Vogue Italy target Domestic Violence in new edition. (content note for images)

April 3, 2014, Admin, EVB Analysis,

Vogue Italy, under the editorship of Franca Sozzani, is currently running an issue on domestic violence, apparently as a way of raising awareness of the issue. Below are two images from the cover story, shot by Steven Meisel, called “Horror Story”:

 

 

Whilst we fully support any organisation willing to tackle the issue of domestic violence, we have some grave reservations about this particular story.

1. The interview with Sozzani in the Independent implies that the original idea for April's cover story was not to raise awareness of domestic violence, but rather about horror violence in films. This hardly demonstrates a commitment to raising awareness of domestic violence.
2. There is no evidence that Vogue Italy intends to take a real stand on the issue of domestic violence by banning any advertising that glamourises, commodifies or glorifies domestic violence.

The following images* are all advertising which run in mainstream fashion magazines:

Violence against women is a common theme in fashion advertising. If Vogue Italy wanted to take a serious stand against it, the only way to start would be to ban any advertising like the above. Until then, one issue which wasn't even supposed to be about raising awareness of domestic violence is going to seem nothing more than a cheap gimmick.

 

*Some of the images are taken from an article by Elizabeth Plank published by PolicyMic and from an article on sexual violence in advertising at The Girl Revolution. The others are derived from a search of google images.

Domestic Abuse, domestic violence, violence against women, violence against women and girls, Vogue Italy

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