Update: Well, it seems Kendall Jenner can't seem to catch a break. The model's latest Vogue India cover is getting backlash for not casting a model from the region. Some commenters on social media have mentioned famous Indian faces that could've been featured instead of Jenner, like Priyanka Shopra and Deepika Padukone, while others are outright shaming the magazine for using someone of a different background to celebrate India's heritage.
Similarly, model and pal Gigi Hadid faced opposition when she fronted the debut cover of Vogue Arabia. Though the model is half-Palestinian (and proud of it), commenters called out the magazine for not casting someone of full — and visible — Arabian descent.
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This story was originally published on May 3rd, 2017.
To kick off its 10th anniversary, Vogue India is featuring Kendall Jenner on the cover of its May issue. Jenner was shot by renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino at Samode Palace in Jaipur, India, and the results are pretty spectacular. Jenner is decked out in next season's collections alongside Indian actors Katrina Kaif and Sushant Singh Rajput inside the issue, which is themed around Bollywood royalty, per the publication's editors.
The glossy's editor-in-chief, Priya Tanna, actually wanted to bring the famed Peruvian photographer to India over a decade ago, and apparently, it took a Jenner to bring the two industry veterans together. “Mario Testino is to fashion what Milan is to fashion weeks — simply indispensable," Tanna said in a press release. "As the editor of a fashion magazine, I’ve always admired Mario’s repertoire. So to work with him, and share his creative vision was nothing short of spectacular. Seeing India through his lens offers a fresh perspective of the familiar."
The issue features six fashion editorials modeled by a mix of local talent alongside a global casting of models. For those who have never been to India, for example, you can vicariously check out Jaipur street celebrations; a palatial wedding also serves as a backdrop for another editorial. As this is an international edition of Vogue we're talking about, the issue also includes photoshoots set in New York and Paris. "Different elements of India have influenced my world — and in turn this issue," Testino said in the release. "It’s the people, the art, the colors, the elephants, and everything in between. I wanted to bring my world truly to this amazing nation, by shooting the issue in India. I wanted it to stay true to the Indian spirit.”
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While we were sleeping, Jenner spent two days in the country with the Vogue India and Testino teams pulling it all off. And with an Instagram following nearing 80 million, we're pretty impressed the model managed to skirt the paps. But there's more to the project than just pretty pictures: To support the charity Girls Rising, Testino is releasing a limited-edition print of one of his favorite shots from the issue, and proceeds from the print's sales will be donated to the charity. Girls Rising uses storytelling to support the education of young girls and women in India. The 500 prints will be sold on Mira Mira for approximately $465, with free international shipping for its first week, which means you, too, can have some Kardashian-Jenner art in your home — for a steep price, sure, but hey, it's for a good cause.
Jenner's latest Vogue cover marks Testino's 12th guest-edited issue of the magazine, following editorials in Vogue's Germany, Brasil, China, Japan, Australia, Italia, and Netherlands editions. The collaboration between Testino and the magazines' editors is to translate his truly one-of-a-kind vision into work that captures the overall feeling of each country. Vogue India's latest issue goes on sale tomorrow, so be on the lookout for you-know-who on a newsstand near you.