Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Baby Bib More Important Than Teeth, Says Fashion



Oh, Vogue India. Oh, fashion. Did it not occur to you, when you decided to use this image of a baby wearing a Fendi bib (cost, $100+) while being carried by a TOOTHLESS, clearly destitute older woman, that the juxtaposition of the two things (fancy bib + no teeth) could be construed as ridiculous and offensive? That your magazine could be seen as users of its own people as exotic and ironic hangars for clothing and unnecessary items?

Well, since you didn't think about it, the New York Times did, in this very interesting article about the entire debacle. We urge you to read it.

We love when fashion pushes boundaries and taste (as anyone who has seen our images of models vomiting seaweed, blood coming out of ears, etc would know), but tarting up people who live in mud huts in Alexander McQueen costumes and showing them to the world as if poverty and abundance are the same is disgusting. Instead of handing someone who lives on $1.25/day a Burberry umbrella, perhaps Vogue might have handed him a sandwich or some cash, and kept the umbrella to itself.

We feel sorry for Vogue India. Thinking is hard.

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