Vogue pokes fun at poor, sparks moral debate

Mumbai: Images in the August issue of Vogue magazine have caused an uproar of sorts because the people modelling for a Fendi bib worth $100, a Burberry umbrella costing $200 and an Hermès Birkin bag worth more than $10,000 are the annonymous middle class of Jodhpur with no access to luxury.

The paradox of these images tread the thin line of being artistically exotic and distasteful.

Mail Today Columnist, Kanika Gehlot says, "You cannot make fun of poverty like this, it's a social evil."

So while New York Times says that the "juxtaposition between poverty and growing wealth and presents an unsavory dilemma of how does one sell something like a $1,000 handbag in a country where most people will never amass that sum of money in their lives, and many are starving?", The Independent says that the photoshoot is quite an example of "Third World Chic".

Vogue India's Editor, Priya Tanna has tried to downplay the entire issue by saying, "For the India issue, they wanted to showcase beautiful objects of fashion in an interesting and engaging context. And they saw immense beauty, innocence and freshness in the faces of the people that we captured. This was a creative pursuit that they consider one of their most beautiful editorial executions. Why would people see it any other way?"

And the designer frat stands by Vogue's creative.

Designer Shantanu Mehra says, "I think that the concept behind showing luxury products in a background of poverty is funny and humourous. It's one's imagination. Also this is the future of India."

So while the magazine itself has moved over to its next issue, the debate continues.

(With inputs from Sushant Mehta in New Delhi)

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