REPOST: The Kimye-Vogue Backlash

Anna Wintour’s decision to put Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover of Vogue did not sit well with subscribers, fashionistas, and concerned citizens who question Kardashian’s credibility to grace the renowned magazine. This article discusses the public backlash.

Image Source: yahoo.com

 “There’s no way Kim Kardashian shouldn’t be on the cover of Vogue, she’s like the most intriguing woman right now. She’s got Barbara Walters calling her like everyday.”

None other than Kanye West, the loudest—and most innovative—voice in hip-hop, made this proclamation to Ryan Seacrest in an interview late last year.

West finally got his wish.

The couple will grace the cover of Vogue’s April issue. Shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, the image resembles a mock wedding photo, with Kardashian in a cream-colored wedding gown flanked by West in a blue suit, and is accompanied by the headline: “KIM & KANYE: Their fashionable life and surreal times” as well as the lengthy hashtag “#WORLDSMOSTTALKEDABOUTCOUPLE”—an apparent nod to West’s viral disclaimer that he tapped out amid his mini-feud with late night host Jimmy Kimmel: #NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK.

Kardashian was elated by the news.

And understandably so. There had been rumors flying for years that Vogue editrix Anna Wintour had it out for Kardashian. New York magazine reported that the reality star-entrepreneur had been banned for years from the Wintour-curated Met Gala, one of the biggest events of the fashion season that attracts every A-lister imaginable. Kardashian finally attended the mega-event last year, accompanied by West, but was conveniently cropped out of Vogue’s Best Dressed gallery.  And just last March, a vicious rumor was reported by various publications that Wintour had labeled the reality star-entrepreneur “the worst thing since socks and sandals.”

In May, Us Weekly reported that West and Kardashian dined with Wintour at her New York City home—just months before the hip-hop impresario proposed to her at San Francisco’s AT&T Park while a 50-person orchestra played Lana Del Rey’s sultry ballad “Young and Beautiful.”

Any rumored beef between fashion’s gatekeeper and the superstar couple has been quashed, according to Wintour’s letter from the editor in the issue.

“Part of the pleasure of editing Vogue, one that lies in a long tradition of this magazine, is being able to feature those who define the culture at any given moment, who stir things up, whose presence in the world shapes the way it looks and influences the way we see it. I think we can all agree on the fact that that role is currently being played by Kim and Kanye to a T. (Or perhaps that should be to a K?),” she wrote.

“As for the cover, my opinion is that it is both charming and touching, and it was, I should add, entirely our idea to do it; you may have read that Kanye begged me to put his fiancée on Vogue‘s cover. He did nothing of the sort. The gossip might make better reading, but the simple fact of the matter is that it isn’t true.”

There were, nonetheless, hordes of detractors—including Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar, of all people—who took to Twitter to voice their disapproval over the Kimye cover.

Seems a bit precious. Vogue has, after all, previously featured The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Sienna Miller, and more on its cover, and has been angling towards more celebrity-driven content for ages, so why not Kimye, arguably the fourth most popular couple in the country (after the Obama’s, Jay Z-Beyoncé, and Jolie-Pitt)? It's no longer the highbrow mecca of fashion it once was.

Elizabeth Rehnke is a dedicated promoter and follower of the latest fashions. Read more articles on fashion on this blog.

REPOST: Golden Globes 2014: The va-va-voom and OMG! fashion moments

The 71st Golden Globes kicked off this year's awards season, which honors the best in film, television, and music from the previous year. However, red carpet fashion always outlasts the ceremonies as the talk of town. Booth Moore of The Los Angeles Times weighs in on the fashion statements present during this event.

 Lupita Nyong'o arrives for the 71st Golden Globes Awards show. Image Source: LATimes.com

There was a lot of va-va-voom red, metallic beige and anything-but-basic black on the red carpet at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. And sure, Lupita Nyong'o's dramatic Ralph Lauren red silk cape gown, Cate Blanchett's luxe black lace Armani and Naomi Watts' white gold Tom Ford column looked perfect.

But what kind of fun is that?

Luckily, there were also plenty of fashion wild cards to heat up the night.

It looked like a ruffle was wearing Paula Patton. But no, it wasn't a dryer sheet — it was a dress by under-the-radar French fashion designer Stéphane Rolland. And it may have been the best thing to happen to an awards show since Björk laid an egg.

Jennifer Lawrence's ring of pouf by Dior was also odd. The Daily Mail likened it to "a glam coffee filter," and I'd have to agree.

Julia Roberts' black strapless gown-and-white shirt combo by Dolce & Gabbana was almost an antifashion choice. One keyboard critic said it made her look like a waitress, but it reminded me of Sharon Stone's 1998 Oscar moment, when she paired a Gap white button-down shirt with a Vera Wang ball skirt. Maybe Roberts is onto something. The 1990s, after all, are back in big way.

Then there was the controversy over Hayden Panettiere's black-and-white Ford gown. She told E! Entertainment TV that she had been "begging" for a dress by the American designer. "I'd wear a plastic bag if it was designed by him." But Ford's office did not dress the "Nashville" star. Could she have actually paid retail for the style? I actually think that's pretty cool.

The red carpet was also the site of a battle of the well-dressed baby bumps. Kerry Washington, who is expecting her first child later this year, enlisted Balenciaga designer Alexander Wang to create a bonded silk crepe gown in pale green with a flattering petal effect across the front. Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde, who is expecting with fiancé Jason Sudeikis, went to Gucci for her emerald-green metallic embroidered silk georgette long-sleeve gown, which created a serpentine effect. And Drew Barrymore, pregnant with her second child, wore a version of a spring 2014 Monique Lhuillier runway look — a short-sleeve dress with a high-low hem and all-over organza floral embroidery. All the dresses were terrific, but the sweet subtlety of Washington's won me over.

Zoe Saldana can always be counted on to rock an edgy look, but the collage-like Prabal Gurung gown she was wearing had too much going on. I preferred Sandra Bullock's Gurung gown, in a striking pink, purple and blue color block design that reminded me of a beach umbrella — in a good way.

My favorite out-of-the-box choice? Rashida Jones' white gown embroidered with gold palm trees by Italian designer Fausto Puglisi. Pure paradise.

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