Diversity Gets Major Uplift On US Fashion Magazine Covers Reports Fashionista

Fashionista beat me to the topic of diversity on US magazine covers. I was about to praise Vogue US for featuring women of color three months in a row -- November 2016-January 2017.

Fashionista has tracked diversity on magazine covers in-depth for several years, and finally we are celebrating some progress.

This time last year, we reported a disappointing statistic: That diversity on the covers of 10 leading U.S. fashion publications — Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Nylon, Teen Vogue, Vogue and W — did not improve in 2015 from 2014. In 2015, 27 of 136 covers featured people of color* while the year before, 27 of 137 did. It was an improvement, technically, but only from 19.7 percent to 19.8 percent. 

In 2016, however, there have been sizable lifts in cover star diversity across the board. For consistency's sake, we reviewed the covers from the same titles we looked at in 2015 — all 147 of them. And we found that 53 of 147 covers — or 36 percent — starred people of color*, as compared to 2015's 19.8 percent. That's a 16.9 percent rise.

AOC gives Vogue US a sound round of applause for featuring three inspiring women of color in a row: Lupita Nyong'o, Michelle Obama and 'Loving' star and Golden Globe nominee Ruth Negga. See their editorials, covers and interviews.

Vogue US January 2017: Ruth Negga

Interview and Editorial

Vogue US December 2016: Michelle Obama

Editorial and Anne's commentary about Michelle Obama's mission to educate girls worldwide.

Vogue US November 2016: Lupita Nyong'o

Editorial and Anne's rich rieview of Lupita's trip to Kenya.