Fashion Industry at it again: Vogue Magazine director in Brazil under fire for "slavery party"

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Vogue executive quits over 'slave party'

Vogue Brazil exec quits over 'slave party' criticism

Getty Images
Donata Meirelles has apologised after photos from her 50th birthday party were criticised for "evoking slavery"
Vogue Brazil's fashion director has resigned after photos from her 50th birthday party were criticised for "evoking slavery."

One image, now deleted from Instagram, shows fashion boss Donata Meirelles on a throne with two black women in traditional dress standing either side of her.

Critics on social media have accused her of being racially insensitive.

Ms Meirelles has apologised and denies the images were linked with slavery.

The image first emerged in a now-deleted Instagram post by Brazilian journalist Fabio Bernardo.

It has been suggested that the black women's clothes were similar to those worn by slaves, while the throne resembled a cadeira de sinhá - a chair for slave masters.

Other pictures from the party, in Salvador de Bahia in northeast Brazil, show traditionally-dressed black women welcoming and ushering guests.

TV presenter Rita Batista posted the party picture with another photograph, taken in 1860, of a white woman sitting next to two slaves.



"Think about how much you can hurt people, their memories, the plight of their people, when you choose a theme to 'spice up' a happy moment in your life," said Brazilian singer Elza Soares in an Instagram post.

Ms Meirelles apologised in a now-deleted statement on Instagram. She added that the women's clothes were traditional Bahian party dress and the chair was a relic from the Afro-Brazilian folk religion candomblé.

On Wednesday, she announced her resignation in a separate post.

"At age 50, it's time for action. I've heard a lot, I need to hear more," she said.

Vogue also issued an apology for the incident, saying it "deeply regrets what happened and hopes that the debate generated will serve as a learning experience."

The fashion magazine also said it would form a panel of experts and academics to address concerns about inequality at the publication.

This is the third racially-charged incident Vogue has apologised for this year.

The magazine was criticised in January for misidentifying journalist Noor Tagouri as Pakistani actor Bukhari.

In February, it again misidentified two actresses from the movie Crazy Rich Asians.

 

[Sensitive Christian Grey]

Bit slow to report this aren't ya lad? I saw this trending in the Guardian a day or two ago.

But still, fukk her

 

[broller]

I don't doubt she's racist but that photo doesn't seem bad to me. Those black woman are dressed way better than that accelerated aging white woman. The black women's outfits are far from "slave garb"; they're proud traditional outfits

 

[The Guru]

I don't doubt she's racist but that photo doesn't seem bad to me. Those black woman are dressed way better than that accelerated aging white woman. The black women's outfits are far from "slave garb"; they're proud traditional outfits

I don't agree. Judging from those pictures the imagery is clear. Unless i'm missing something, in every shot there's white people sitting down in the middle flanked by black people standing up.

 

[Betty Draper]

Brazil has such twisted socio-economic structures with their so called ‘racial democracy’.

 

[Ghost Utmost]

Oh good. My lifelong Vogue boycott was not in vain

 

[Betty Draper]

I don't doubt she's racist but that photo doesn't seem bad to me. Those black woman are dressed way better than that accelerated aging white woman. The black women's outfits are far from "slave garb"; they're proud traditional outfits

Nah, she definitely was evoking images of Brazilian slavery. The house slaves in colonial Brazil who often cooked and/or took care of the slave master’s children wore white garments like that. Why else would she have random black women standing beside her? She invited her other white guests to sit in the chair to have their picture taken too. Brazil is so messed up with the poorest being black/mulattos and the richest being white. Those women were there for no other reason than props to make white Brazilians feel superior. It’s meant to romanticise that era of Brazillian history when black Brazilians were completely submissive to white Brazilians and things were ‘better’ and ‘sophisticated’ than the Brazil of today. There are several underlying connotations to those pics but you have to be aware of Brazilian history to catch them.

 

[broller]

I don't agree. Judging from those pictures the imagery is clear. Unless i'm missing something, in every shot there's white people sitting down in the middle flanked by black people standing up.

Did OP edit the thread? I saw only the original pic .didn't see all them other ones. Then I agree, it's a theme

 

[broller]

Nah, she definitely was evoking images of Brazilian slavery. The house slaves in colonial Brazil who often cooked and/or took care of the slave master’s children wore white garments like that. Why else would she have random black women standing beside her? She invited her other white guests to sit in the chair to have their picture taken too. Brazil is so messed up with the poorest being black/mulattos and the richest being white. Those women were there for no other reason than props to make white Brazilians feel superior. It’s meant to romanticise that era of Brazillian history when black Brazilians were completely submissive to white Brazilians and things were ‘better’ and ‘sophisticated’ than the Brazil of today. There are several underlying connotations to those pics but you have to be aware of Brazilian history to catch them.

I saw only the first pic (before the edits) . I agree with y'all now. It was a recurring theme.

 

[™BlackPearl The Empress™]

I don't doubt she's racist but that photo doesn't seem bad to me. Those black woman are dressed way better than that accelerated aging white woman. The black women's outfits are far from "slave garb"; they're proud traditional outfits

I don't agree. Judging from those pictures the imagery is clear. Unless i'm missing something, in every shot there's white people sitting down in the middle flanked by black people standing up.

I don't get slavery from these either. What is the difference between this and when someone goes to Hawaii, gets a lay/ley and takes a picture?

 

[Brolic Scholar]

Cacs are obsessed with us being beneath them which is why they put so much into harming us. They think if WE had control, we’d be beating them over the head every chance we got. At this point though...

 

[Family Lives Matter]

The two women are Random as fukk but slave owners throne the fukk is that?

 

[knickscity]

If it was enough to make the cac quit, then it must have been serious enough. I had to ask of relative that was familiar with Brazilian slavery, and they said that's what it looks like. So good.

 

[Vodun]

i swear to god nothing ever good comes from cacs, if you learn that lesson life will be so much easier

 

[FLATOP]

Nice dresses