Can Vogue's most diverse cover yet revive its flagging reputation? Magazine puts plus-size and transgender models on the front of its September issue, alongside industry favorites like Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Madonna's daughter Lourdes
![The September issue is here! Vogue has debuted its most diverse September cover yet, as it attempts to revive its flagging reputation amid furious controversy over its lack of inclusivity. The publication released images from its upcoming issue on Thursday, revealing a cover that features some of the industry's leading models, including Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon, posing alongside plus-size, transgender, and ethically-diverse models.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327775-9865097-The_September_issue_is_here_Vogue_s_new_issue_has_a_New_Beginnin-a-2_1628179034067.jpg)
The September issue is here! Vogue has debuted its most diverse September cover yet, as it attempts to revive its flagging reputation amid furious controversy over its lack of inclusivity. The publication released images from its upcoming issue on Thursday, revealing a cover that features some of the industry's leading models, including Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon, posing alongside plus-size, transgender, and ethically-diverse models.
![In the new extended cover (pictured), Bella, 24, and Kaia, 19, pose with Madonna's daughter Lola Leon, 24; plus-size models Yumi Nu, 24, and Precious Lee, 31; trans model Ariel Nicholson, 20; South Sudanase-American model Anok Yai, 23; and Chinese-American model Sherry Shi.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327775-9865097-Sharing_the_spotlight_The_cover_stars_Kaia_Gerber_Anok_Yai_Preci-a-3_1628179034069.jpg)
In the new extended cover (pictured), Bella, 24, and Kaia, 19, pose with Madonna's daughter Lola Leon, 24; plus-size models Yumi Nu, 24, and Precious Lee, 31; trans model Ariel Nicholson, 20; South Sudanase-American model Anok Yai, 23; and Chinese-American model Sherry Shi.
![Touting a 'New Beginnings' theme in a press release, Vogue praises these women for 'challenging definitions of beauty,' hailing them for being 'at the forefront of a thrilling change to an industry — a redefining of beauty, and what it means to have influence and visibility in the fashion world.'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327775-9865097-What_a_cast_On_the_extended_version_are_Sherry_Shi_Ariel_Nichols-a-4_1628179034070.jpg)
Touting a 'New Beginnings' theme in a press release, Vogue praises these women for 'challenging definitions of beauty,' hailing them for being 'at the forefront of a thrilling change to an industry — a redefining of beauty, and what it means to have influence and visibility in the fashion world.'
![Normalize it: Yumi (pictured) said that while she is thrilled to be a part of wider representation, she wishes she didn't have to check a box for a specific category.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327763-9865097-Normalize_it_Yumi_said_that_while_she_is_thrilled_to_be_a_part_o-a-5_1628179034076.jpg)
Normalize it: Yumi (pictured) said that while she is thrilled to be a part of wider representation, she wishes she didn't have to check a box for a specific category.
![Times are a'changin'! Vogue's cover story concedes that beauty has been 'democratized' by social media, allowing designers 'unprecedented freedom to cast whomever they like'. The open-armed approach to diversity in all forms seems to come in response to mounting criticism of the magazine, with critics complaining that it has long promoted an extremely narrow standard of beauty - and former staffers accusing editor-in-chief Anna Wintour of favoring white, thin employees and allowing discrimination at Vogue.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327769-9865097-Times_are_a_changin_Vogue_s_cover_story_concedes_that_beauty_has-a-6_1628179034083.jpg)
Times are a'changin'! Vogue's cover story concedes that beauty has been 'democratized' by social media, allowing designers 'unprecedented freedom to cast whomever they like'. The open-armed approach to diversity in all forms seems to come in response to mounting criticism of the magazine, with critics complaining that it has long promoted an extremely narrow standard of beauty - and former staffers accusing editor-in-chief Anna Wintour of favoring white, thin employees and allowing discrimination at Vogue.
![Embraced: The shift is described as a 'revolution,' wherein the 'barricades have fallen' and 'forced an industry-wide reckoning with a question: Who gets to be a model?' Vogue's cover for its highlight-of-the-year September issue breaks the mold in a few ways, including the fact that it was shot inside Vogue's New York City office (pictured), with the hustle and bustle of editors working all around.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327761-9865097-Embraced_The_shift_is_described_as_a_revolution_wherein_the_barr-a-7_1628179034085.jpg)
Embraced: The shift is described as a 'revolution,' wherein the 'barricades have fallen' and 'forced an industry-wide reckoning with a question: Who gets to be a model?' Vogue's cover for its highlight-of-the-year September issue breaks the mold in a few ways, including the fact that it was shot inside Vogue's New York City office (pictured), with the hustle and bustle of editors working all around.
