Kamala Harris’ Vogue cover sparks divide

Kamala Harris has appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine, which has raised eyebrows and sparked online debate as the style bible called her a “candidate for our times.”

US Vice President Kamala Harris has appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine, which has raised eyebrows and sparked online debate as the style bible called her a “candidate for our times.”

The cover shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz captured the 59-year-old in a chocolate-coloured Gabriela Hearst suit, Tiffany earrings and a silk blouse, seated in an armchair.

The photo itself has drawn criticism online from people saying it looks heavily airbrushed.

“Holy Photoshop Batman,” one critic posted, while another said “Makeup magic plus airbrushing like no one has ever airbrushed.”

Another wrote: “Why does this look like AI?”

“Her head and hands seem to be floating above the suit like they were superimposed over a stand-in. It’s freaking me out.”

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris appears on the cover of Vogue Magazine in a photograph taken by Annie Leibovitz. Picture: Supplied

The photo was also taken on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in the Middle East, and was the day Ms Harris claimed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not her phone calls about offers to assist in the recovery from Hurricane Milton.

In the long feature article on Ms Harris, it features a series of largely familiar anecdotes, including the story of her sudden rise to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden’s shock withdrawal from the race in July.

She did speak in the article about the conflict in the Middle East, but gave little away about what she would do to end the crisis if elected in November’s tight battle against 78-year-old Donald Trump.

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a Republicans for Harris event in Scottsdale, Arizona, October 11. Picture: AFP

Asked what “new element” she would bring to the table on the conflict, she replied that “I can’t anticipate what the circumstances will be four months from now.”

Ms Harris then said the US should provide a “pathway” for stability, particularly to end Israel’s war in Gaza, even more so than in Lebanon, but provided few details.

Ms Harris, the first female, Black and South Asian vice president in US history, previously starred on the cover of Vogue when she arrived at the White House in 2021.

But the magazine came under fire for the photo, which showed her wearing a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers, saying it should have chosen a picture more suited to her position.

Kamala Harris in a Michael Kors Collection suit on the February 2021 cover of Vogue magazine (left) and against colours inspired by those of her Howard university sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Harris (right) wearing a Donald Deal jacket and Converse sneakers on the February 2021 cover of Vogue magazine.

Vogue editor Anna Wintour has made no secret of her support for the Democrats, and hosted a fundraiser for President Biden before he dropped out.

The publication praised her on Instagram with a note next to it saying: “Only rarely are individuals summoned for acts of national rescue, but in July, Vice President Kamala Harris received one of those calls.

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris greets attendees during the conclusion of a campaign rally at the Rawhide Event Center on October 10, in Chandler, Arizona. Picture: AFP

“With President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign, the world looked to Harris with hopes and doubts

“She was a leader of widespread support but no especial following, and now, she was expected to do something unprecedented in American history: to mount, and win, a presidential race in three months, as a woman of colour, with a felonious former leader as the opposition and the future of democracy said to be at stake.”

“’You can always trust me to put country above party and self — to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law, to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power,’” Harris asserted when accepting the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. They were words that seemed a caption to the monumental moment in American history.”

Ms Harris’s appearance in the magazine comes amid a major media blitz, from traditional television interviews to chat shows and podcasts, as she seeks to move the dial in a neck-and-neck race with Trump.

In her recent interview on The View, Trump criticised her for saying “there is nothing that comes to mind”, when asked if she would have done something differently than Presidnet Biden while they have been in the White House over the past four years.

– with AFP

Originally published as Kamala Harris’ Vogue cover sparks divide