Titled “Portrait of Bravery,” the article is a collaboration between Condé Nast Vogues (almost all of them) and Ukrainian Vogue (a licensed magazine owned by Media Group Ukraine). There are moody, cute portraits of Ms. Zelenska by Annie Leibovitz: she sits on the marble steps of the presidential palace, staring glumly ahead. holding hands with her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky; and standing next to female soldiers at Antonov Airport, holding the lapels of a long navy coat. The photos are accompanied by a long interview and some BTS videos of the first couple and Ms. Leibovitz. It will appear in print later this year. Unlike Ms. Zelenska’s first Ukrainian Vogue cover, which appeared in November 2019 shortly after Mr. Zelensky was elected, which showed the first lady out and about with her family and styled by Celine, Prada , Lemaire and Jimmy Choo, the new feature eschews fashion. credits. Mrs. Zelenska appears polished, but the story focuses on the pain and trauma of her country and its people, as well as the couple’s relationship. None of the participants are smiling. A single line below a photo notes that Ms. Zelenska wears all Ukrainian designers and mentions their names. This may seem like a small thing to most viewers, but it takes the commercial element out of the shoot. What she’s selling – and she’s definitely selling something – isn’t clothes.
Our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war
Grain embargo: A major deal aims to lift a Russian embargo on Ukraine’s grain shipments, easing a global food crisis. But in the fields of Ukraine, farmers are skeptical. An ambitious counterattack: Ukraine is laying the groundwork to recapture Kherson from Russia. But the undertaking would require huge resources and could come at a heavy price. Economic havoc: As food, energy and commodity prices continue to rise around the world, few countries are feeling the bite as much as Ukraine. Under siege: For 80 days, at the Avtostal steel mill, a relentless Russian assault met unyielding Ukrainian resistance. So it was for those who were there.
Nevertheless (and not surprisingly), the article has caused some backlash. Some viewers have a visceral reaction to juxtaposing the idea of ’Vogue’ – with its historical connections to elitism, fantasy, wealth and frivolity – and the reality of war. It looks, they say, tasteless. Especially considering some of the magazine’s past mistakes. For example, there was an embarrassing profile of Syria’s first lady, Asma al-Assad, published in 2011 just as Ms. al-Assad’s husband, Bashar al-Assad, was revealed to be a bloody dictator. (The piece, which made the magazine seem morally compromised in the face of fantasy, was later removed from Vogue’s website, though it still casts a shadow over Vogue’s coverage, especially when it comes to political figures.) “While Ukraine is going through hell, Vogue does a photo shoot for the President and his wife,” Amrita Bhinder tweeted. Representative Mayra Flores, R-Texas, took the opportunity to attack the Biden administration over its financial support for Ukraine, implying that it was funding vanity. Breitbart wrote a nice article rounding up the criticism, especially as it related to government funding. However, other readers defended Ms Zelenska, seeing the shot as a symbol of national pride: a means to show the world Ukrainian elegance. a reminder of the balm that can be found in beauty. and a subtle nod to common humanity in the face of inhuman aggression. He is not, after all, a ball and eats cake. She’s in a war zone, she looks haunted. To some extent, the debate just shows how muddled our feelings about fashion still are, and how entrenched the view of it as a non-serious subject remains – despite fashion being a staple of pop culture and the rare equivalent of a universal language. . It is something that every politician and public figure uses for their own purposes, whether they want to admit it or not. (Which is why, despite the risks, they continue to appear in magazines like Vogue.) The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is a war being waged on all fronts: on the ground, in the air, in the digital sphere and in the arena of public opinion. (See, for example, Ms. Zelenska’s appearance in Washington last week.) Vogue — and, indeed, any outlet that allows the Ukrainian people to reach different segments of the world’s population and influence sentiment — is one of them. As Ms Zelenska and her husband, who founded one of Ukraine’s largest television entertainment production companies before entering politics, know. By placing Ms. Zelenska on its cover, Vogue promotes her role as the worthy face and voice of the struggle. bringing her up close and personal for the people watching. And by appearing in public and raising issues publicly when her husband cannot, she is keeping her country’s needs alive in the international debate at a time when other crises are vying for attention. He has, in effect, weaponized Vogue. She said as much to the BBC when an interviewer asked her to explain the choice: “Millions read Vogue and to be able to speak directly to them, that was my duty,” she said, adding: “I think it’s more important to do something and they criticize you for it rather than doing nothing.’ Whatever you think of the actual piece, however you feel about the magazine it was published in, you can’t dispute the fact that it once again put the war in Ukraine in the headlines — and in the minds of people who might have not watched it as closely as others. In this context, her interview is not just an interview. It is a piece of strategic combat.
