Vogue's Black Model Trifecta Is A Cultural Creative Fashion Moment

Anne here, working on a post about Michelle Obama's influence on black imagery in the fashion industry and popular culture around the world. Please return later.

For early Sunday readers, The Observer UK calls out the fact that American Vogue has featured black models on the cover three months running now. The May issue of American Vogue is always the 'models' issue; hence the multi-female cover.

Never before have three African American models appeared on the cover of American Vogue, or any other magazine in the world (I dare say; can't prove it.) with a predominantly white readership.

In the same May 2009 issue, Vogue also goes to India, featuring Indian model Lakshmi Menon, who refuses to live in New York or Paris. Excuse me, isn't that every aspiring models dream?

Give The Observer article a read.

With American newspapers in collapse, the NYTimes cutting back on fashion coverage in the Sunday NYTimes Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal closing its fashion and retail bureau, London's in-depth look at American culture, fashion and style will become more important than ever.

The fashion coverage ax may fall in England as well, but for now, one almost always gets a meatier look at style subjects across the pond, where readers rebel against the bullet-point, American media's coverage of most topics.

The London papers have a more comprehensive voice on fashion and its integration into culture. American media generally tries to keep serious subjects like race off the fashion press.

Trying to offend no one, with our concern of not upsetting advertisers, makes us the fence-sitters I wrote about earlier this week.

Cultural Creatives vs Moderns

You are witnessing the advance of the Cultural Creatives against the Moderns. Is skin color part of the Cultural Creatives movement? Yes, which is not to imply that the Moderns don't have many people of color.

P Diddy is a Modern. The dripping with bling imagery of the last ten years is very Modern. Refusing to move to Paris or New York, keeping one's roots in India is for Cultural Creatives.

Race and politics mix with fashion in the Cultural Creatives world. Everything gets 'messy' because life is messy and inter-related. The Cultural Creatives want to understand connections, and how our life puzzle fits together. Cultural Creatives are less dazzled by the establishment.

The Smart Sensuality woman tends to have a foot in both the Modern World and the Cultural Creative one. Hence her love of style and relationship with America's power institutions. The Smart Sensuality woman is a pragmatist, like the Obamas. But make no mistake, she's a Cultural Creative at heart.

Today's NYTimes Op Ed piece Capitalism After the Fall, lays out President Obama's vision for America's future.

Smart Sensuality women, led by Michelle Obama, Queen Rania, Queen Noor, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Stella MeCartney, Trudi Styler and Demi Moore (just to start up the list) are leaders of this fashion and style transition.

We will not return to the same-o same-o relationship with fashion and style, when the economy revives.

When I reel off these lists, I tend to focus on older, non American women, who absolutely are key in the Smart Sensuality wing of the Cultural Creatives movement. But we have many young women as well, and I'll develop a better list.

Is the Smart Sensuality women trend led by non-American women?

If I'm honest, 'yes', until Michelle came to town. Suddenly, the whole world is looking at American women, Michelle in particular. That's a subject for another day.

Enjoy. Anne