First Time in 103 Years, A Black Woman with Cornrows Covers Vogue…and Zoe’s on Teen Vogue with Microbraids!


Hey Hey Hey!!! Look at this! Maybe Vogue Espana heard about the backlash over the whole “boxer braids” nonsense and has on its March 2016 cover a gorgeous brown model sporting cornrows!

The British model Aya Jones who has Ivory Coast parentage received a fierce hair styling from a local hairstylist from Botswana where the cover photo was shot.

The stylist Karim Belghira shared a photo of the work that went into the hair masterpiece!

“#bts @voguespain Botswana situations. When the time it’s against you and end up with an amazing team to do the cover look with @iamayajones Thanks to everybody in #jaocamp @belenantolin” he captioned the image.

The Cover is More than that! The title to the lead article “Queen of Africa” in Spanish is subtitled “Black is beautiful”

Famed photographer Nico Bustos shot the cover at the Okavango Delta in Botswana. (Though as a few commenters noted, they could have steered away from the cliche over-used safari backdrop and shot some cityscape or beach because Africa has so many different landscapes)

It’s a major step for the international magazine which has only had two Africans grace its cover in its 103 year history, the recent being actress Lupita Ny’ongo.

African American women have been on the cover. A-Listers like Beyonce, Oprah, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell and Michelle Obama and they are among the only 14 total that have covered Vogue in 22 years between the years of 1989 to 2011.

Whoa!

For now, this cover featuring cornrows may be a first!

Though…it could be a trend because actress and model Zoe Kravitz is weaing micro braided individuals on the current cover of Teen Vogue USA!

And oh yeah, all the backlash they got the last time Teen Vogue featured braids in its magazines but did it from the perspective of a Caucasian model.

It’s mea cupla for the first half of the year as Amandla Stenberg and fellow Afro clad models announcing the #BlackGirlMagic video contest last month in Teen Vogue.
Muy Bueno!

I am a content creator, social media agency owner, former attorney and publicist, wife and mom. I love working in cafes, wine, food and music festivals, Sunday brunch,  home decorating, travel and life.