Vogue Netherlands has been straying as of late from their arsenal of Dutch cover models, and luckily for us, they put Senegalese model Kinee Diouf (photographed by Ishi) front and center for their July 2013 issue. Cynics in the forums, like CharlottefromCA, alluded to the fact that the choice to feature a black model on the cover for the first time may be Dutch Vogue’s version of an apology for depicting model Querelle Jansen in blackface in their May issue. I like to think of it as a stunning model getting a well-deserved cover, but something tells me that thought’s a bit naïve.
“Great to see Kinee!” Cold posted. “The effect of the dress and the sky’s colors is quite mesmerizing.”
Mat Cyruss called the cover “an eyecatcher on the newsstands,” and justaguy described it as “very striking.”
Fee de foret picked up on a throwback vibe. “Wow this is great. It reminds me of Vogue covers from the Thirties and Forties,” she explained. “They had a certain mystery about them, and oftentimes the model wouldn’t even be the main focus of the shot. Very refreshing!”
Whatever the motivation for the cover and cover model, I think it’s pretty safe to say that we all wouldn’t mind seeing more of Kinee. This color-drenched cover (in every sense) is the breath of fresh air and diversity that fashion so desperately needs right now.
