. The models used are brilliantly photographed, gorgeous women and deserve their spot at the top of the fashion world. However, why don’t we just call the magazine what it is: an issue highlighting a particular TYPE (nee ‘color’) of model, not true diversity where one would expect many kinds of models.
If that is the case, how is this issue any different from a mainstream fashion mag? At least the editors would have consciously placed their “token” girl of color, or even a “token” United Colors of Benetton shot. Here we don’t even have that. Call me progressive, but where I’m from (Houston, TX) “color” means far more than black or white.

guest 1:14pm
“People say “of color” because people used to say “colored”… as in “get the colored girl to wash the curtains”… It has little to do with the literal definition of “color” and more to do with historical use (… connotations) of the word “color/colored”.
And this isn’t any magazine. It’s Vogue. And that is a big deal.”
Thank you! As someone “of color”, in the “white world”, color means Black. Yes…there are other ethnicities that are “of color” too, but for many years, Black people were colored in this country. You have to understand that the other ethnic groups here haven’t been here as long as Black people have (beyond Native-Americans!). So for MAJOR fashion mag like Vogue, Italian or not, to have an all Black edition, is a major milestone for many people. Not just Black. I’m 44, and believe me when I say that this is a VERY BIG DEAL! No other fashion mag has ever done something like this so I am very happy to be around to see it! I just called and pestered 3 different places and no one can tell me when they’re getting the edition for sure! But I WILL have one!!!

I’m not offended. I know that I simply lack the historical/sociological upbringing to understand many aspects of the black and white racial tension, hence my apparent naivete.(I’m 26 for those who are keeping count.)
Simply put, I’ve never heard the euphemism “of color” used to refer strictly to black persons. Certainly I’ve never used it as a term to refer strictly to black persons. Aside from it being a generational difference, it could be a regional difference. Houston has large Asian, Latin, and Black populations, thus the definition could have been pushed further than its original use by necessity. However, one would wonder why the same wouldn’t happen in other metropolitan cities with large ethnic populations like New York or LA.
That being said, I’m very excited with this issue. I’m definitely looking forward to getting it when it hits the local newsstand.

a fur coat AND a cigarette – classy.

The point of many of the comments (and as a dark-skinned black person, I agree), is that the industry is taking baby steps by mostly booking black models who are closer to the white European model mold.
You rarely see a dark-skinned model, without a European-looking weave.
If a model (black, white, Asian, etc), is far from that mold, then they are “unique” (Alek Wek) or some kind of fad (Gemma Ward) or are put in a different category (“bikini” or “fashion” model if you aren’t tall and super skinny).