![Breaking barriers: Ariel Nicholson, an LGBTQ rights activist, is the first trans model to cover American Vogue. Ariel noted that 'there are limits to what "representation" can do, adding: 'I’ve been put in this box - trans model. Which is what I am - but that’s not all I am,' she said.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327757-9865097-Breaking_barriers_Ariel_Nicholson_an_LGBTQ_rights_activist_is_th-a-9_1628179034089.jpg)
Breaking barriers: Ariel Nicholson, an LGBTQ rights activist, is the first trans model to cover American Vogue. Ariel noted that 'there are limits to what "representation" can do, adding: 'I’ve been put in this box - trans model. Which is what I am - but that’s not all I am,' she said.
![Don't box me in! Even Bella, Kaia, and Lola bristled at being labeled - though in their case, those labels are 'another dumb model' and 'talentless rich kid'. 'People think I’m this talentless rich kid who’s had everything given to her, but I’m not,' said Lourdes, who revealed that she paid for her education at the University of Michigan herself.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327229-9865097-Don_t_box_me_in_Even_Bella_Kaia_and_Lola_bristled_at_being_label-m-21_1628179118943.jpg)
Don't box me in! Even Bella, Kaia, and Lola bristled at being labeled - though in their case, those labels are 'another dumb model' and 'talentless rich kid'. 'People think I’m this talentless rich kid who’s had everything given to her, but I’m not,' said Lourdes, who revealed that she paid for her education at the University of Michigan herself.
![South Sudanese-American model Anok Yai is one of the models to cover the issue](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/46327239-0-South_Sudanese_American_model_Anok_Yai_is_one_of_the_models_to_c-m-13_1628189169840.jpg)
South Sudanese-American model Anok Yai (pictured) is one of the models to cover the issue. She was discovered during Howard University's homecoming week after an Instagram photo of her went viral.
![South Sudanese-American model Anok Yai is one of the models to cover the issue](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/46327243-0-South_Sudanese_American_model_Anok_Yai_is_one_of_the_models_to_c-m-14_1628189177574.jpg)
Anok Yai isn't new to bringing the boundaries of fashion as she was the second black model after Naomi Campbell - and the first South Sudanese woman - to open a Prada show in 2018, 21 years after Campbell.
![Size inclusivity! Precious Lee, 31, is one of two plus-size models to cover the issue. Precious was also the first Black plus-size model to ever appear in Vogue- and now, she's on the cover.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/17/46327213-9865097-Size_inclusivity_Precious_Lee_31_is_one_of_two_plus_size_models_-m-22_1628179491550.jpg)
Size inclusivity! Precious Lee, 31, is one of two plus-size models to cover the issue. Precious was also the first Black plus-size model to ever appear in Vogue- and now, she's on the cover.
![Yumi (pictured) added that, while she is thrilled to be a part of wider representation, she wishes she didn't have to check a box for a specific category. 'I guess there’s a part of me that feels like labels can be limiting. In an ideal world, maybe we wouldn’t have them,' she said.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/20/46327219-9866221-_I_guess_there_s_a_part_of_me_that_feels_like_labels_can_be_limi-a-23_1628191328218.jpg)
Yumi (pictured) added that, while she is thrilled to be a part of wider representation, she wishes she didn't have to check a box for a specific category. 'I guess there’s a part of me that feels like labels can be limiting. In an ideal world, maybe we wouldn’t have them,' she said.
![Nicholson shared her frustration as well, stating: 'Obviously it’s a big deal being the first trans woman on the cover of Vogue, but it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible,' she said.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/17/46327225-9865097-Ariel_Nicholson_noted_that_there_are_limits_to_what_representati-m-24_1628179516391.jpg)
Nicholson shared her frustration as well, stating: 'Obviously it’s a big deal being the first trans woman on the cover of Vogue, but it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible,' she said.
