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Gigi Hadid Apologizes For Vogue Italia ‘Blackface’ Controversy

Gigi Hadid and Conde Nast have both issued apologies for the model’s May cover of Vogue Italia.

The cover, which was shot by famed fashion photographer Steven Klein and also included male model Justin Martin, came under fire for its extremely bronzed depiction of Hadid. Some outlets and commenters likened the cover to “blackface” and decried what appeared to be a liberal use of photo manipulation on Hadid’s face.

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Conde Nast International issued a statement about the backlash to the cover on Thursday.

“Throughout its history, Vogue Italia has respected and encouraged the creative viewpoints of commissioned photographers. In our latest cover shoot by Steven Klein, the vision was to create a beachwear-themed story with a stylized bronzing effect,” the statement, shared by Teen Vogue, said. “We understand that the result has caused some debate with our readers, and we sincerely apologize if we have caused any offence.”

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