A Global Phenomenon

When the all-Black issue of Vogue Italia hit the stands, no one could have predicted its’ outrageous success.

In the world of fashion magazines, a black model on the cover of the publication is is a rare occurrence. The justification for this disparity is often that issues with black cover models don't sell. This month, however, the so-called "black" issue of Italian Vogue has proven that theory to be at least somewhat flawed.

As reported by UK news source The Guardian, in the past four weeks, the issue has caused such a phenomenal demand at news-stands in Britain and the United States that Condé Nast, the publisher, has rushed to reprint and distribute 40,000 more copies.

Conceived by editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, and shot by Steven Meisel from a roster of 18 new, established and former stars, the July 'black issue' sold out in Britain on arrival. Borders bookstores in the country have reported that demand was up 654% from the previous issue.

"It has been unprecedented, a sensation, although that wasn't the aim," said Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast International. Here in the States, the issue is shrink-wrapped and stickered with the words "First Reprint. The Most Wanted Issue Ever."

"I've been watching the news-stands since the beginning. There are lines of women when they hear of a new shipment," says Kenya Hunt, the young black style editor of Metro International News in magazine sales are really hurting." New York. "The news-stand guys are hustling, locking it up in the back and charging $25, $28, when the real price is $16. Yesterday, I saw it on eBay for $50. There is a climate shift. This is the year of the presidential election. And this at a time when

The issue isn't new for Hunt, who wrote a piece about the absence of black models a year ao which was generally met with silence from the industry. Now, she says, everyone is eager to quote the article.