![Famous parents: While the cover has been mostly well-received, some are slamming Vogue for embracing nepotism with three of its model choices. One social media user wrote: 'That's a lot of nepotism, even for Vogue.' Another argued: 'Kaia and Bella are literally the results of nepotism and do not deserve to be in a cover that is supposed to be the reshaping of the industry.' Pictured: Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/46327203-9865097-Famous_parents_While_the_cover_has_been_mostly_well_received_som-a-15_1628179034167.jpg)
Famous parents: While the cover has been mostly well-received, some are slamming Vogue for embracing nepotism with three of its model choices. One social media user wrote: 'That's a lot of nepotism, even for Vogue.' Another argued: 'Kaia and Bella are literally the results of nepotism and do not deserve to be in a cover that is supposed to be the reshaping of the industry.' Pictured: Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford.
![In a lengthy New York Times article published in October, 18 black journalists who have worked with Wintour (pictured) said Vogue favored employees who are thin, white, and from elite backgrounds. The Times article detailed a number of examples of alleged racism under Wintour's leadership. In 2017, Wintour used an offensive racial term in an email as she raised questions about whether a photo shoot of black models wearing bonnets would itself be perceived as offensive. 'Don't mean to use an inappropriate word, but picaninny came to mind,' Wintour wrote.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/36875396-0-Backlash_Anna_Wintour_has_been_criticized_for_creating_a_culture-a-15_1628189260528.jpg)
In a lengthy New York Times article published in October, 18 black journalists who have worked with Wintour (pictured) said Vogue favored employees who are thin, white, and from elite backgrounds. The Times article detailed a number of examples of alleged racism under Wintour's leadership. In 2017, Wintour used an offensive racial term in an email as she raised questions about whether a photo shoot of black models wearing bonnets would itself be perceived as offensive. 'Don't mean to use an inappropriate word, but picaninny came to mind,' Wintour wrote.
![Flashback: Last year, a black Vogue staffer expressed outrage that the magazine did not condemn Kendall Jenner's fake gold teeth (above) in 2017](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/34791880-0-Flashback_Last_year_a_black_Vogue_staffer_expressed_outrage_that-m-19_1628189284977.jpg)
Flashback: Last year, a black Vogue staffer expressed outrage that the magazine did not condemn Kendall Jenner's fake gold teeth at a London fashion week party in 2017, after which a black Vogue staffer expressed outrage, saying that the gold teeth were cultural appropriation. A top lieutenant brought the issue to Wintour's attention, writing: 'If Kendall wants to do something stupid fine but our writers (especially white ones) don't need to weigh in and glorify it or ascribe reasons to it that read culturally insensitive.' Wintour appeared dismissive of the cultural appropriation crisis, responding: 'Well, I honestly don't think that's a big deal.'
![Controversy: Model Karlie Kloss (seen in February 2020) appeared in a 'yellowface' geisha outfit in 2017, but Wintour reportedly said the feature couldn't be cut due to its 'enormous cost'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/34792664-0-Controversy_Model_Karlie_Kloss_seen_in_February_2020_appeared_in-m-21_1628189303958.jpg)
Also in 2017, white model Karlie Kloss drew cultural appropriation accusations when she appeared in Vogue in a geisha outfit, with her face in pale makeup and her hair dyed black. The photo shoot in Japan drew immediate accusations of 'yellowface'. After internal cries of alarm over the feature, Wintour reportedly replied that it could not be cut because of its 'enormous expense.' Pictured: Kloss on a runway in February 2020.
![In his book, former editor-at-large André Leon Talley called Wintour a 'colonial dame, she comes from British, she’s part of an environment of colonialism. She is entitled and I do not think she will ever let anything get in the way of her white privilege'.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/19/27478860-0-In_his_book_former_editor_at_large_Andr_Leon_Talley_called_Winto-a-22_1628189314968.jpg)
In his book, former editor-at-large André Leon Talley called Wintour a 'colonial dame, she comes from British, she’s part of an environment of colonialism. She is entitled and I do not think she will ever let anything get in the way of her white privilege'.
![In her corner: Naomi Campbell, who appeared on the cover of Wintour's first September issue in 1989 (above), vehemently defended the editor after Talley's book was released.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/05/16/34791878-9865097-In_her_corner_Naomi_Campbell_who_appeared_on_the_cover_of_Wintou-a-20_1628179034246.jpg)
In her corner: Naomi Campbell, who appeared on the cover of Wintour's first September issue in 1989 (above), vehemently defended the editor after Talley's book was released.