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Barack Obama, Fashion Muse

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ACCESSORIZE! Barack, Daughter Sasha (Photo: Getty Images)
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who you might recall is black, has based his entire campaign on the idea that he's the guy who can unite people and impact real change. And it looks like he can ... at least within the critical European fashionista demographic.

New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn notes that the July issue of Italian Vogue features only black models and stories that are related to "black women in the arts and entertainment," and that none other than Obama served as muse for editor Franca Sozzani: "She said that, as an Italian, she has been intrigued by the American presidential race and Mr. Obama, which was one source of inspiration when she and [photographer Steven Meisel] began discussing, in February, the idea of an all-black issue," writes Horyn.

Of course, it's rather shocking to see an all-black spread in one of the most influential fashion bibles on the planet precisely because minorities in the industry are still a scarce commodity, but Horyn claims that "Ms. Sozzani said the issue was not a response to criticism that she, too, has under-represented blacks or portrayed them as stereotypes." Regardless, Sozzani is to be commended for her progressive attitude, especially considering that similar efforts to foster harmonious race relations didn't go so well when they were implemented in the American issue of Vogue.

So let's go ahead and give Barack a big round of applause for being a true agent of change! That whole Muslim thing, however, is an entirely different story.

By Neel Shah   06/19/08 11:30 AM
Related: Barack Obama, Italian Vogue, Maglomania, Pop
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